Hidden Knowledge

This MasterWorld book requires the MasterBook rules.

Hidden Knowledge
by Rob Sabath

1
 MasterBook and MasterWorld
are trademarks of Precis Intermedia.
http://www.pigames.net
Spiderfingers Font by Chad Savage
http://www.sinisterfonts.com
Arch Diabolus Copyright 2012, CulhainGAMES
Additional Artwork by Rob Sabath
Text & Design by Rob Sabath
House Rules by Rob Sabath

This MasterWorldTM product was designed for and requires Precis Intermedias MasterBookTM , the
universal roleplaying game rules system. MasterBookTM , MasterWorldTM , and associated logos are
trademarks of Precis Intermedia. All rights reserved. For more information, visit www.pigames.net.

Table of Contents

I Overview 4
1 Quick-Play Statistics 4
1.1 Agent, Grunt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1.2 Agent, Officer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1.3 Agent, Special Ops/Mercenary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
1.4 Black Marketeer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
1.5 Criminal Mastermind . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
1.6 Femme Fatale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
1.7 Psionic, Government* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
1.8 Psionic, Independent* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
1.9 Standard Bobby . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
1.10 Standard Scotland Yard Investigator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
1.11 Terrorist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
1.12 Thug . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

2 Revised MasterBook Skill List 9

3 Basic Weapon Charts 9

4 Armor Fatigue 11

5 Poisons 11

6 Villain Creation 12
6.1 Spy/Villain Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
6.2 Spy/Villain Personality/Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
6.3 Spy/Villains Purpose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

7 Subplot/Adventure Generators 13
7.1 Adventure Theme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
7.2 Adventure Impact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
7.3 Adventure Setting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

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II House Rules 14
7.4 Complex Movement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
7.5 Alternative use of Life Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
7.5.1 How the Life Point System works . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
7.5.2 The Life Point System in Play . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
7.6 Representing Life Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
7.7 Handing out Life Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

III Session Preparation 15

8 Cast of Characters 15
8.1 Fast Session Preparation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
8.2 Maps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
8.3 Supporting Material . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

9 Adventure Outlines 17
9.1 Adventures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
9.1.1 Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
9.1.2 Date . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
9.1.3 Purpose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
9.1.4 Ending . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
9.1.5 Major Players . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
9.1.6 Locations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
9.1.7 Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
9.2 Scenes or Acts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
9.2.1 Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
9.2.2 Date . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
9.2.3 Weather . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
9.2.4 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
9.2.5 Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
9.2.6 Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
9.2.7 Ending . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
9.3 NPCs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
9.3.1 Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
9.3.2 Looks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
9.3.3 Goals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
9.3.4 Tactics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
9.3.5 Stats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
9.4 Combat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
9.4.1 Tactics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
9.4.2 Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
9.4.3 Goals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
9.4.4 Defeat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
9.4.5 Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

10 Yesor No? 20

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Part I
Overview
This book collects text snippets found in MasterBook & MasterBook Companion to help the game
master finding needed passages fast and in time.
It also includes a section about example characters, session preparation and some house rules.

1 Quick-Play Statistics
These statistics give a quick basis for NPCs the game master might use during a game session. Feel
free to modify them to fit the adventurers or challenges they face.

1.1 Agent, Grunt

AGILITY 10
Dodge11, maneuver 11, melee combat 12, stealth 11, unarmed combat 12
DEXTERITY 9
Fire combat 12, heavy weapons 11, vehicle piloting (choose focus) 11
ENDURANCE 9
STRENGTH 10
TOUGHNESS 11
INTELLECT 7
Camouflage 8, first aid 9, mechanic 8, perception 9, trick 8
MIND 7
CONFIDENCE 9
Intimidation 10, survival 10
CHARISMA 7
Taunt 8
Life Points: 1-5
Equipment: Appropriate pistol and/or rifle; knife, damage value STR+3; camouflage fatigues.
Description: Grunt Agents are used for one primary purpose: interference. Higher-ups always throw
grunts at player characters first to test their mettle and to see whether or not they are a real threat.

1.2 Agent, Officer

AGILITY 9
Dodge10, melee combat 10, stealth 10, unarmed combat 10
DEXTERITY 9
Fire combat 13, vehicle piloting 10
ENDURANCE 9
STRENGTH 8
TOUGHNESS 10
INTELLECT 9
Deduction11, espionage 10, perception 11, trick 11
MIND 9
Language (choose one) 10, scholar: military 11
CONFIDENCE 9
Interrogation 10, intimidation 10, willpower 10
CHARISMA 9
Charm 10
Life Points: 1-5
Equipment: Dress uniform; access to military vehicle; pistol and/or rifle; intelligence documents.
Description: Officer Agents/Spies are used when intelligence matters are involved or when grunts
arent subtle enough. They are still directed by higher-ups although they may have a greater say in
what they do.

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1.3 Agent, Special Ops/Mercenary
AGILITY 11
Dodge 12, melee combat 13, melee parry 12, running 12, stealth 12, swimming 12, unarmed combat
13, unarmed parry 12
DEXTERITY 10
Fire combat 12, gunnery 11, heavy weapons 11, thrown weapons 11, vehicle piloting 11
ENDURANCE 10
STRENGTH 10
TOUGHNESS 11
INTELLECT 7
Camouflage 9, demolitions 8, first aid 9, mechanic 9, perception 9, trick 8
MIND 7
CONFIDENCE 10
Intimidation 12, survival 11, willpower 11
CHARISMA 7
Disguise 8, taunt 8
Life Points: 1-5
Equipment: Mercenaries have access to most weapons; camouflage fatigues.
Description: Mercenaries are basically Grunt Agents but they have a little more experience and work
for money rather than country. Mercenaries can also double as Special Ops Agents.

1.4 Black Marketeer

AGILITY 8
Dodge 9, melee combat 10, stealth 10, unarmed combat 9
DEXTERITY 8
Fire Combat 12, prestidigitation 9, vehicle piloting (choose focus) 10
ENDURANCE 10
STRENGTH 9
TOUGHNESS 10
INTELLECT 9
Deduction 10, espionage 10, forgery 11, mechanic 10, perception 10, trick 12
MIND 9
Business10
CONFIDENCE 10
Bribery 11, con 12, intimidation 11, streetwise 11, willpower 11
CHARISMA 7
Charm 8, persuasion 8, taunt 8
Life Points: 1-5
Equipment: Whatever he can get his hands on.
Description: Black Marketeers are a shifty lot with their own set of rules. Some may be very loyal to
the customer while others are simply in for the buck and sell out to the highest bidder. Players should
be cautioned strongly when dealing with the black market.

1.5 Criminal Mastermind

AGILITY 8
Dodge10, melee combat 9, stealth 10
DEXTERITY 8
Fire combat 10, vehicle piloting (choose focus) 9
ENDURANCE 8
STRENGTH 7
TOUGHNESS 9
INTELLECT 10
Computer ops 11, deduction 11, espionage 13, forgery 11, perception 12, trick 12
MIND 10
Bureaucracy 11, business 11, language (choose one) 11, scholar (choose any) 11
CONFIDENCE 9

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Con 11, interrogation 10, intimidation 10
CHARISMA 9
Charm 11, persuasion 10, taunt 10
Life Points: 1-5: 1-5
Equipment: Quality suit; sword cane, damage value STR+6/21; trick pistol, damage value 13, ammo
6.
Description: The criminal mastermind can be anything from an underworld leader to a world dominator.
Their personalities are largely based on their goals and how the player characters factor for/against it.

1.6 Femme Fatale

AGILITY 8
Dodge 9, melee combat 9, stealth 9, unarmed combat 9
DEXTERITY 8
Fire combat 9
ENDURANCE 7
STRENGTH 7
TOUGHNESS 9
INTELLECT 9
Espionage 10, perception 10, trick 11
MIND 9
CONFIDENCE 10
Bribery 11, con 12, streetwise 11, willpower 11
CHARISMA 10
Charm 13, disguise 12, persuasion 12, taunt 11
Life Points: 1-5
Equipment: Elegant - yet revealing dress; stiletto, damage value STR+3/16; holdout gun, damage
value 16, ammo 6.
Description: The Femme Fatale is the ultimate seductress. Few expect the beautiful leading lady to
be a vicious black widow in disguise. Note: The Femme Fatale does not necessarily have to be female.
The intent is a romance-based enemy which strikes players where they are generally most vulnerable:
their hearts and egos.

1.7 Psionic, Government*

AGILITY 7
Melee combat 8, unarmed combat 8, unarmed parry 8
DEXTERITY 7
Thrown weapons 8
ENDURANCE 7
STRENGTH 6
TOUGHNESS 8
INTELLECT 9
Espionage 11, perception 11, trick 10
MIND 11
Hypnotism 12
CONFIDENCE 10
Interrogation 11, intimidation 12, willpower,12
CHARISMA 11
Charm 12, disguise 12, persuasion 13
Life Points: 1-5
Equipment: Appropriate pistol and/or rifle; knife, damage value STR+3/18; suit.
Description: An agent from an ESPionage agency knows how to use his gift well. Whats worse,
however, is that he has the backing of his agency in case his talent fails him.
* Choose a Psychic skill and place four skill adds in it.

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1.8 Psionic, Independent*
AGILITY 8
Melee combat 10, stealth 9, unarmed combat 9
DEXTERITY 8
ENDURANCE 6
STRENGTH 9
TOUGHNESS 8
INTELLECT 11
First aid 12, perception 14, trick 13
MIND 9
Language (choose one) 10
CONFIDENCE 10
Con 11, streetwise 11, willpower 13
CHARISMA 7
Life Points: 1-5
Equipment: Appropriate pistol and/or rifle; knife, damage value STR+3/18; a component for using
the ESP skill chosen.
Description: An independent ESPer could be a very dangerous person if she gets cornered by people
that she perceives as enemies. Generally, the only reasons that she wouldnt be working for an agency
is if she doesnt want to or doesnt know ESPionage agencies exist.
* Choose a Psychic skill and place four skill adds in it.

1.9 Standard Bobby

AGILITY 9
Dodge 10, melee combat 10, running 10, unarmed combat 10
DEXTERITY 9
Fire combat 11
ENDURANCE 9
STRENGTH 8
TOUGHNESS 10
INTELLECT 8
Deduction 10, perception 11, science: forensics 9, trick 9
MIND 8
CONFIDENCE 9
Intimidation 10, willpower 10
CHARISMA 8
Life Points: 1-5
Equipment: Police uniform; access to vehicle; club, damage value STR+4/12; .38 Special,damage
value 16, ammo 6; whistle.

1.10 Standard Scotland Yard Investigator

AGILITY 9
Dodge 11, stealth 10
DEXTERITY 9
Fire combat 11
ENDURANCE 9
STRENGTH 8
TOUGHNESS 10
INTELLECT 9
Deduction 12, perception 11, science: forensics 12, tracking 11, trick 10
MIND 9
CONFIDENCE 9
Interrogation 10, intimidation 10, willpower 10
CHARISMA 8
Persuasion 9
Life Points: 1-5

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Equipment: Police uniform; access to vehicle; club, damage value STR+4/12; .38 Special,damage
value 16, ammo 6; whistle.

1.11 Terrorist
AGILITY 9
Dodge12, melee combat 11, running 11, stealth 12, unarmed combat 11
DEXTERITY 9
Fire combat 11, thrown weapons 11, vehicle piloting (choose focus) 11
ENDURANCE 9
Resist shock 12
STRENGTH 9
TOUGHNESS 10
INTELLECT 7
Camouflage 9, demolitions 11, mechanic 8, perception 9, trick 9
MIND 7
CONFIDENCE 10
Intimidation 12, survival 11, willpower 13
CHARISMA 7
Taunt 9
Life Points: 1-5
Equipment: Generally grenades or some other explosive including bombs. Dress depends on whether
cause is religious or patriotic.
Description: Intelligence isnt a prerequisite for being a terrorist, only fanatical devotion to some cause.
The real edge that terrorists have is that they are absolutely willing to die for their cause and threats
fall on deaf ears.

1.12 Thug
AGILITY 9
Dodge 11, melee combat 11, stealth 11, unarmed combat 10
DEXTERITY 9
Fire combat12,vehicle piloting (choose focus) 11
ENDURANCE 9
STRENGTH 9
TOUGHNESS 10
INTELLECT 7
Forgery 8, mechanic 8, perception 9, trick 8
MIND 7
CONFIDENCE 9
Bribery 10, con 10, intimidation 10, survival: urban 11
CHARISMA 7
Taunt 8
Life Points: 1-5
Equipment: Some kind of gun, usually an automatic weapon; cellular phone; drugs.
Description: Thugs are the urban grunts. Not all people have higher goals, some just want to hurt you.

8
2 Revised MasterBook Skill List
This table lists all skills available in MasterBook and MasterBook Companion.

AGILITY STRENGTH Business

Acrobatics Lethal Strike* Cartography
Beast Riding* Lifting Conjuration*
Climbing Hypnotism
Dance INTELLECT Language*
Dodge Apportation* Medicine
Escape Artist Camouflage Psychic: Astral Pro-
Flight* Cantrips jection
Improvised Weaponry Computer Hacking Psychic: Clairvoyance
Long Jumping Computer Ops Psychic: Empath
Maneuver Counterfeiting Psychic: Medium
Martial Arts* Counter-intelligence Psychic: Psychometry
Mechanical Maneuver* Data Analysis Psychic: Telekinesis
Melee Combat Deduction Psychic: Telepathy
Melee Parry Demolitions Research
Running Divination* Scholar
Stealth Espionage
Swimming Forgery CONFIDENCE
Unarmed Combat First Aid Alteration*
Unarmed Parry Induce Red Haze Blind Maneuver
Inventor Bribery
Journalism Con
DEXTERITY Linguistics Curse
Energy Weapons Navigation* Faith*
Exotic Weapons Perception Gambling
Fire Combat Performance Arts* Interrogation
Gunnery* Photography Intimidation
Heavy Energy Weapons* Psionic Manipulation Psychology
Heavy Weapons* Radio Ops Streetwise
Lock Picking Safe-cracking Survival*
Missile Weapons* Science* Willpower
Prestidigitation Smuggling
Security Super-science CHARISMA
Thrown Weapons Teaching* Charm
Vehicle Piloting* Tracking Disguise
Trick Etiquette
Vehicle Mechanic* Persuasion
ENDURANCE Shapeshifting
Resist Pain MIND Summoning*
Resist Shock Artist* Taunt
Bureaucracy

* Macroskill; must select a focus.

Boldface: Skill cannot be used untrained.
New skill: Rules or adjustments are in the MasterBook Companion.

3 Basic Weapon Charts

Every character needs to be well equipped when facing the threats in their adventures. You cannot
always carry the biggest gun or the smallest for a job, so there is a lot of variety around to satisfy
everybody.
The list below shows some common weapons used all around the world by law-enforcement officers,
spies, villains, thugs and others to bolster their confidence, ensure their safety or simply do their job.

9
 Range Price
Weapon Type Damage Ammo Short Med Long Extr. (Ammo)
Pistols
.38 Special 16 6 310 25 50 150 $300 ($10)
7.65 Walther PPK 18 7 310 20 40 140 $350 ($15)
7.62 TT-33 Tokarev 18 8 310 25 50 150 $500 ($15)
Glock 17 (9mm) 18 17 310 25 50 150 $600 ($10)
.45 ACP 19 6 310 25 50 150 $500 ($15)
.44Magnum 20 6 310 30 55 155 $500 ($15)

Rifles
7.62mm Dragunov 22 10 415 50 150 300 $2500 ($15)
5.56mm Galil ARM 22 20 420 60 180 400 $1500 ($15)
5.45mm AK-74 22 30 415 50 150 300 $1000 ($15)
5.56mm M16 23 20 420 60 180 400 $1000 ($15)
7.62mm M14 23 30 430 75 200 450 $700 ($15)

Shotguns
Mossberg (12 gauge pump) 21 5 420 30 75 125 $300 ($12)
Franchi SPAS12 (12 gauge) 21 6 420 30 75 125 $600 ($12)

SMG
9mm Uzi 19 32 or 40 410 20 50 75 $1000 ($15)
Ingram MAC-10 (.45ACP) 18 30 410 20 50 75 $1000 ($15)
9mm MP5 17 15 or 30 410 20 50 75 $1500 ($15)

Special Guns
Cane Gun 17 6 310 25 50 150 $500 ($10)
Cigarette Gun 13 1 or 2 * * * * $200

Missile Weapons
Throwing Dagger STR+2/17 35 10 15 30 $15
Throwing Star STR+2/17 35 10 15 30 $15
Blowgun STR+4/19 310 40 100 175 $20
Bow and Arrow STR+5/20 310 40 100 175 $150
Crossbow STR+9/24 310 100 200 300 $250

* Point-blank range only

Blowguns commonly shoot poison darts. Poison damage is in addition to damage listed above
Weapon Type Damage Value Cost
Grenades
Molotov Cocktail 20
HG77 Fragmentation 22 $40
HG80 Mini-Frag 23 $40
THS Incendiary 24 $50
Smoke Grenade smoke $20
M7A2 CStear $40
Feistel Type Ablind $40

Melee Weapons
Club/Baton STR+5/20 $10
Knife/Dagger STR+4/19 $25
Rapier STR+6/21 $150
Two-Handed Sword STR+10/25
Axe STR+7/22
Broadsword STR+8/23
Hatchet STR+6/21

10
 TOU check vs. 18 to remain in area without protection.
TOU check vs. 16 to avoid being blinded and deafened 1d10 rounds.

TOU+ Suer
Armor Type /Max.Value Fatigue?
Soft Leather +2/17 no
Bullet Proof Vest +7/22 no
Flack Jacket +8/23 yes, 4 points
Light Kevlar +7/22 yes, 3 points
Heavy Kevlar +9/24 yes, 3 points

Refer to the MasterBook page 159 for a more detailed description and for more adventure gear.

In case the list above is not sufficient or a special weapon is needed, page 45 in the MasterBook
Companion lists a lot more weapons and armour ready to be used in a MasterBook game.

4 Armor Fatigue
Wearing Armor is tiring and cannot be endured for a longer time without any drawbacks. Any armor
that has a fatigue penalty shown in the table, increases the number of shock damage points a hero
takes.
If during game play the Interaction and Combat Results Table is referenced or any card from the
Drama Deck implies a Fatigue result, check the armor the character is wearing. Hides and furs or chain
mail wearing heroes suer three shock points rather than two. Wearing plate mail or a flak jacket is
even worse and the character suers fours shock points of damage.

5 Poisons
There are many poisons around, famous ones like cyanide and strychnine, but also mundane (and often
forgotten) easy to come-by ones as rat poison or liquid detergent or gasoline. The following is a short
breakdown of how poisons work and how dangerous they might be.

Mild Poison taken internally; non-lethal snake bites

Eect: victim feels nauseous and uncomfort-
able Severe Poison
Good to: make someone sick for a few hours Eect: victim requires immediate attention
or a few days or death will result
Damage Value: 1618 Good to: get rid of somebody
Examples: spoiled food or overdoses of pain Damage Value: 2528
relievers Examples: cleaning chemicals and lethal
snake venom, mustard gas
Moderate Poison
Eect: long term eects, may even kill a per- Fatal Poison
son with a weak constitution Eect: victim dies within a few rounds
Good to: put somebody out of commission Good to: end a life in a very quick way
for a longer time Damage Value: 28+
Damage Value: 1922 Examples: Cyanide tablets or modern chemi-
Examples: badly mixed/unexpected reactions cal warfare agents
to prescriptions, substances not meant to be

Note: There are chemicals around that target a specific function of the body (e.g. vision or hearing)
and are not lethal at all. Depending on the result that has to be archived it might be better to use a
specialized drug or chemical to do the job.

11
6 Villain Creation
Use the following tables to create your villains. Tinker where needed and add flavour where possible.
Remember, these tables should give you a rough idea what the enemy is like. It will not be a fully
fleshed out character.

6.1 Spy/Villain Type

Roll 1d10 to determine who the villain is Die Roll Type
and who he is working for. It might even be 0 Agent, Grunt
just a disguise to get closer to his goals or 1 Agent, Officer/Spy
to get better intel on his target. They can be 2 Agent, Special Ops/Mercenary
very creative and usually stay out of sight long 3 Black Marketeer
enough to make their move at the right time. 4 Criminal Mastermind
5 Femme Fatale
6 Psionic, Government
7 Psionic, Independent
8 Terrorist
9 Thug

6.2 Spy/Villain Personality/Drive

Roll 1d10 to find out why he or she is Die Roll Personality

doing this. Generally the drive is something 0 Anarchist
very important and cannot be easily disguised. 1 Follower/Being Controlled
There will always be a slight overtone of his 2 Listens to Voices
or her believes and views in any longer con- 3 God Complex
versation. 4 Strong Passion Related to Goal
5 Strong Phobia Related to Goal
6 Sadist
7 Self-Centered/Egoist
8 Utopian (Believes in Higher Goal)
9 Just Plain Crazy

6.3 Spy/Villains Purpose

The final roll should give an idea what he Die Roll Purpose
or she is after. Villains will not give away their 0 Desires Knowledge
goals easily or talk about them in public. It 1 Desires Power
is far more believable if the villain acts in the 2 Desires Wealth
background and sends his or her minions to 3 Luddite (Destroy Technology)
do the dirty job. It will take a good amount 4 Nationalist/Ultra Patriot
of time to find out what villains are after. 5 Nihilist (Destroy Everything)
6 Personal Vendetta Against
Character
7 Personal Vendetta Against
Game master Character
8 Psi Radical(Strongly For
or Against Psis)
9 Religious Zealot

12
7 Subplot/Adventure Generators
These random tables can help you get over that dreaded writers block.They give a variety of generic
adventure ideas and settings in case you are at a loss to come up with anything on your own. They
are also handy if you are called up to do some game mastering at a moments notice. Just roll a few
numbers, flesh it out quickly and wing the rest!

7.1 Adventure Theme

This part is to give an idea what the adventure is about. It might be the main theme, just an unexpected
sub-plot or an ongoing campaign.
Die Roll Theme
0004 Assassination by Player Characters
0509 Assassination Prevention
1014 Experiment (Biologic) Gone Bad
1519 Experiment (Supernatural) Gone Bad
2024 Experiment (Technological) Gone Bad
2529 Defection of Foreign Agent
3034 Drugs/Smuggling Operation
3539 Generic Spy/Information Retrieval Mission
4044 Government Coup
4549 Hijacking/Piracy/Skyjacking
5054 Hostage/Kidnapping Situation
5559 International Conspiracy
6064 Mafia/Organized Crime Related Incident
6669 Military operation
7074 Mysterious Patron
7579 Renegade Psionic(s)
8084 Robbery
8589 Sabotage
9094 Supernatural Attack
9599 Terrorist Attack

7.2 Adventure Impact

The extent of the plot the adventure will have. Maybe it is a small community that is involved or
a political party. This could be an election campaign as well as a whole government or even a large
company. The table should spark some ideas.
Die Roll Impact
01 None/Random Event
24 Local/Minor Personalities
56 Regional/Known Personalities
78 National/Major Personalities
9 Global/International Personalities

7.3 Adventure Setting

Use this table to decide where the adventure takes place. Maybe use the table multiple times to create
dierent locations for the individual scenes and/or acts.
Die Roll Setting
02 Urban
34 Rural
56 Wilderness
78 Third World
9 Unusual (Space, O-Dimension)

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Part II
House Rules
Over the time some issues came up and our group agreed on a few house rules. They are presented
here for your use, if you like them.

7.4 Complex Movement

The rules on page 88 MasterBook explain, that a characters advanced movement is equal to a number
of meters corresponding to the Value Chart on page 95. Unfortunately for characters with a Movement
of 5 or less this results in a lower movement and does not feel right. Additionally it adds complexity to
the game by looking up the number and dividing it by two for tactical measurement.
Here are two alternative methods to get around this problem:

1. A much faster alternative is to simply double the Simple Movement rate and ignore the use of
the Value Chart for movement.

2. You could still use the Value Chart, but add the Simple Movement to the value. So a character
with a MRG of 4 gets an Complex Movement of 10 meters (4 ) 6 meters plus 4 ) 10 meters),
instead of 6. This adds even more complexity to it, but the results are more believable.

You might consider using one of the two options only if there is a character involved that actually has
a movement rate of 5 or less. If the situation does not come up, then theres no need to fix it.
During game play, option number one was used when miniatures and maps came out on the table.
For pure role-playing scenes (including maps, but no miniatures), option number 2 was used if one
character on either side would be disadvantaged.
Feel free to mix and match these rules, explain the dierences with tactical situations that are more
complex and movement is hindered by the environment (option one) and a looser time frame for role
playing scenes (option two).

7.5 Alternative use of Life Points

In addition to the rules for Life Points explained in MasterBook, here are some additional options to
weave them into the story. Think carefully about using them when also using the Drama Deck, as it
will put a lot of power into the players hands and can absolutely derail your adventure.
This system works best as an alternative to the Drama Deck.

7.5.1 How the Life Point System works

add some detail to the story: a stranger you know, a piece of equipment you have with you, a
location you know, a secret you are aware of, etc.

modify the situation the game master is just explaining: find a clue, know the stranger you just
met, have some supporters around, change the room layout you are in, have the door unlocked,
etc.

The number of Life Points you want to spend on these changes determine the severity of the change.
For one or two LPs you can change minor details, e.g. the drinks being served at a bar, the clothes
somebody is wearing, the brightness of the scene, the mood an NPC is in, etc.
Three to four LPs can change things on a more dramatic level, e.g. the weapons the guards are
wearing, the number of guards around, the difficulty to climb a wall or tree, etc.
Spending five to six LPs can be considered a major story change: a good friend appearing to help
out, a military unit in the area to join battle, a desperately needed piece of equipment, etc.

7.5.2 The Life Point System in Play

The player explains to the Game Master what he wants to change and how he wants to change it. He
has to give good reasons why the scene is dierent. Then the player oers a number of Life Points he

14
thinks this change is worth. If the Game Master accepts the bribe, the scene is changed as the player
described it. If the Game Master declines, the scene is not altered in any way.
The Game Master might also increase or lower the number of Life Points needed for the change,
but has to tell the player before he accepts the bribe. The player can refuse to increase his oer at that
point, the scene will then be unchanged.
Important note: once an oer was made, it cannot be taken back. If the player suggests something
and is oering Life Points for it, he cannot refuse to pay the LPs if the Game Master accepts the oer!

7.6 Representing Life Points

If using the Life Point System described above, it is recommended to have Life Points represented
by something that is physically available. Since it is bargaining with the Game Master, a matching
representation are poker chips. But all sort of things go: sweets, cards, orbs, dice, etc.
Having something physically available helps to remind players using Life Points and also give a quick
overview about how many points the players have at their disposal.

7.7 Handing out Life Points

Depending on the theme of the overall game that is played, players should have a realistic chance to
earn Life Points. In high action games LPs should be given out in large amounts to encourage heroic
behaviour. Gritty horror game players should be less fortunate to keep the tension and their actions
realistic.
The Game Master has to decide on how many points he wants to give out during the game. A good
idea is to give the players the right amount of LPs they need during the game to survive it, but not so
many that they can cash in too many skill adds later. The ratio between earning and spending should
be 1:1 in the beginning, so the players end up with the same number of LPs as they started the game.
During game play, the GM can hand them out for good role playing, heroic and meaningful actions,
tough decisions the group makes, obstacles they overcome without combat, etc.
If the group has an easy way, dont hand out LPs. If they are tough going, remind them to role-play
tasks they are acting out more - and reward them for it. This will make the story more enjoyable for
everybody.
Of course all the ways in getting more Life Points pointed out in MasterBook are still valid and in
place. Also, Life Points earned during game play through this new system can be used as Life Points
are in MasterBook - there is no dierence between the Life Points earned by the two mechanics.

Part III
Session Preparation
There are already a lot of good books out there to cover this topic, so this section address how to get
adventure ideas and where to find them. The main focus here is to get sessions prepared easily and in
short time. We all have busy lives and not too much time left for hobbies, so lets use all the good
stu that is out there.

8 Cast of Characters
Good stories need good characters. Coming up with completely new characters for each adventure can
be extremely hard, so why not use templates for these major persons that can then be altered to fit the
need.
The book Masks1000 Memorable NPCs is a big help in creating characters fast. The index is
good and characters are reusable enough to be a help in future campaigns.
Try to find the cast of characters there, then look at other publications. Once you found what you
need, refer to the Quick-Play Statistics (Section One) in this book if you find roughly fitting statistics.
Alter them as you see need, add a few things here and theredone.
For character names, have a look at The Everyone Everywhere List. It presents first names and
surnames for dierent cultures, genres and countries.

15
8.1 Fast Session Preparation
If time is not on your side, coming up with a session is tough. Use the steps outlined below to get
things prepared in a minimum amount of time.
When you put together a one-shot, keep the following things in mind and dont worry too much.
Rely on your improvisation skills and the steps below.

Keep it simpleKeep the plot uncomplicated; sophistication in a one-shot is not required. A

nice linear plot with a twist at some point is all you need.

RecycleOne-shots do not require to invent something new. Dig through other adventures and
put the plot together by using ideas at hand.

ActionThe adventure needs a lot of action to disguise the thin plot and weak areas. And good
action scenes are what players keep interested.

Here are the steps to guide you through adventure generation:

BrainstormingWrite down five ideas for the game; that should be enough. If ideas do not
come easy, use a plot generator tool, an old adventure or a book about plots (e.g. EUREKA
by Engine Publishing).

Picking topicsTrust your gut feeling. You automatically choose the plot you are in the mood
for, so the rest (and improvisation) comes easy.

Adventure structureOutline the plot, maybe draw plot boxes and connect them with each
other to show how the scenes and possible outcomes are connected.

FluWrite it down. Create simple maps and use already existing statistics from other adven-
tures or this book to save time.

More on Session Preparation can be found in the book Never Unprepared by Engine Publishing

8.2 Maps
Some players and game masters love maps, others loath them. But in order to describe a location in
a believable way, a simple map can be very handy. It does not have to be a layout plan of a location
or a blueprint, but something rather simple, showing how rooms are connected and how their relative
positions are, makes the life as a game master much easier.
Below is an example of a simple map. It does not get into detail (e.g. where desks are, if there are
toilets and lockers etc.), but by just looking at it everybody gets the room locations and connecting
doors.

Use this kind of maps as much as possible and only use so called Battlemaps if needed (e.g. for combat
with miniatures). Most of the time it is better to set the mood by showing pictures of the location (or
a similar one) than getting into the fine art of Battlemap detailing.

16
8.3 Supporting Material
Setting the mood right is an important part of an adventure. The players need to get involved and the
easiest way to get imagination going is to present pictures. Use an Internet search engine of choice and
look for photos, drawings, maps, villains, people, professionals, etc. An other good place to look for
descent art is Deviant Art, www.deviantart.com.
While doing this, keep an eye on the clock. Limit your on-line search to a set amount of time, this
keeps you focused. Once you have a pile of pictures (download them, make screen-shots, etc.) look
through them and use only the stu that really fits well. Delete the rest, otherwise you end up with a
lot of unused files you will never use.
After skimming your pictures, decide if you want to print them out or use a modern gadget
to display them at the table (mobile phone, tablet, notebook, etc.). This depends on your style and
whether the digital device used is hampering the mood or not. But keep track of your time, it is easy
to get lost while fiddling around with modern toys.

9 Adventure Outlines
In order to help in the process of creating adventures, here are a few pages about structuring an
adventure and the individual acts and scenes.

9.1 Adventures
9.1.1 Name

An adventure should have a good sounding name, maybe a hint on what is coming up or something
that happens along the way.

9.1.2 Date

Although a fixed date is not necessary, it helps to name at least the time of year or the current month.
It is easy to visualise the landscape if you know its winter time and helps players planning ahead and
come up with ideas.

9.1.3 Purpose

Trotting along the away until something interesting comes up is boring. The adventure should have a
defined purpose the character have to follow.

9.1.4 Ending

If an adventure has a purpose, so it has an endingand actions that result from this ending. write
down how the characters actions influence the overall campaign progress. This keeps the campaign
interesting and shows the players they have an actual impact on the future.

9.1.5 Major Players

Come up with a list of major citizens and flesh them out as much as you need. For an ongoing campaign
you should make a separate list and add all (surviving) major NPCs to it. That way you can reuse them
in future adventures and make them reoccurring characters to make the world feel more realistic.

9.1.6 Locations

Think about locations upfront and describe them in a rough scheme. Write down the most important
parts and descriptions. Use already existing material and form it to your needs. Pick real-life places
and modify them, use real maps.

17
9.1.7 Overview

Give a quick overview about the adventure and repeat main events. This helps during the game to get
the events timed right and the story progressing in the right direction. It also helps later to find the
adventure again if questions arise during the campaign.

9.2 Scenes or Acts

9.2.1 Name

As with Campaigns and Adventures, a scene should have a name to find it easily during the game
session. It is enough to number them but if you prefer namesgo for it. After the name of a scene,
provide information it it is a Standard scene or a Dramatic scene as this is important for the use of the
Drama Deck.

9.2.2 Date

If the scene takes place at a dierent time after the last one, mention the date! It shows how much
eort the last part took and that time is not warping.

9.2.3 Weather

The weather is an important tool to set the right mood. A sweaty, humid day in the ruins of a city is
dierent from a day dominated by light rain with a constant wind on frost bitten grasslands.

9.2.4 Introduction

Show the players what the characters see. Make use of all senses: hear, view, smell and taste. Pick three
of them to describe the elements: earth, air, water, fire. Earth being everything physical: buildings,
road, walls, stones, grass, trees, etc. Describe how the air smells, if dust or fog exists, how it smells like
a flower garden and bees buzzing around. The rain or a river could represent water, as puddles, streams
or creeks. Fires are a hazard during dry weather burning through the shells of the ruined buildings or
bushland.

9.2.5 Rules

Maybe the scene needs some additional rules or references to special rules in the MasterBook. Write
down on which page you find them to look them up during the session.

9.2.6 Notes

Outline what happens during the scene, how it happens, who is involved and why it is happening.
Maybe it is important to write down where exactly the scene takes place, too.
Do not forget to include tactics for involved NPCs (combat or otherwise), this reminds you how to
play out the scene as NPCs follow a goal as well. They have a motivation and limits to follow up on
these. Maybe they have a backup plan, too.

9.2.7 Ending

Once a scene has been played out, it should have an ending leading towards the next scene. Describe
the transition to the upcoming part and reward the players with Life Points and Drama Cards.

18
9.3 NPCs
9.3.1 Name
Even a non player character should have a name. For thugs and cannon fodder it might be enough to
provide a first or street name.

9.3.2 Looks
Make notes about important features (scars, hair, clothes, weapons) which can be observed by even a
glancing character. Detailed looks can be written down, but should not be mentioned unless a character
is really interested in that person. Or can you recall the eye colour of all your neighbours?

9.3.3 Goals
Put down some notes about the NPC goals and what drives him to do so. Think about his relationship
towards other people. Habits and accents are a cool way to make them dierent from each other. This
helps you playing the NPC in a realistic way.

9.3.4 Tactics
To follow their goals, characters have a tactic to do so. Write it down in a few words and keep them
realistic in a short term. Tactics have not to concentrate on combat, there are tactics for diplomatics
and conversations, too. Look at the goals and think how the character tries to archive them.

9.3.5 Stats
Maybe it is enough to look up the listed statistics in this book to use the character during the game.
If not, concentrate on the skills and numbers you need and avoid fully fleshed out characters. Only if
absolutely necessary should you come up with a rounded up character listing all the details.

9.4 Combat
9.4.1 Tactics
To remind you during a combat of how the NPC behave, list a tactic or advantage he has over the
group.

9.4.2 Environment
List all combat relevant environment here, so attending players know what cover is available and are
able to plan ahead. Do not forget the weather and lighting conditions.

9.4.3 Goals
List the goals the NPC needs to archive to gain a clear victory.

9.4.4 Defeat
When is the NPC defeated and how does he react. Think whether he fights to death or runs away and
flees the scene at some point. Decide on it upfront and on the possible outcome and its impactan
escaped NPC could call in nearby support, after all.

9.4.5 Map
Depending on game style, come up with a map to use during combat as a Battlemap, or draw a quick
map for yourself representing the initial set-up. This is very helpful to describe the scene thoroughly to
the players.

19
10 Yesor No?
During an adventure the game master sooner or later runs into a situation where the players do
something unexpected and questions come up. For an additional surprise maybe have something
unexpected happening, roll on the following table to find an answer to a question.

Die Roll Result

0 YES, and ...
13 Yes
45 Yes, but
6 No, but
78 No
9 NO, and ...

Using the table is pretty simple. The game master (or the players already did) formulates a question,
e.g. Is there a weapon in the room?. Then the he rolls on the table and reads the result.
A plain Yes or No is simple. The question is answered and the outcome is as expected. The other
results add something to the answer, e.g. Yes, there is a gun in the room, BUT it is not loaded., Yes,
there is a gun in the room, AND it is fully loaded.. A negative result could mean No, no weapon here,
BUT there are some tools you could use., No, nothing here, AND your attackers are now closing in..

It makes answering questions easy and adds something unusual to the situation at times. If the outcome
is disliked or the game master cannot come up with something useful to the and or but resultskip
it or change it. No need to worry too much about it. The table is here to add fun and drama to the
evening, not to get bogged down.
In fact the and or but results should always add to the drama and funnever slow the game down
or stall it. Yes, the table is leaning toward the yes answer. This is because a positive result usually
leads to more interesting actions.

A more detailed system that can also be used for solo playing an adventure or even create adventures
it the Mythic Game Master Emulator. It describes a way to use a sophisticated table and a d100 to
have interesting outcomes for simple questions. The system is solid and works well, but for an evening
of gaming the table above should be sufficient. And yes, the table is leaning toward the yes answer.
This is because a positive result usually leads to more interesting actions.

20
Die 9 11 21 26 31 36 41
Roll 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 10 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 25 30 35 40 45 +5

Bonus -10 -8 -7 -6 -5 -3 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 +1
Die 9 11 21 26 31 36 41
Roll 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 10 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 25 30 35 40 45 +5

Bonus -10 -8 -7 -6 -5 -3 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 +1
Die 9 11 21 26 31 36 41
Roll 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 10 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 25 30 35 40 45 +5

Bonus -10 -8 -7 -6 -5 -3 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 +1