Qualities of Ilbarych
Ancestry Benefits
| Quality | Prerequisites | Mechanics |
| Heirloom | None | You have inherited something of great value: a legendary weapon, a title, property, or other inheritance. |
| Massive | Endurance 5 | May wield Two-handed weapons in one hand, and may ignore the Unwieldy quality of those weapons (if any). |
Blood of the Bear (Imperial)
Must be selected at character creation. You show blood of the Lands of the Bear, from the old Empire. Those of those lands tended to be tall and wide-shouldered, with strong frames. They were light to olive complected, with hair in blondes and reds, and eyes in hazels, greens, and blues. They were known for their tremendous resilience and health. Increase your Health by +2. Whenever you test Endurance, add +2 to the result.
Blood of the Lion (Imperial)
Must be selected at character creation. You show blood of the Lands of the Lion, from the old Empire. Those of those lands tended to be tall and slender, with long legs and athletic frames. They were brown to black complected, with wavy to curly hair in browns and blacks, and eyes in brown, hazel, and gold. They were known as consummate horsemen and far-travelers. Whenever you test Animal Handling, add +2 to the result. Additionally, any mount you use with a Mounted Attack is considered to be trained for war. Finally, you may take the Polyglot Benefit without meeting the prerequisite.
Blood of the Eagle (Imperial)
Must be selected at character creation. You show blood of the Lands of the Eagle, from the old Empire. Those of those lands tended to be slender and slight, with quick, dextrous hands. They were olive and tawny complected, with very straight hair in blacks and greys (even in the young), and eyes of black, blue, or silver. They were known for their excellent senses, and comfort in heights. Whenever you test Awareness, add +2 to the result. When testing either Agility (Balance) or Athletics (Climb), you may re-roll a number of 1s equal to your Awareness.
Blood of the Wolf (Imperial)
Must be selected at character creation. You show blood of the Lands of the Wolf, from the old Empire. Those of those lands tended to be of average build and height. They were pale to olive complected, with coarse hair in reds and browns that never grew very long, and eyes in amber, gold, and greens. They were known for their battle acumen and "pack" tactics. Increase your Combat Defense by +2. When testing Warfare (Tactics), you may re-roll a number of 1s equal to your Cunning rank.
Blood of the Habersi
Must be selected at character creation. You are of the Habersi trading-folk, master sailors and renowned merchants. The lithe Habersi have olive to bronze complexions, with very straight black hair, and eyes of pale greens, blues, and greys. Add +2 to all attempts to Bargain or Charm during an Intrigue. When aboard a ship and testing Agility, Awareness, or Warfare, you may re-roll a number of 1s equal to your Will rank. Finally, your Status is not dependent on membership in a noble house, but is based on your reputation among your own people. If you become the retainer of a noble house, you may use either your own Status or that the House grants you, whichever is better.
Blood of the Wealdfolk
Must be selected at character creation. You are of the wealdfolk, the native peoples who live in the great forest known as the Wildweald. They are a short, thinner folk whose skin tones range from the pale of pine wood to the deep browns of oak bark, with eyes that are black or brown, and thick hair in various red and brown tones. Increase your Combat Defense by +2. Each time you test Animal Handling, Athletics or Stealth while in a wild terrain, you may re-roll a number of 1s equal to your Cunning rank. Characters with a higher Status can never automatically compel you and must always engage you in an intrigue.
Blood of the Wrightfolk
Must be selected at character creation. You are of the wrightfolk, the native peoples of the hills and lowlands who are known for their skilled handicraft works. They are a short, stocky folk whose skin tones range from a light to very dark brown, with brown or black eyes, and thick hair in brown and black tones. Add your Athletics to your Endurance when attacked by an environmental hazard. If you take the Artist Benefit, you learn two crafts rather than the usual one; additionally, when testing Cunning for the Artist Benefit or Persuasion (Bargain) for business purposes, you may re-roll a number of 1s equal to your Will rank. Characters with a higher Status can never automatically compel you and must always engage you in an intrigue.
Heroic Destiny
Must be selected at character creation. You are destined for greatness in some way. Choose one Ability other than Status. You may spend Experience to increase this Ability one point higher than the limits imposed by Age.
Ability Benefits
| Quality | Prerequisites | Mechanics |
| Artist | None | Choose one art form; may spend five days performing art and earn 10 silver, plus 1 silver per degree on a Cunning (Dif 9) test. Gain +1D to Persuasion against people aware of and impressed by your work. May be chosen multiple times. |
| Averting Adept | Will 4 | May use the Averting Action as a Lesser Action, re-rolling 1s on the Will test. |
| Beastfriend | None | Gain +1D on Animal Handling tests using Charm or Train specialties. |
| Connections | Streetwise 1B | Choose one region in which you have spies and informants. Gain +1D to all Knowledge tests made while in that region or about that region. May be chosen multiple times. |
| Dextrous | None | Re-roll 1s on Agility tests equal to the bonus dice in the specialty that relates to the test (min 1 die). |
| Eidetic Memory | Cunning 2 (Memory 1B) | When testing Cunning (Memory), add Memory bonus dice as test dice. |
| Evaluation | Knowledge 3 | Spend one minute and a Cunning (Dif 9) test to determine the value of an item; each additional degree reveals a piece of trivia about it. |
| Expertise | None | Choose one Specialty in which you have bonus dice. You gain +1D to all tests related to that Specialty. May be chosen multiple times. |
| Face in the Crowd | Stealth 3 (Blend In 1B) | Add a bonus equal to your Cunning to all Stealth (Blend In) tests, which are also Free Actions for you. |
| Furtive | Stealth 4 (Sneak 1B) | Re-roll all 1s on your Stealth tests. When making a Stealth (Sneak) test, add a bonus equal to your Agility to the result. |
| Gifted Athlete | Athletics 4 | Choose one Athletics specialty; when using that Specialty, treat half your bonus dice (min 1) as test dice. May be chosen multiple times. |
| Gifted Ritualist | Knowledge of at least one Ritual Working | Choose one of the three steps of Ritual (Aligning, Invoking, Unleashing); gain a +1D when performing that step. May be chosen multiple times. |
| Gifted Spellcaster | Knowledge of at least one Spell Working | Re-roll all 1s on Spellcasting Action tests, and add a bonus equal to your Will to the result. |
| Gifted Teacher | Knowledge 4, Persuasion 3. | Gain use of the Instruction action for Persuasion (Sword Chronicle Core p53) |
| Great Hunter | Survival 4 | When making Fighting or Marksmanship tests to attack an animal, add a bonus equal to Survival to test results. May treat one bonus die as a test die when making Survival (Hunt) tests. |
| Guttersnipe | None | Re-roll a number of 1s on a Thievery test equal to the number of bonus dice in the specialty that best applies to that test (min 1). |
| Hardy | Endurance 3 (Stamina 1B) | When testing Endurance to remove Injuries or Wounds, you may ignore one -1 or one -1D on your test. |
| Head for Numbers | Status 3 (Stewardship 1B) | Add bonus equal to Cunning on Status test results for rolling House Fortunes. When a House Fortune roll results in an increase of the Wealth Resource, gain one additional point of Wealth. |
| Keen Senses | Awareness 4 | Re-roll a number of 1s equal to bonus dice on Awareness (Notice) tests. Increase passive Awareness by a number equal to Cunning. |
| Knowledge Focus | Knowledge 4 | Choose one area of expertise: alchemy, architecture, astronomy, geography, heraldry, history and legends, magic, nature, religion, or the underworld. Any bonus dice used in a test involving this area of expertise are treated as test dice. May select multiple times. |
| Magic Resistance | Must possess no Sorcerous Qualities | Always protected by the effects of a Standard Ward (x); if protected by another ward, increase the rating of that ward by one step. Add a bonus equal to Endurance to all Averting action results. May never invest in Sorcerous Qualities. |
| Master Trainer | Animal Handling 3 (Training 2B) | Gain 2 rolls per week to teach Tricks, or one roll per week to teach a Role. |
| Miracle Worker | Healing 4 | Add a bonus to all Healing results equal to Education bonus dice. When you successfully use Healing (Diagnose) on a patient, gain an additional +2B plus +1B for each degree of success on next Healing test to treat patient. You may convert two bonus dice to one test die in this test. |
| Performer | Persuasion 3 | Perform with a Persuasion test; usually Dif 9, but may be higher or lower. Gain 1d6 silver plus 1 silver per additional degree of success. A Critical Failure offends the audience and tarnishes your name; until you succeed at another performance test, you take a -5 penalty to all Persuasion test results. |
| Polyglot | Cunning 4 (Decipher 1B) | May read any language in which you have at least 1 rank. May make a Cunning (Dif 12) test when exposed to an unfamiliar language to gain 1 rank in that language for the scene. For every two additional degrees, gain an extra rank. |
| Sinister | None | During the first round of every combat or intrigue, gain a +2 bonus to Combat Defense and Intrigue Defense. |
| Talented | None | Choose an Ability; add +1 to all test results with this Ability. May be chosen multiple times. |
| Terrain Specialist | Survival 4 | Choose one terrain type: desert, forest, hills, marshes, mountains, plains, coasts. Add a bonus equal to Education Specialty to all Survival tests made while in that terrain. You never take a movement penalty when moving in this terrain. May be chosen multiple times. |
| Trade | None | Spend five days and an investment of at least 2 silver, and make a Cunning (Dif 9) test. Success grants you 6 x initial investment, with each additional degree increasing multiplier by 1. Lose investment on a Critical Failure, and receive a -1D to your next Trade test. You can make items related to your trade, effectively allowing you to purchase them for half list price. |
| Way with Beasts | Beastfriend Benefit | Re-roll all 1s on Animal Handling tests. Animals you train are considered to have one additional point of Cunning for the purpose of teaching them Tricks. |
Fate Benefits
| Quality | Prerequisites | Mechanics |
| Animal Cohort | Animal Handling 3 (Train 1B) | Choose an animal. As long as your animal cohort is adjacent to you or your opponent, you gain a +1D to Fighting tests. |
| Cadre | Persuasion 5 or Warfare 4 (Command 2B) | You gain a veteran squad of ten soldiers, all of whom are either guards or a unit type your House have invested Power in. In skirmishes, the cadre automatically reorganized and rallies at the start of each of your turns until destroyed. |
| Cohort | Status 3 | You gain a full Primary Narrator Character as a follower; their Status cannot exceed your own. Cohorts earn experience at half the experience you earn. Increase your Combat Defense and Intrigue Defense by 2 when they are adjacent to you. |
| Famous | None | You are famous, and when making Persuasion (Charm or Seduce) tests, convert a number of bonus dice equal to Status to test dice. Subtract Status from all Stealth tests. |
| Head of House | None | You are the lord or lady of a House; add +2 to all Status test results. |
| Heir | None | You stand to inherit a House; add +1 to all Status test results. |
| Landed | None | You have been granted lands and a title by your lord. You may spend Experience to increase your Status. |
| Lucky | None | Once per day you may re-roll a single test, taking the better of the two test results. |
| Night Eyes | None | You never suffer a penalty to tests when attempting them in areas of low light. You still suffer normal penalties in complete darkness. |
| Pious | Will 3 (Dedication 1B) | Choose a religion, philosophy, or ideal to which you are dedicated. Once per day, before making a test, you can call on your faith to gain +1D for that test. |
| Prophetic Alignment | Sorcerer must have cast a Vision ritual | Gain a number of Prophetic Destiny Points equal to the Vision ritual's Unleashing degrees, plus one. You may use these to bring about the prophecy, or to prevent it. Once all these points are burnt, regain the Destiny Point invested in the benefit. |
| Prophetic Dreams | Will 5 | When sleeping, you have oracular dreams when rolling a 6 on 1d6. If the Narrator has a portent ready, you gain that portent; otherwise, it is a premonition. (Sword Chronicle p57) |
| Warding Marks | Sorcerer must have cast a Warding Marks ritual | Gain the effects of a single ritual that grants a Warding. You are protected at the lowest possible Warding granted by that ritual, but it is permanent unless the marks are removed from your body. |
| Wealthy | None | At the start of each month, make a Cunning or Status (Dif 3) test; gain 10 imperials per degree of success to coffers. |
Crownsmaid
Requires Fighting 2, Status 2
You are a young noblewoman trained as a Crownsmaid in the Bower, the informal royal academy for training those worthy handmaidens. You are taught the height of etiquette, comportment, and noble graces. You are often called upon to serve a House in a variety of ways, including as an etiquette instructor for children, as a chaperone, and above all, a boon companion for a noblewoman of high standing.
- When engaging in an Intrigue and speaking on behalf of your lady, you may substitute her Status for your own for all aspects of that Intrigue. When using the Shield of Reputation action, you may always use your lady's Status instead of your own.
- Additionally, when you are on-hand during an Intrigue or a Combat, you may always take a Lesser Action to grant your lady a +1D to any Intrigue or Combat action.
- Finally, being a Crownsmaid comes with a degree of defensive training in the maidensblade, a dirk hidden among a Crownsmaid's garb. This may be treated as a knife or dagger, with a +1 Defensive rating to the weapon while you are wielding it.
Guildmaster
Requires Cunning 3 and Trade Benefit
You hold a master's ranking in one of the Guilds of Ilbarych, reflecting years worth of dedicated study of your craft, as well as building the relationships and contacts that are part and parcel of that status. You run your own business, which likely employs apprentices and journeymen.
- Your Status may increase to a 3. After twenty years as a master, it may increase to a 4.
- When making the Cunning test for the Trade benefit, the base Difficulty is a 6 instead of a 9.
- Every month, your business generates wealth for you equal to your Status in gold crowns. This is in addition to what your use of the Trade benefit brings in.
Knight-Sophiste
Requires Fighting 4 and either Cunning 4 or Knowledge 4
You have been anointed a Worthy Knight of Distinction, acknowledged not simply for your skill at arms, but also for your education and artistic acumen.
- You gain a +2 to Status tests in situations where your Distinction is known.
- When making a Fighting Test, you may re-roll a number of 1s equal to your Cunning or Knowledge (whichever is used to fulfill the requirement for this benefit).
- You also likely belong to a Knightly Order, one focused around a specific art form or educational focus.
Knight-Sanctified
Requires Fighting 4 and Will 4
You have been anointed a Holy Knight of Distinction, acknowledged not simply for your skill at arms, but also for your dedication to and reverence for the unctæ.
- You gain a +2 to Status tests in situations where your Distinction is known.
- When making a Fighting Test, you may re-roll a number of 1s equal to your Will.
- You also likely belong to a Knightly Order, one dedicated to a specific one of the unctæ.
Knight-Cavalier
x
Knight-Sorcerous
x
Martial Benefits
| Quality | Prerequisites | Mechanics |
| Accurate | Marksmanship 4 | Gain +1D when making a Marksmanship test against a target benefitting from cover. |
| Acrobatic Defense | Agility 4 (Acrobatics 1B) | Gain Acrobatic Defense Lesser Action to add a bonus equal to twice your Acrobatics bonus dice to your Combat Defense until the beginning of your next turn. You cannot use this maneuver if you are wearing armor with Bulk 1 or greater. |
| Armor Mastery | None | When wearing any armor, add +1 to its AR. For the purposes of calculating Movement, the armor is considered to have one less Bulk (if it has any). |
| Axe Fighter I | Fighting 4 (Axes 2B) | When you make a Fighting test using an axe, you may sacrifice bonus dice before the test to deal extra damage on a hit equal to the number of bonus dice sacrificed. This extra damage does not modify base damage, but ignores AR. |
| Axe Fighter II | Fighting 5 (Axes 3B), Axe Fighter I | If you sacrifice all your bonus dice when using Axe Fighter I, and you gain at least two degrees of success on the attack, you have the option of inflicting an automatic Wound instead of inflicting additional damage. |
| Axe Fighter III | Fighting 6 (Axes 4B), Axe Fighter II | When using Axe Fighter II, you only need one degree of success to inflict a Wound. Additionally, the target must succeed at an Endurance test against your Fighting result or permanently gain the Maimed Flaw. An opponent may burn a Destiny Point to avoid this fate. |
| Berserker | None | Each time you take an Injury or a Wound, you may make a Fighting test attack as a Free Action against an adjacent enemy. You gain no bonus dice for this test. Additionally, at the end of your turn, if you have taken Wounds sufficient to defeat you, you may make a Will (Dif 12) test to keep fighting instead; Wounds penalties do not apply to this test. You may make this test a number of times equal to your Endurance before you are defeated as normal. |
| Bludgeon Fighter I | Fighting 4 (Bludgeons 2B) | Bludgeoning weapons in your hands gain Shattering +1. |
| Bludgeon Fighter II | Fighting 5 (Bludgeons 3B), Bludgeon Fighter I | When you make a Fighting test using a bludgeon, you may sacrifice bonus dice before the test to inflict a reeling condition on a foe (until the start of your next turn) if you successfully hit. Reeling opponents can only take Lesser Actions, and they subtract 1 from all test results for each degree gained after the first. |
| Bludgeon Fighter III | Fighting 6 (Bludgeons 4B), Bludgeon Fighter II | When using Bludgeon Fighter II, if you gain two or more degrees of success on the hit, the target is also knocked prone and gains a Wound. |
| Brawler I | Fighting 4 (Brawling 1B) | Brawling attacks gain the Fast quality. Additionally, fist attacks inflict damage equal to Athletics -2. |
| Brawler II | Fighting 4 (Brawling 3B), Brawler I | Brawling attacks gain the Powerful property. Additionally, you may add a bonus equal to your Athletics rank to Fighting tests with your fist attacks. |
| Brawler III | Fighting 5 (Brawling 5B), Brawler II | When you succeed on a Fighting test with your fist attack and your test result equals or exceeds the opponent's passive Endurance, you may choose to sacrifice three degrees of success to stun your opponent. A stunned opponent can only take the Recover action on their next turn. Recover (Greater Action): You must succeed at an Endurance (9) test to recover from being stunned. If you fail, you must take the Recover action again on your next turn; you gain a cumulative +1B for each previous failed Recover test. |
| Danger Sense | Awareness 4 | You may re-roll all 1s on Agility tests made for initiative. Additionally, when you or a unit to which you are attached is surprised in combat, your opponent does not gain the normal +1D bonus to attack. |
| Deadly Shot | Marksmanship 5 | Bows and crossbows gain the Vicious quality. They also gain Piercing +1. |
| Deft Hands | Agility 4 | When using a weapon with the Reload quality, reduce its reload time by one step. |
| Double Shot | Marksmanship 5 (Bows 3B) | You gain the Double Shot attack action. Double Shot (Greater Action): You may make two Marksmanship attacks, each at -1D. You may make both attacks against the same target or against two adjacent targets. |
| Duelist I | Fighting 3 (Fencing 1B) | Add a bonus equal to your Fighting rank to all Awareness test results and passive Awareness results. |
| Duelist II | Fighting 4 (Fencing 2B), Duelist I | Add a bonus equal to your Fighting rank to all Agility test results and passive Agility results. |
| Duelist III | Fighting 4 (Fencing 3B), Duelist II | When armed with a Fencing weapon, add a bonus equal to your Fencing Specialty to your Combat Defense. You lose this benefit while you are denied your Awareness contribution to your Combat Defense, or while you are wearing armor with a Bulk 1 or higher. |
| Fast | None | Base move is 5 yards; when running, you move five times your Movement. |
| Fencer I | Fighting 4 (Fencing 1B) | Fencing weapons gain Defensive +1 in your hands. You always retain +1 of this bonus, even when attacking with it. You lose this benefit when wearing armor of Bulk 1 or higher. |
| Fencer II | Fighting 5 (Fencing 2B), Fencer I | You can use the Curtain of Steel action.
|
| Fencer III | Fighting 6 (Fencing 3B), Fencer II) | When an opponent misses you with a Fighting attack, you may make a single Fighting attack with a fencing weapon against that opponent as a free action. You may not use this ability while wearing armor of Bulk 1 or higher. |
| Fury | Athletics 4 (Strength 2B) | You can use the Furious Attack action.
|
| Hail of Steel | Marksmanship 4 (Thrown 2B) | Thrown weapons in your hands gain the Fast quality. |
| Improved Armor Mastery | Armor Mastery | Increase the AR of any armor you wear by 1. Decrease its armor penalty by 1. These benefits stack with similar benefits. |
| Improved Weapon Mastery | Weapon Mastery | Increase the base damage of one weapon you selected for Weapon Mastery. You may take this multiple times, each time applying to a different weapon. |
| Inspiring | Warfare 4 | In warfare, you gain 1 additional command each round. Additionally, when testing Warfare to issue a command, you may sacrifice a command to re-roll the test and take the later result. |
| Long Blade Fighter I | Fighting 4 (Long Blades 2B) | When making a Fighting attack with a long blade, you may sacrifice all your bonus dice before the test to gain one extra degree of success on a hit. You also add 1 to your Fighting test results when using a long blade to attack an enemy not wielding a shield. |
| Long Blade Fighter II | x | x |
| Long Blade Fighter III | x | x |
| Natural Leader | x | x |
| Pole-Arm Fighter I | x | x |
| Pole-Arm Fighter II | x | x |
| Pole-Arm Fighter III | x | x |
| Shield Mastery | x | x |
| Short Blade Fighter I | x | x |
| Short Blade Fighter II | x | x |
| Short Blade Fighter III | x | x |
| Spear Fighter I | x | x |
| Spear Fighter II | x | x |
| Spear Fighter III | x | x |
| Tough | x | x |
| Tourney Knight | x | x |
| Triple Shot | x | x |
| War Mage I | x | x |
| War Mage II | x | x |
| War Mage III | x | x |
| Weapon Mastery | x | x |
| Weapon Savant | x | x |
Social Benefits
| Quality | Prerequisites | Mechanics |
| Adept Negotiator | x | x |
| Attractive | x | x |
| Authority | x | x |
| Cautious Diplomat | x | x |
| Charismatic | x | x |
| Compelling | x | x |
| Courteous | x | x |
| Dutiful | x | x |
| Eloquent | x | x |
| Favored | x | x |
| Magnetic | x | x |
| Respected | x | x |
| Stubborn | x | x |
| Treacherous | x | x |
| Worldly | x | x |
| x | x | x
|
Sorcerous Benefits
| Quality | Prerequisites | Mechanics |
| Natural Sorcerer | x | x |
| Sorcerous Initiation | x | x |
| Sorcerous Proclivity | x | x |
| Sorcerous Works | x | x |
