Talislanta Guidebook Third Edition Rules & Campaign Guide

331 Pages·2010·37.66 MB·English

Talislanta Guidebook
Third Edition Rules & Campaign Guide
by Stephan Michael Sechi and Jonathan Tweet
WOC2002
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I
CREDITS
Design: Stephan Michael Sechi and Jonathan Thanks to:
Tweet
Design Contributions: James Hays. Jr. • Jeff Jonathan Tweet. for making the third edition of the
Goldman. George Lowe Talislanta game far better than the first two.
Design and Development Director: James
"Jay" Hays. Jr. Artist P. D. Breeding-Black. whose talents helped
Editing: Wizards of the Coast. Inc. shape the look and feel of the original Talislantan
Layout: Lisa Stevens. Casey Brebberman milieu. and to Ron Spencer. who helped do the same
Typesetting: Lisa Stevens. Dave Howell for the revised edition.
Cover art: P. D. Breeding-Black. Ron Spencer
Back Cover Art: Julia Lacquement-Kerr and Ron Lisa and Jay. for their support on this project. It was
Spencer appreciated.
Interior mustrations: P. D. Breeding-Black.
Lany Dixon. Rick Emond. Todd C. Hamilton. To my wife Patty. and my kids Jess and Kayte.
Julia Lacquement-Kerr. Patty Sechi. Stephan
Michael Sechi. Ron Spencer. Richard Thomas
Talislanta Logo: Rich Kaalaas
Back Cover design: Casey Brebberman. Lisa
Dedicated, as in the previous
Stevens. Ron Spencer
Cartography: Jeff Goldman. Eric Hotz editions, to
Calligraphy: Kurt Cagle. Stephan Michael Sechi
Jack Vance
Talislanta Archivist: D. Gene Flye
Third Edition Playt esters: Steve Bishop. Marty pre-eminent author of fantasy
Dennis. Hubert T. Dolan. Jr. • Jeff Goldman. Mike and science fiction.
Halse. Gail Hermodson. Michael R Kilpatrick.
Thomas Lents. George Lowe. Jesper Myrfors.
Mary Oettinger. Brandon Clark Parks. Torr
Randell. Chuck Sohlberg. David Sandberg. Greg
Stolze. Eric Tumbleson
INTRODUCTION
Welcome to The TaIislanta Guidebook., the third For those of you who may already be familiar
edition rules and sourcebook for roleplaying in the with the Talislanta game. a word ofwaming: twenty
world ofTalislanta. Since the first edition of Talis years have passed since Tamerlin first wrote his
lanta was published back in 1987. thousands of Chronicles and much has changed during this time.
players and gamemasters have discovered the The ctystal city of Cymril. capital of the Seven
"strange and exotic land" that was first introduced in Kingdoms. is now the most prosperous and impor
The Chronicles ofTaIislanta. a book purportedly tant center of trade on the continent.
written by Tamerlin. a self-described wizard. scholar.
and explorer. Yet all is not well in Talislanta. In the
Wilderlands of Zaran. the Sub-Men tribes are gather
If this is your first exposure to the Talislantan ing for war. Far to the east. the Kang have seized
milieu. a few words of explanation are in order. First control of the guan Empire. and the Rajans are
and foremost. Talislanta is an original fantasy preparing to launch a dark jihad against the desert
setting-a magical post-disaster world. replete with kingdom of Carantheum. Elsewhere. other events are
its own histoty. cultures. customs. flora. and fauna. Just beginning to unfold. as the diverse peoples of
Many of the standard conventions of modem fantasy. Talislanta prepare to embark upon a new Age of
such as elves. dwarves. and halflings. are not to be Discovety.
found here.
To the many faithful fans of Talislanta. thanks
Instead. the Talislantan continent is populated for your support. To those who now prepare to
by a host of colorful and unusual races. such as the venture into this strange and exotic land for the first
dual-brained Sindarans. the green-skinned magi time. welcome to Talislanta.
cians of Cymril. brightly plumed Aeriad. tattooed
Thrall warriors. butterfly-winged Muses. and many. We hope you enjoy it.
many others. In short. Talislanta offers a new world
designed to entertain and challenge even the most
jaded fantasy roleplayers.
2
Game Designer's Notes
From its inception. Talislanta was designed to
be dlfTerent from the typical fantasy roleplaying
game. In the past. such games usually combined a
complex rules system with a simplistic or traditional
fantasy setting.
When Talislanta was designed. these priorities
were reversed. The rule system was kept as simple as
possible. while the majority of the text was devoted to
development of the Talislantan milieu. Combat.
magic. and skills are all governed by a single set of
rules. Character creation. often a long and involved
process in other game systems. has been replaced by
a listing of ready-to-play archetypes. The result is a
game that is easy to learn. set in a world that offers
almost unlimited opportunities for adventure and
exploration.
Future supplements will continue to support
this concept. expanding upon such segments of the
Talislantan milieu as the lost secrets ofTalislanta's
ancient past. Talislantan settlements and geography.
the Sub-Men uprising. Talislantan flora and fauna.
and the Unknown Lands. These supplements can be
added to the campaign at the gamemaster's discre
tion. In the meantime. everything you need to play
the Talislanta game is in your hands.
How to Use this Book
Perhaps the greatest strength of the Talislanta lanta; the crystal city is a veritable "melting pot" of
game is the incredible diversity of its setting. A quick different races and nationalities. visited by folk from
look at the contents of this book will reveal that there across the continent ofTalislanta.
are over a hundred dlfTerent archetypes to choose
from. plus a wide selection of skills. eqUipment. and Once the players have chosen archetypes. they
magic items. should transfer the information provided here to a
character sheet found at the end of this book. The
Ironically. the same diversity that is Talislanta's players can then consult with the game master about
strong point is also its biggest challenge. With so personalizing their characters and ask any questions
many races and variables to choose from. how do you that they may have.
get started?
The party of adventurers is now ready to begin
We recomend that gamemasters and players who play. An introductory adventure. "The Magical Fair.~
are new to the Talislanta game begin play in the has been included in this book. The game master
crystal city of Cymril. capital of the Seven Kingdoms. should give this section a quick read-through fIrst. in
An annotated map of the city. with deSCriptions of the order to get familiar with the contents. When this has
most notable sites. can be found in Chapter Seven. been done. the players will be ready to embark upon
their fIrst adventure in Talislanta.
Players should spend a few minutes looking over
the list of archetypes before deciding on the types of
characters that they would like to play (see Chapter
Three). The characters may have come to Cymril from
the Seven Kingdoms. or from any other part of Talis-
3
~----------------
Table of Contents
Chapter One An Overview 8
Chapter Two The Rules 38
Chapter Three Archetypes 58
Chapter Four S~ills 107
Chapter Five 124
Ma~ic
~
Chapter Six Equipment 172
Chapter Seven Gamemaster's Section 210
Chapter Bestiary 250
Ei~ht
Chapter Nine The Ma~ical Fair 294
Glossary 317
Index 323
The TaU.lant. game and fantasy world are the creations of Stephan Michael Sechi. TaU.lant. is a trademark of
SMS, and is used by Wizards of the Coast under authorization. All rights reserved. The Talislanta Guidebook (third
edition)N is © 1992 by Stephan Michael Sechi and Wizards of the Coast, Inc. The Taltslanta Guidebook (third edition), Tales
of TaltslantaN , &:ent of the Beast"", Thystram's CollectanneaN , The Archaen CocleX'N, Taltslanta GeographicaN , and The
Taltslanta OmnibusN are trademarks of Stephan Michael Sechi and Wizards of the Coast, Inc. The Chronicles ofTalts-
lantalM, The Naturaltst's Guide to TaltslantaN , The Cyclopedia TaltslantaN series, Taltslanta Sorcerer's GuideN, and ...- -
Taltslanta WorldbookN are trademarks of Stephan Michael Sechi. The Primal Orde,.,.. is a trademark of Wizards of the ..,.... ~ " ."
Coast, Inc. Wizards of the Coast~ is a registered trademark of Wizards -of the Coast, Inc. . ' . __. ~~
..
... , .,,~~-. ~ . .~.. •... .. ~•......:.._ _:. .: .. ---'.-,..,...
~_~"N~ ~~: ::~ _ ' -~... .,,;::_..~ ::~-.:.--~. '..~' ~. ~_._.~ ~, ~~. ~
. ' :. :.::;;'.W" .••. ~;:~~;;:;:. '. . ' . ._ ~;;;;:~
4
5

Three magicians sat at a table in the Emerald Pentacle in the city of Cymril: the
enchantress Celene; Darual the Morphosite. a magician known for his habit of
magically altering his manner of dress. skin coloration. and gender. as suited his
moods; and Tareau. a Rahastran cartomancer whose travels had taken him to many
distant lands.
Celene took a sip of aquavit from a silver goblet. one eye on Darual the
Morphosite. whose present semblance was that of a blue-skinned androgyne attired
in fanciful robes of violet spangalor. "Darual. you appear morose. What troubles you
this day?"
Darual sighed. "Perhaps you are unaware of recent events. The Sub-Men tribes
gather in the Wilderlands. Some say the Za clans seek to forge an alliance with the
Beastmen. to the detriment of all who live in the Seven Kingdoms. you may be
assured. Others claim that the unscrupulous Farad mongers secretly provide them
with weapons through their clients. the Rajans.
"In the Western Lands. the Aamanian cultists gain new converts with each
passing day. To the east. the Quan dance to the tune of their former subjects. the
warmongering Kang. Mark my words: a new age of darkness looms before us."
"True. things are as you say." remarked Celene. "But civilization is still young.
The Age of Confusion is but a few scant centuries removed. The lost secrets of our
fabled ancestors remain to be discovered. as we begin to explore the ancient ruins
and the Unknown Lands that lie beyond the continent of Talislanta."
Darual scowled. his deep blue features fading to violet. "I see little cause for
celebration. The best are gone forever; their dust litters the ruins of the fallen sky
cities and the tombs of past ages. Only we remain. huddled inside our walled cities.
fearful of what lurks in the shadows."
"Speak for yourself." replied the enchantress. "I am a Cymrilian. and magiC is
my birthright. This day I leave for HadJistan via windship. to unearth the forgotten
mysteries of the Hadjin Ruins."
Darual grimaced in distaste. "This is your idea of bold adventure. to muddle
about in darkened crypts and mausoleums?"
Celene took another sip of aquavit. admiring her reflection in the surface of the
shimmering liqUid. "In these times. life itself is an adventure."
The enchantress turned to face Tareau the cartomancer. who until this time
had sat quietly. shutlling the enchanted cards of his Zodar deck. "Is that not so. my
friend?"
Tareau dealt two cards and laid them face-down on the table. "Who knows for
certain what the future will bring?" said the cartomancer. gazing out the window.
7
1
Talislanta:
An Overview
"The dawning of the Age of Discovery is upon us. The Seven
Kingdoms continue to prosper. as we begin to gain under
standing of the lost arts of our ancestors. Yet our enemies
grow stronger. and the future of ctvUizaiion is by no means .-::;;;;;;;::~~,
assured." .....
-The Wizard King of Cymrtl. speaking at the Seven
Kingdoms' annual Council of Kings in the year 620 of
the New Age
~Let an hear my words. The day of the Sub-Man is coming."
-The TIrshata. Chieftain of the Za War Clans
Welcome to Talislanta. The year is 620 of the New Age. approximately 20 years after the
wizard TamerUn first wrote his Chronicles ofTalislanta. Much has transpired since that time. but
before we go any further. a brief review of the Talislantan milieu is in order.
History of Talislanta
Talislanta is a continent located on the world of Feral and prolific. the Sub-Men tribes resisted
Archaeus. a planet that orbits about a pair of suns all Archaen attempts to eradicate them or evict them
and is ringed by seven moons. Archaeus's binary from their territories. The two races waged war upon
system is part of an entire galaxy of stars situated in each other for centuries. to the detriment of the
a far-flung dimension on the material plane. Certain surrounding environs. Yet neither side could score a
Talislantan scholars believe that Archaeus may lie decisive victory. and so the carnage continued
adjacent to a nexus of seven convergent planes. without resolution.
though this theory remains in dispute.
The advent of windsh ip arcanology and other
The known laws of physics do not apply here. magtcal technology finally provided the Archaens
for Talislanta is located in a magical reality governed with a means of breaking the impasse. Using their
by the more mutable concepts of metaphysics. magtcs to erect floating cities. they abandoned their
former dwellings and took to the skies. And so the
Since the Forgotten Age. the continent of continent ofTalislanta was ceded to the Sub-Men.
Talislanta has been the center of civilization and who continued to live as before on the ground.
knowledge on Archaeus. It was here that a tribe of
primitive indigenes first stumbled upon the wreckage Secure within their sky-cities. the Archaens
of a strange vessel. Inside they found a mysterious developed an advanced and prosperous civilization.
crystal orb that contained the secret of a lost art They created sorcerous hybrids called neomorphs to
magic. In time. this tribe became known as the serve them as laborers. performers. and consorts.
Archaens. Freed from toil. the Archaens devoted themselves to
more stimulating pastimes: music. art, magical
Armed with their secret lore. the Archaens soon experimentation. and the pursuit of pleasure. At its
established dominance over their rivals. They drove height, the empire of the Archaens spanned much of
the reptilian giants known as the Drakken out of the known world. and may even have extended
Talislanta. forcing them to flee south across a now beyond the stars. or to other dimensions. Then came
submerged land bridge. Then they turned upon their The Great Disaster.
primitive counterparts. the savage Sub-Men.
Chapter 1
8
The Great Disaster
The precise cause of The Great Disaster After much bloodshed. the tribes united under
remains a mystery to the present day. though a common ruler-the Tirshata. an individual who
Archaen misuse of magic is generally blamed. The would become known as the greatest war-chief of the
cataclysm's effects were felt around the world. but Sub-Men. Under his command. the Sub-Men drove
were especially devastating to the continent of the last descendants of the Archaens out of their
Talislanta. The sky-cities fell to earth. or were ancestral lands and into the dark forests of
hurled into space; firestorms swept across the Werewood. For the fIrst time since the Forgotten Age.
plains. and mountains were riven into dust. the Sub-Men reigned supreme over the continent of
Clouds of aberrant magical energy were un Talislanta.
leashed into the atmosphere. wreaking havoc with
the environment and resulting in climatic The day of the Sub-Men was destined to be
changes. mutations. and other anomalies. short-lived. however. The Tirshata disappeared under
mysterious circumstances. and the tribes fell to
For the Archaens. it was the end of an era. fighting among each other. as they had in the past.
Thousands perished along with the sky-cities. Meanwhile. far to the west, the descendants of the
their cloud palaces shattered. their prized posses Archaens were once again beginning to build settle
sions strewn across the scorched terrain. The ments.
inhabitants of the floating city of Elande sought
to escape the cataclysm in their cloud-ships. only
The New Age
to be massacred by the Baratus. a savage race of
Sub-Men who had stolen the secret of winds hip
arcanology from the Archaens. Others fled into The founding of the city-state of Phaedra
the wilderness. some with their neomorphs and marked the beginning of a second age of civilization
some without. These displaced peoples soon in Talislanta. Led by the descendants of the
found themselves at the mercy of the other Archaens. the Phaedrans once again revived interest
survivors of the disaster-the savage Sub-Men in the arcane arts. They studied the ancient texts.
tribes. wrote laws. and formed a new government. The Age of
Confusion was over.
The Age of Confusion
The Phaedran Empire lasted for a hundred
years. until its dissolution following a series of
The period immediately folloWing The Great religious conflicts known as the Cult Wars. Thou
Disaster was marked by violence and utter chaos. sands of refugees fled from the collapsing Phaedran
During this time. the Sub-Men tribes battled regime to settle amid the sparse woods. deserts. and
incessantly for control of the continent. waging wastelands of the central regions. Six centuries
war against each other and preying upon the passed: wars were fought, old empires collapsed. and
many peoples who had been displaced by the new kingdoms rose from the ashes of the ancient
disaster. ruined cities.
9
Talislanta: An Overview
A NEW AGE
1'IMELINE OF THE
"The world is constantly in motion, and history "To write the history oj the world is a task oj
lies in its wake." infinite proportions. Each day a new chapter
must be recorded, and an old one deleted. "
- Solmeht the Chronicler
- The fabled savant and historian Hotan
Year Event
21 The Mirin ofL'Haan build the ice cities ofL'La} and Rhin.
48 The Mazdaks finally kill each other off. leaving the barbatic Quan trlbes in conirol of their old tenitorles.
71 Soliman Ill. ruler ofPhaedra, succumbs to old age. A period of mourning lasting twenty years Is decreed by his
successor. the magician Damon.
82 The Quan conquer the Vajra.
97 Imrlan vessels raid the Dark Coast for the first time. taking many slaves.
107 The Quan. using Vajra engineers and laborers. dam the River Shan. forcing the Sunra to surrender. Using Sunra
vessels. the Quan take the Mandalan city of Jacinthe just one month later.
119 The Ur clans of Urag conquer and enslave the Darklings. then join forces with the avian Stxyx.
133 The penal colony of Gao-Din is abandoned by the Phaedrans. and the rogue city of Gao is established soon afterwards.
158 The Arimltes build the ramshackle mining installation of Shatlra and declare it the capital of the nation of Arim.
176 Ice Giants attack L·Haan. but are driven back by the Mlrln. who have discovered the secret of making adamant.
193 Beastmen launch attacks against the settlements of the Sindarans and Kasmirans. Beginning of the Beast Wars.
10 Chapter 1