Tab-Classic Trystell

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The Trystell fantasy setting from Tab Creations is ideally suited for use with the Tab-System Classic rules. In fact, the Tab-System Classic rules were originally developed for use with the Trystell setting.

The following conversion assumes that the reader has access to the Trystell Campaign Setting Revised book for setting reference. It focuses mostly on mechanical aspects of running a Trystell game, leaving most setting descriptions to be covered in the Trystell Campaign Setting Revised itself. The following conversion also shows off some of the directions and concepts taken by the upcoming Trystell Reborn setting from Tab Creations.

Setting Rules

There are a number of setting rules, options and gameplay issues to keep in mind when running a Trystell campaign. These are detailed below.

Optional Rules

Several different optional rules presented earlier in this book are a good fit for a Trystell campaign. Of particular note are the Bleeding and Lasting Injuries rules, which can be used to good effect to give Trystell that gritty feel.

Although not listed as an optional rule, paying special attention to fatigue and environmental hazards is also useful for a Trystell campaign.

Domains

Three different domains are appropriate in a Trystell game—two magical and one mundane. These are described in more detail below.

Kalid Magic

Characters that make use of kalid magic harvest the magical energy necessary to power their spells from living, sentient creatures called kalids. Kalid magic specializes in manipulations of mind and life energy. Taking Kalid Magic as a domain grants access to take the powers listed below.

Casting a kalid magic spell is an intelligence action. Since armor and other bulky equipment hinder the precise motions necessary to cast kalid spells, the character's encumbrance penalty is taken as a modifier to all power use actions. Users of kalid magic regain MP from kalid parts at they carry with them at the rate of 1 MP per hour. Each MP absorbed in this way uses up one kalid part (see the section on equipment).

Kalid Abilities
Communication	Influence
Cure	Invisibility
Curse	Large Jump
Divination	Raise Undead
Harm	Read Aura
Heal	Shapeshift
Illusion	Sustenance

Lunar Magic

Characters making use of lunar magic get the magical energy to power their spells from small, enigmatic devices known as lunar devices—a mystery left behind by the Lunar Occupation. Lunar magic focuses on the raw manipulation of the elements. Taking Lunar Magic as a domain grants access to take the powers listed below.

Casting a lunar magic spell is an intelligence action. Since armor and other bulky equipment hinder the precise motions necessary to cast lunar spells, the character's encumbrance penalty is taken as a modifier to all power use actions. Users of lunar magic regain MP from lunar parts at they carry with them at the rate of 1 MP per hour. Each MP absorbed in this way uses up one lunar part (see the section on equipment).

Lunar Abilities
Decrease Trait	Large Jump
Doorway	Levitate
Earth	Protection
Enhance Trait	Silence
Fire	Telekinesis
Ice	Water
Invisibility	Wind

Maneuvers

Characters who specialize in non-magical abilities have the maneuvers domain. They have a pool of maneuver points to spend on abilities. They regain maneuver points at the rate of 1 MP per hour of rest.

Maneuver Abilities
Advanced Disarm	Called Shot
Advanced Feint	Charge Attack
Advanced Grapple	Sneak Attack
Advanced Trip	Whirling Attack

Characters With Multiple Domains

Characters on Trystell may possess only one magical domain. That is, for example, if they possess kalid magic, they may not also possess lunar magic as well. They may, however, possess both a magical domain and the maneuvers domain.

Characters who possess both domains like this calculate their total maneuver points normally, then subdivide that pool into two separate pools of moxie points—one for magic points and the other for maneuver points. For example, if a character would normally have 12 moxie points, she may decide to have a pool of 4 magic points and 8 maneuver points. This division, once made, cannot be changed until the character next raises a level. A character must specify which domain or domains she has access to at character creation.

Money

Money on Trystell is measured by the Bronze Piece (bp). This is a small coin—about the size of a half-dollar—made out of bronze and stamped by the local government's symbol to assure the spender that it has been measured out to the standard purity and weight specifications passed down since the Golden Age. One generic Tab-System Classic dollar ($) equals 1 bronze piece. Other units of currencies include the Silver Piece (sp): worth 10 bp; the Gold Piece (gp): worth 100 bp; and the recently-introduced (and thus not universally accepted) Saltite (Slt): worth 1000 bp. All coins are assumed to weigh 1/100 lb.

Character Creation

Character creation proceeds in a Trystell Campaign pretty much as described earlier, only there are a few additional options.

Backgrounds

These backgrounds represent a character's race. They grant base stats as follows:

Background	Str	Dex	Spd	End	Int	Per	Chr	Det
Human, Civilized	5	5	5	5	5	5	5	5
Human, Barbaric	5	5	5	5	5	5	5	5
Dwarf, Elite	6	4	4	7	5	4	4	6
Dwarf, Peon	6	4	4	7	5	4	4	6
Minotaur, Brainish	6	4	4	6	5	5	5	5
Minotaur, Brawnish	8	4	4	6	3	5	5	5
Elf, True	4	5	5	4	6	6	6	4
Elf, Wild	4	6	5	4	4	7	6	4
Elf, Sea	4	6	6	5	5	4	6	4
Gnome, Handler	3	9	5	6	5	6	3	3
Gnome, Tinker	3	5	4	6	8	4	4	6
Gnome, Aqua	4	6	4	5	8	4	4	5
Ogre, True	9	4	5	7	3	4	3	5
Troll	8	5	5	7	4	4	3	4
Hobgoblin	6	6	6	6	4	4	4	4
Orc	6	6	5	6	5	4	4	4
High Orc	6	4	4	5	6	5	4	6
Goblin	3	7	7	6	5	5	4	3

How to Handle Racial Features

Several races—such as handler gnomes and tinker gnomes—are known for some particular physical or behavioral characteristic of the race. These are not enforced mechanically in Tab-System Classic, but are considered to be part of good role-playing. Such characteristics, however, do qualify to be selected for a character's Creed or Idiosyncrasy, and consequently, a player may make use of such characteristics mechanically in that way.

Optional Rule: Racial Size

Different races come in different sizes. It may be easier for game play simply to glaze over these differences mechanically. However, game masters wishing to deal with this aspect of the world in more detail may give particularly big or small races the following abilities:

Gnomes & Goblins

Size -1: This character's small size applies as a modifier on attacks to strike it in combat. It also applies its size as a modifier to the damage it deals, since it has less weight to bear on its attacks. Effective damage from this is listed in parentheses.

True Ogres & Trolls

Size +1: This character's large size applies as a bonus on attacks to strike it in combat. It also applies its size as a bonus to the damage it deals, since it is capable of bringing more weight to bear on its attacks. Effective damage from this is listed in parentheses.

Optional Rule: Racial Idiosyncrasies

GMs who wish to bring particular attention to racial quirks in Trystell may give every character an additional idiosyncrasy based on their race—reflecting the particular quirks of that race. This idiosyncrasy is in addition to the usual one selected by the player, and in all other ways functions exactly as an idiosyncrasy normally does. The different racial idiosyncrasies are as follows.

Background	Idiosyncrasy
Human, Civilized	Likes to bathe regularly (comparatively).
Human, Barbaric	Doesn't use technology unless necessary.
Dwarf, Elite	Regularly stops to think of ancestors.
Dwarf, Peon	Defensive about self and clan.
Minotaur, Brainish	Ritually builds fires.
Minotaur, Brawnish	Declares the glory of Zuriach often.
Elf, True	Is cold and aloof.
Elf, Wild	Mourns the death of plants.
Elf, Sea	Always moistening self.
Gnome, Handler	Steals things compulsively.
Gnome, Tinker	Compulsively tries to “improve” things.
Gnome, Aqua	Remains isolated, working on plans.
Ogre, True	Speaks in bad grammar.
Troll	Eats sentients raw.
Hobgoblin	Smells awful and looks worse.
Orc	Punches first thinks later.
High Orc	Holds herself to be above others.
Goblin	Cowardly when confronted directly.

Optional Rule: Classes

It is common in fantasy settings to have characters possess a class in addition to a character's racial background. If one wishes to play a Trystell campaign in this manner, the following classes may be chosen and should be accompanied by similarly appropriate choices for abilities and specialties. The modifiers in the table below replace or supplement (GM's decision) the usual redistribution of stats in character creation.

Class	Str	Dex	Spd	End	Int	Per	Chr	Det
Assassin	-1	—	+1	-1	—	—	+1	—
Rogue	+1	—	+1	—	—	-1	-1	—
Thief	—	+1	+1	-1	—	—	—	-1
Kalid Mage	-1	—	-1	—	+1	+1	—	—
Lunar Mage	-1	—	—	—	+1	—	-1	+1
Ranger	—	-1	—	+1	—	+1	-1	—
Bard	-1	+1	—	—	—	—	+1	-1
Cleric	—	—	—	-1	—	-1	+1	+1
Warrior	+1	+1	—	—	—	—	-1	-1

Assassin: Sneaky characters skilled in stealth and striking from the shadows.
Rogue: A typical street thug or barroom brawler.
Thief: Thieves are known for breaking and entering, and helping themselves to others' belongings.
Kalid Mage: A specialist in kalid magic.
Lunar Mage: A specialist in lunar magic.
Bard: A singing jack-of-all-trades.
Cleric: A missionary warrior, bringing the knowledge of her religion to the distant reaches of the world.
Warrior: A skilled martial combatant.

Equipment

The following additional equipment is available on Trystell, due to Trystell's unique magic setup.

Trystell Equipment	Cost	Weight
Kalid Parts	3 bp	1/20 lb.
Lunar Devices	2 bp	1/10 lb.

Kalid Parts: Cut up, preserved parts of dead kalids, used for extracting magical energy to power kalid magic spells. Each spell cast uses up 1 part.
Lunar Devices: Small devices used to channel magical energy for lunar magic spells. Each spell uses up 1 device.

Magic Items

Magic items on Trystell have a domain, just as characters have a domain. Using the powers they grant requires that the character spent a moxie point from the same domain as the magic item.

Starting Funds

Every character begins play with 1000 bp in starting funds. This money may be used to buy starting equipment, with the remainder being kept for early expenses the character may face.

Gameplay

The following gameplay issues are of note when running a Trystell campaign.

NPC Options

Non-Player Characters have a number of character options other than those presented here for players. These options are restricted to NPCs because their use by player characters may dramatically alter the themes and play experience of a campaign significantly, away from what is standard for Trystell. Different options for NPCs are described below.

The Underciv

The Underciv has a radically different culture than the surface world of Trystell. Furthermore, it has a couple different races—true minotaur and true gnomes—surviving deep underground. These people wield strange weapons and usually worship a bizarre demigod not recognized by the rest of Trystell. The Underciv is best kept thematically as distanced and alien, a world within a world, to which the PCs will never be a part. The Underciv can also make for great antagonists, swarming up from the depths in unexpected places to lay havoc upon villages and travelers.

Base stats for the additional Backgrounds available in the Underciv are presented below.

Background	Str	Dex	Spd	End	Int	Per	Chr	Det
True Gnome	2	6	6	6	5	6	5	4
True Minotaur	7	4	4	6	4	6	4	5

Blaugh'Ock

Blaugh'Ock has long been an antagonist to the people of Trystell. It is a far-off place with strange technology, odd advances in lunar magic and a people disdainful or cruel towards Trystellians. The people of Blaugh'Ock have flying ships, healing armor and shocking weapons. They infiltrate Trystellian organizations, incite riots and try to once again establish dominion over the world of Trystell. They make excellent behind-the-scenes antagonists and foils with their strange technology. They have access to the following equipment.

Trystell Equipment	Cost	Weight
Electric Fork	1000 bp	5 lb.
Gel-Suit	1000 bp	10 lb.
Gel-Suit Refill	100 bp	1 lb.

Electric Fork: This is a long, sword-like weapon with two prongs. Thrusting with the weapon will complete a circuit, dealing burning damage. It takes a lunar device to power it. Damage +3. Reach 1 (M).
Gel-Suit: This is a suit of light, rubbery armor when punctured will leak a healing fluid. This heals 1 HP per round for up to a total of 10 HP. Armor +1. Covers Torso, Arms and Legs.
Gel-Suit Refill: This allows a Gel-Suit to heal another 10 HP worth of damage.

Magine Magic

Magine magic breaks all the rules that other known forms of magic adhere to. It is a new and strange magic that is not well understood. It is rare and persecuted, and often rightly so. Because of all this, magine magic is best kept as a plot device rather than as a systematized source of power available to PCs. It can be used to explain supernatural effects not covered by kalid and lunar spells, as well as a wide array of other magical themes.

Expanded Bestiary

The following is an expanded list of creatures that are commonly found on Trystell—meant to supplement the Bestiary found earlier in this book.. The choices listed below have been chosen to be particularly thematic to the setting, and to provide an example of how a GM may work with creature on Trystell.

Bushman

Str: 3	Dex: 4	Spd: 4	End: 9
Int: 3	Per: 4	Chr: 3	Det: 4
HP: 10	MP: 7	Dmg: +0	Arm: +0

Bushmen are small, hairy chirping people, whose ancestors came to Trystell from Blaugh'Ock. In mainstream Trystellian society, Bushmen are not considered to be “people.”

Size -1: A bushman's small size applies as a modifier on attacks to strike it in combat. It also applies its size as a modifier to the damage it deals, since it has less weight to bear on its attacks. Effective damage from this is listed in parentheses.

Disease & Poison Resistance: Bushmen are remarkably hardy and capable of living in and eating filth with little repercussion. For bushmen, Endurance actions to resist poison or disease are always trump.

Pitiful: A begging and pleading bushman is a pitiful sight; and bushmen are skilled in making it look that way. When a bushman takes an action to plead for it's life or to otherwise convince a character not to harm it, the action is always trump.

Dragon, Beast

Str: 25	Dex: 5	Spd: 7	End: 10
Int: 1	Per: 5	Chr: 7	Det: 4
HP: 23	MP: 8	Dmg: +1 (+5)	Arm: +5

Beast dragons are the apex predators of Trystell. They are giant, brutish and dumb as a rock.

Size +4: A beast dragon's large size applies as a bonus on attacks to strike it in combat. It also applies its size as a bonus to the damage it deals, since it is capable of bringing more weight to bear on its attacks. Effective damage from this is listed in parentheses.

Flight: A beast dragon may fly as it's move during a pass at the rate of twice speed.

Swath of Destruction: Beast dragons may spend a moxie point to attack all characters in an entire area (30 yd by 10 yd) simply by landing on them. Characters being attacked in this way have the option is resisting with Speed as normal, or forgoing their defense and taking a free attack on the beast dragon (to which it cannot resist).

Swallow Whole: A beast dragon that successfully strikes a smaller foe with its bite is considered to have that foe inside it's mouth afterwards. On its turn the foe has to make an opposed Dexterity action to remove itself from the dragon's jaws, or during the next pass the beast dragon will get a free opposed Dexterity action to deal bite damage to and swallow the foe. Once down the dragon's gullet, the foe takes 3 cards of damage each round automatically from the caustic juices. Inside the dragon's bowels, the dragon does not get a defense action and the dragon's Armor does not apply.

Dragon, Wyrm

Str: 14	Dex: 9	Spd: 9	End: 8
Int: 9	Per: 6	Chr: 8	Det: 7
HP: 20	MP: 15	Dmg: +1 (+4)	Arm: +3

Wyrm are long, snake-like dragons that are known for their keen intellect and magical ability.

Size +3: A wyrm dragon's large size applies as a bonus on attacks to strike it in combat. It also applies its size as a bonus to the damage it deals, since it is capable of bringing more weight to bear on its attacks. Effective damage from this is listed in parentheses.

Flight: A wyrm dragon may fly as it's move during a pass at the rate of twice speed.

Magical Might: A typical wyrm dragon knows three powers from any presented earlier in this book.

Swallow Whole: A wyrm dragon that successfully strikes a smaller foe with its bite is considered to have that foe inside it's mouth afterwards. On its turn the foe has to make an opposed Dexterity action to remove itself from the dragon's jaws, or during the next pass the beast dragon will get a free opposed Dexterity action to deal bite damage to and swallow the foe. Once down the dragon's gullet, the foe takes 2 cards of damage each round automatically from the caustic juices. Inside the dragon's bowels, the dragon does not get a defense action and the dragon's Armor does not apply.

Kalid

Str: 7	Dex: 7	Spd: 7	End: 7
Int: 7	Per: 3	Chr: 7	Det: 7
HP: 14	MP: 12	Dmg: +1	Arm: +1

Kalids are insanely magical creatures that are hunted by the races of Trystell, and their parts harvested to fuel magic spells.

Natural Magic: Kalids are naturally magical. They are capable of casting any kalid magic spell—even spells they do not know—with an Intelligence action. When casting spells they do not know in this way, they suffer a -3 penalty. Additionally, they naturally regain MP at the rate of 1/hour and thus do not need to absorb kalid parts to recover magic points.

Magical Might: A typical kalid knows three powers from any kalid magic spells presented earlier in this book.

Kapre

Str: 10	Dex: 5	Spd: 6	End: 7
Int: 5	Per: 5	Chr: 6	Det: 6
HP: 14	MP: 11	Dmg: +0 (+1)	Arm: +1

A kapre appears as a tall, dark-skinned humanoid that lives among treetops deep in forests.

Size +1: A kapre's large size applies as a bonus on attacks to strike it in combat. It also applies its size as a bonus to the damage it deals, since it is capable of bringing more weight to bear on its attacks. Effective damage from this is listed in parentheses.

Disorienting Smoke: Kapres constantly smoke a magical pipe. The smoke from this pipe can—if the kapre so desires—cause a traveler to become lost. To do this the kapre must spend a moxie point, and makes an Endurance action opposed by the traveler's Determination. On a success, the traveler becomes disoriented and lost—usually in a forest.

Sleeping Smoke: Kapres constantly smoke a magical pipe. The smoke from this pipe can—if the kapre so desires—cause a traveler to fall to sleep. To do this the kapre must spend a moxie point, and makes an Endurance action opposed by the traveler's Determination. On a success, the traveler falls asleep for a number of minutes equal to 1 + the magnitude of success.

Mokèlé-Mbèmbé

Str: 7	Dex: 7	Spd: 7	End: 7
Int: 7	Per: 3	Chr: 7	Det: 7
HP: 14	MP: 12	Dmg: +0 (+2)	Arm: +1

A shy herbivore, the Mokèlé-Mbèmbé appears as a degenerate sauropod, the size of an elephant.

Size +3: A Mokèlé-Mbèmbé's large size applies as a bonus on attacks to strike it in combat. It also applies its size as a bonus to the damage it deals, since it is capable of bringing more weight to bear on its attacks. Effective damage from this is listed in parentheses.

Aquatic: Mokèlé-Mbèmbé may breathe both water and air.

Stealthy: Attempts at stealth by the Mokèlé-Mbèmbé are always trump.