Tifftaffery At Shady Meadows

Thief based Tiff-Taffery Mini-Roleplay Ideas& Text© Andrè Michael Pietroschek, my rights reserved The file uses the fictional settings of „Thief – Deadly Shadows“ for background and my approach can be seen as adults only! The author uses violence, sex, drugs and dirty street fighting, guerilla insights and assassination within this role-play or moderated, tactical boardgame idea.

Welcome, my dear readers. I realized in my life, that I will never be a master. So instead of declaring me a master-taffer, lets be modest: I am somewhat of an arch-taffer? Agreeing on this has just promoted you to veteran-taffer status. ;o) I will write mini-rules to role-play in the city we know from Garrett. Thief part three, to be formally. I will do a minimum of background and adventure ideas. I contemplated a rule with which your team can be mixed, not all from one faction. Then I will wait for feedback, posted at www.esnips.com (in the folder where this file is) or as feedback for the file at www.e-stories.org/ or www.estories.de or emailed to [email protected] (which is a temporal account, may be deleted without me instantly getting aware of this). After contemplating the feedback, I will edit and upgrade my ideas & this file. That's the plan. Special Thanks: To the makers of the Thief trilogy, the community and BFBS. And to the band named “The Killers”, such music was new to me.

Hints at start-up: •

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Many of my files have linked bookmarks. Open the bookmark section, click on an entry and the PC makes your machine jump to that part of the text. I wrote a file named “Against the darkness.pdf”. It is gratis available at the websites I mentioned. If you never role-played or never guided a role-play as storyteller or game guide, then reading it may be helpful. The demo of “Thief – Deadly Shadows” is freely available on the Internet and has the tutorial plus a castle infiltration mission. You should know at least this or older Thief parts. At www.john-p.com are improved Textures made by John Petter Mфrk. They only work on the full game, but make great visual improvements! My own ones from the esnips folder need those installed. I did work on textures without JPM, I just appreciate his works.

Pietroschek's Mini-System We have two choices of necessary paraphernalia here: 1. At minimum one, better two decks of cards. Poker cards, 0815 cards or even tarot cards will get the job done. Added some sheets of paper with squares and pencils (or equivalent) for notes. 1. Six-sided dice, five per player would be well. Of course barbed dice, water dice, moss dice, gas dice, fire dice, rope-dice and scatter dice could spice up a weird humour. Added some sheets of paper with squares and pencils (or equivalent) for notes.

My simple card system No matter what task, from sneaking to firing an arrow into a target instead of anywhere else, or black-jacking a guard or gut-stabbing a thug or evading or parrying such attacks: In the simple card system cards are sorted by colours/insignia. For tarot card this means: leave the major arcana out. Cards are shuffled and left unknown (no taking looks). Player draws one card from his or her stack and game guide draws one from his or her stack. Both cards are drawn into the open (to let us see them). Simple Example (as each could draw a card for initiative 1st): Pauper is already standing close to a thug. The game guide role-plays the thug and makes Pauper get unamused by that knuckle-sandwich kind of threats. Pauper decides to gut-stab the thug with his knife. Lets say Pauper has the spades stack of cards and game guide has hearts. Pauper draws one card from his stack and game guide draws one from her stack: If Paupers card is higher, than he kills the thug. If game guides card is higher, the thug evades or parries. If both are equal, then one more card is drawn to make out a winner.

This simple, competitive card drawing makes it simple. All you should do before game start is: Define from bottom to best, what card defeats which cards. Some say lady or king is higher than in example a ten of spades, others say picture cards are lower! •

If you like, make one type of card (aces in example) a spectacular failure (including self-destruction, jail or crippled by situation which cards are drawn for) and another type of card (like jokers, if you have a poker deck) a superior success. To write it clearly: The colour/insignia is only to distinguish who drew what card. A ten of spades is equal to any other ten, like a ten of hearts, or diamonds or blades.

Example with one deck: Lowest card type is Ace, means critical fumble, too. 2nd lowest are the four 2's (like 2 of hearts ) 3rd lowest are the four 3's ... this goes up to ten: 10th lowest are the four 10 cards. Knaves beat numbers here. Ladies beats numbers and knaves. Kings beat numbers, ladies and knaves. Additionally, in my example, kings are a superior success which can only be averted by another king card. If not averted a very successive way of solving he task which cards were drawn for is reached/scored! Benefit & drawback of my simple card system: A very quick and low rules way to make checks. Global compatibility possible and encouraged. It lacks on details though, in example it has no character traits and finer strategy and tactics is limited by that 0 to 1 or card versus card approach. Your game guide has to define how often one can be hit, otherwise fighting is very lethal and may become a spoiler of game fun and atmosphere.

My simple dice system With the dice system come attributes, skills as talents. It needs a notch more rule-learning and allows more detailed interactions and operations. Dice are six-sided for now and d6 is their shortages. “Roll 2d6” means: roll 2 six-sided dice. The abilities we roll: Combat oriented •

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Initiative: A measure for how quick we act and react. Initiative defines , how fast we react in a given situation. Checks this for quickdraw. Attack: This defines our chance to hurt, by whatever weapon. LuPaDo: How difficult we are to hurt. LuPaDo opposes attack and in a world where armour is scarce and usually too light to rely on it, this is crucial for survival. LuPaDo is Luck, Parry & Dodge! Avoidance: Much like LuPaDo, yet handles indirect attacks or consequences. Like escaping out of threat range of a gas arrow before going unconscious. Or getting out of core blast range when the guy or girlie before you triggers a mine.

Thief skills •

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Stealth: How good we are at deception, hiding and sneaking, as long as the situation allows for such. Includes subterfuge. Concealment: How good we are at hiding tools and small weapons on our body or elsewhere. It does not help much on a thorough search, yet on superficial scale rogues and villains often know such, dear Taffers. Artifice: Arts&Crafts. Catch all for picking locks, picking pockets, neutralizing traps (like disabling a mine and taking it to sell it or use it later). Athletics, acrobatics and survival can be rolled with this, too. Equipment: To maintain, repair & improvise gear. The different arrow or bolt types (when not attacking but using them as tools), or how well we know to handle mines, gas bombs. As how well our gear sticks in sheath.

Skills of the Self •

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Nerves: Rolled to subdue the psychological forces which make us fail or freak out. Good nerves let you remain calm and vigilant (or should I write operational?), where others scream, cream their pants or simply run away. This doesn't mean we are immune, we just handle it better than expected from a Taffer. Senses: All perception checks are here. If you like to scan for trouble, it often means your senses roll versus the concealment roll of somebody else. Education: Catch all for what we know. Not necessarily academic knowledge, but what useful everyday-stuff we know. High education means you may be some form of engineer, alchemist or poison-mixer. A pagan shaman is often well educated, yet illiterate. Further pagan education is quite different from that of a Hammerite priest anyway. Mysticism: Some would call it occult or arcane. How able we are at using an acquired wand to shoot a harmful magic beam or if we know how to work magic on our own.

Intelligence, rhetoric and such are left out for that is up to the players. If you ain't a great talker but want to play one in example, then describe what your figure wants to achieve and how he or she applies the skills you lack in person. Additional Scores to earn Piety. How pious we are when it comes to either the Builder, or the Trickster deities. Piety of one deity makes you a heretic-heathen-infidelscum to the other faith and it's majority of minions though! Status (or notoriety). How known we are for successful jobs or missions from our recent past. Garrett would have earned a high status, as he is a master thief and known among all factions, sometimes by his legend and not in person. Honour. How reliable we are when it may hurt us. Someone who does not betray close friends has a minor codex of honour. Someone who dies before ever breaking word would be a more honorable zealot. Monsters rarely care.

Factions All persons, be it players, monsters (monsters are creatures to oppose players) or NPCs (figures handled by game guide) are part of a faction. Instead of being born into one, choose the faction which best combines with your view of the world and way of life. Once again: Either all players come from one faction or each player chooses a faction at the price of making his figure fit into the team (the group of players) by all efforts applicable. •

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Monsters. Hags, Beastmen and undead are stereotypical for this faction. Sometimes they are in league with or summoned by another faction though. Monsters are usually the enemy to all other factions. SHOULD NOT be played except when all players play monsters. Burghers. Urban taffers who earned, purchased or were granted citizen rights. All people who make their living mostly legal within the city or Burghers by faction. Typical jobs here could be bartender, wench, craftsman or crafts-woman, aristocrat, herbalist, merchant, pawnshopkeeper. Hey! Don't dare to call them pawnshop-keepers fences, taffer. Keepers. A secret society of learned people who are grey eminences of the realm. This faction is a balancing factor and trouble-magnet at the same time. Keepers are urban and have citizen rights, henceforth may disguise/posture to be Burghers. Keepers dislike and oppose extremism. Pagans. A rural faction which worships the Trickster deity. Pagans come in two main flavours: Thug-like pagans who love drinks, whores or drugs and pagan shaman or witch who like such, too, but have advanced magical prowess. Pagans are bound to oppose Hammerites. Hammerites. The urban faction which worships the Builder deity. Typically Hammerites are crafty and pious thugs or clergy. Clerics or Priests of the Builder use magic wands as weapons and know faithbased magic. Hammerites are bound to oppose Pagans.

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Thugs. Less subtle and less finesse-based rogues who hurt others for fun and profit. A violent prone and criminal faction. Footpads, robbers and pirates belong here. In a way they are service personnel: They deliver knuckle-sandwiches and worse? ;o) Rogues. The ex-faction of Garrett who is now a keeper. Rogues shun nearly no crime, yet often feel honour-bound to avoid violence where they can. They prefer stealth, cunning and trickery to brute force, though sometimes that makes them ineffective. Guards. From the gutter watch, to city guards, bouncers, castle guards and house-guards. This faction makes their living by watching for trouble and ending it. Guards are paid and ordered to oppose thugs and rouges. Guards fight or flee from monsters, too. Why this faction stuff matters? See character creation!

Dice-rolling

The abilities we roll are 12 basic abilities and three to be earned (piety, status and honour). Whatever else is to be rolled should be judged by game guide. Example: Survival could be rolled via your Artifice rank or via your Education rank. Make sure such is defined among your own group before those dice are rolled, that should be all you really need on such. Checks mean: Your game guide decides what attribute of the twelve is rolled and your attribute rating (7+faction&feature modification) decide how low dice must roll for you to succeed. Example: Pauper writes a Taffer fan fiction. With 2d6 he needs two rolls: 2d6 must roll a result of 2 to 7 which is equal or lower = success (equal means barely made it, lower is better) or higher = failure his Artifice of 7. His 2nd roll needs to be equal or lower his education of 8 to succeed. If he rolls two 1's on such a roll, that is outstanding success. If he rolls two 6's, than he really makes unpleasant mistakes! And your mistake is to read them? ;o) no offence meant!

Difficulty definitions Difficulty decides how easily a dice-roll makes the figure succeed. In the 1st adventure ordeal most attributes of players will be at best 2d6+2. A simple roll means we need difficulty numbers. Let's say for the 1st adventure ordeal the following rule of thumb goes ok with rolling 2d6: •

Easy task for the involved figure: Dice roll result must be 4 or higher.

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Standard task would mean dice result must be 6 or higher.

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Difficult task means die result must be 8 or higher.

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Daunting task (very risky stuff) needs a result of 10 or higher.

After the first game sessions it may easily be, that a figure has Artifice (or any other attribute of the twelve) 2d6 +6, which is maximum. Logically that such veteran characters need other difficulty numbers as they are going to do more complex and complicated stuff with the start-up stuff becoming a routine which is only rolled for when game guide demands it. If at all. A competitive roll means: An attribute of one figure is used against another figures attribute. Typical examples are figures stealth 2d6+1 versus guards Senses 2d6+1, or Zombie Mysticism (spooky presence) 2d6+2 versus greedy rogues Nerves 2d6 ? Or smugglers Concealment 2d6+1 versus TollCollectors Senses 2d6+1. All such competitive rolls can be simply ruled: The higher result wins, on equal the game guide decides what happens. Simple but ready to play.

Spectacular and Superior Rule of Thumb: •

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If you ever roll two 6's you score a critical failure, often resulting in being caught, getting killed in a very wicked way or dire mutilation. If you roll two 1'es on any of the 12 abilities being checked your figure scores an astonishing, superior success. Like double damage in combat?

In “Vudash Hexenwahn – The guild of Zion” I wrote: “Fortuna is a bitch and henceforth always favours females” or similar. Here it is “equal terms”, until my re-edition of the first attempt has mistakes.

Damage rolls Weapons and other tools of destruction will get damage dice. Players and all other figures will get Life-Points and Soul-Points. Physical weapons and similar will reduce Life-Points until you drop to zero or below which means your figure is killed. Magic weapons, horrific experiences, curses and such will often attack the Soul-Points or both, life and soul. Again, if you get reduced to zero or below, it is bad news, figure disabled (insane or otherwise lost). As even Garrett the master thief could be killed by a guard with around three sword slashes, expect Life and Soul scores to be not too high. Of course there are potions, rest in warm beds or caring mates, meditation, magic and drugs. ;o)

Drugs (I added this for the vice) In general: Drugs give a temporal boost, yet cause long-term and permanent damage (often to both, Life and Soul). Further dealers “cut” them with cheaper substances to make more profit. Some even mix them with outright poison or waste on purpose, or for sadist fun.

Potions Potions in this fictional world give us the love, independence and regeneration which is denied in reality. Most common or the health and spirit potions, as they regenerate either life or soul within seconds. Potions run the same risks as drugs, though this is rare for atmospheric purposes. Potions are crafted and often for sale at pagan witches, alchemists, Hammerite clergy, pharmacists and of course in all well-equipped red hand sign (underworld businesses) stores. Game guides may demand that potions versus disease or a combination of generic slow poison/venom and later proper neutralize poison/venom potions are purchased.

The bow and crossbow note Both weapons are available. Shortbow and Longbow, light crossbow and heavy crossbow. All types of arrows are existent as bolt-adaptation for crossbows as well. Water bolts, moss bolts and so on. For gaming purpose we make the prices equal. Means a water arrow costs the same 100 gold, which one would need to pay for a water bolt. I made a crude picture for an older file on my imagination.

Custom Starting Equipment That sounds like much, but comes down to: Players will get reinforced clothing (lightest armour available) which is proper for their gender and faction, all others (NPC & monsters) will have some similar clothing as well. •

Players will start with a small blade weapon (knife or dagger) or small blunt weapon (blackjack or small hammer, wand or cudgel).

Players will have one special gimmick, stuff like a mine or gas bomb or similar, which is thrown or rolled by a successful Artifice roll. WAND: Only if magical combat

expertise is chosen and proper for the figure!

Players have an emergency potion which restores 2 points of Life and 2 points of Soul. Players have a backpack which stores a ration of food, a bottle of water or milk or ale & each player has 2d6 gold coins. Players have a mundane ring or amulet (or similar accessories), if they like. This sells for less than 25 gold and is more of personal meaning than mystical significance. Players are aware it is their duty to team-up and attempt at least a minimum of atmospheric role-playing of this. Optional? The figures are aware that they are in the city and among the common folks (not in Auldale & it is not their own castle over there). The figures know a more reliable than most others pawnshop where they can sell any stuff they acquire in the introduction later on. Only rogue faction starts as welcome in common red hand shops and establishments.

Faction bona for all How did your growing up altercate with your being and competence, Taffers? Monsters (choose one of the three here) •

Brute monsters receive a +1 on each of the following: Attack, Initiative and Avoidance.

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Lurkers receive a +1 on each of those: Stealth, Attack, Initiative

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Magical receive a +1 on each of those: Mysticism, Initiative, Avoidance

Burghers •

Burghers receive a +1 on each of these: Education, Senses, Artifice

Keepers (select Keeper or Scribe or * at guards entry below) •

Keeper: Receive a +1 on each of these: Education, Stealth, Mysticism

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Scribes: +1 on each of these: Education, Senses, Initiative

Rogues •

Rogues select three of the four Thief Skills which get +1 each then.

Thugs •

Thugs get +1 on Attack, Initiative, Stealth each.

Pagan (choose one, Brute or Shaman) •

Brute gets +1 on Attack, Initiative, Mysticism each.

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Shaman or Witch gets +1 on Mysticism, Education, Avoidance

Hammerites (choose one, Brute or Priest) •

Brute gets +1 on Attack, Initiative, Artifice each.

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Priest gets +1 on Attack, Mysticism, Education each.

Guards (* these work for Keeper-Guards & similar as well) •

Guards get +1 on Senses, Attack and Initiative each.

Faction bona add to the abilities score (Senses 7 become raised to 8 for a guard as example) on Checks (type of roll) yet add to the dice as a +1 to result on simple and competitive rolls! Bona always are beneficial for the figure who has them.

Styles of combat expertise This choice reflects your figures initial instinctive reactions, experiences and training as they resulted in your figure becoming your figure. And being still alive. Styles define how your figure approaches bloodshed. Hint: Without penalty human figures may make one step, attack once and defend once per combat round in generic situations. Berserker (offensive approach) •

Berserker allows to make three steps instead of one and to do two melee attacks per combat round. Further it grants a bonus of +2 to damage with each successful attack. Backlash: The figure chooses, if it berserks. If it does, no LuPaDo or avoidance rolls are made until it calms down (Nerves check) or collapses from fatigue or due death. After berserk the figure must rest for a while (at minimum thirty minutes). Undead make efficient berserker, as they need no rest.

Alley cat & Gutter rat •

The style aims at opening with a more powerful attack while still keeping LuPaDo up. The style grants +2 to each of: Attack, Initiative; +1 Damage & LuPaDo. While not as strong as a berserker, these modifications work as well with thrown weapons and light missile weapons (short-bow or light crossbow).

Defensive Fighting •

This style focuses on parry and dodge, even if it may mean to lose an opportunity for attack. It grants +2 to Initiative and 1d6 to LuPaDo and Avoidance each, while fighting. It does not protect from surprise attacks at all. It is possible to make two parries per combat round with this style.

Bloody Messenger •

This style prefers distance attack. It grants +2 to attack & damage with thrown or shooting weapons only and +2 to initiative, but it allows to make three steps instead of the generic one step without penalty. Example: The enemy approaches and your figure withdraws backwards and throws a knife or mini-axe, or shoots a readied bow at the foe. Such stunts. Style allows reload of bow or crossbow until forced to parry.

Spell-fizzle •

This style uses magical attacks in combination with LuPaDo and avoidance. Initiative and Attacks by wand or similar magic are at +2 as is: LuPaDo +2 and avoidance +2. The style allows three steps instead of just one without penalty per combat round as well.

Koong Foo •

A dirty fighting style born out of despair and poverty. It only works for people with lightest armour and light encumbrance. The style uses bodyslams, punches, elbows and kicks as knee strikes in combination with three throwing weapons (throwing knifes or stars). It allows two unarmed attacks or a throwing weapon use per combat round with a +1 bonus to hit each. It further gives +2 to Initiative and LuPaDo. Light weapons are deflected and heavy weapons are dodged, at least in theory of some master-taffer hiding in luxury due student fees.

Finesse •

A slim and lighter weapon (knife, dagger, rapier or foil) is used by this melee style, to make two faster and hopefully decisive attacks while a proper LuPaDo remains on-guard. This style grants 1d6 Initiative bonus and +1 to each of Attack, Damage and 1st LuPaDo per combat round. It allows to make two steps instead of the generic one, the famous, fast fencing step.

Drug addictions Drug addictions harm in the long run, but give temporal bona in my villainous fantasy. Drug addicts need a supply of their drug or cocktail to function normally. Drug addictions shouldn't be glorified, they ain't the same as a drink from the immortal making holy grail (Sangreal is an academic propaganda). Tobacco fiction (Cost 5% of all loot/gold made is invested on this drug) •

Grants a +1 to all Nerves and Initiative checks per game session. Running out of it makes nervous and angry, resulting in all Nerves checks are made at daunting difficulty. In the long run it gnaws away your Life and endurance, too. Your figure gets permanent -1 to Life and Soul.

Alcohol fiction (Cost 5% or more of all loot/gold made is invested on this drug) •

The proper brew grants your figure +2 to nerves checks and +1 to all damage in close combat (unarmed or melee). If out of booze your figure gets Nerves & Artifice (the shakes) checks are made at daunting difficulty. In the long run it gnaws away your Life, Soul and endurance, too. Your figure gets permanent -1 to Life and Soul. As breweries must be build, even Hammerites are known to drink.

Cocaine fiction (Cost 50% of all loot/gold made is invested on this drug) •

Sniffing that former narcotic is dangerous. While on cocaine all Nerves checks succeed automatically, as they fail automatically when you lack it. Your initiative is +2 in the first round of each combat and pain worries you later. Cocaine means you lose 2 permanent points of Life & Soul each. The real drawbacks come after some years of drug abuse.

Amphetamine fiction (Cost 25% of all loot/gold made is invested on this drug) •

Drinking or sniffing that alchemist invention removes the effects of fatigue. The price is, all higher brain functions are seriously reduced in efficiency, all Skills of Self checks at Daunting difficulty. The substance makes no addiction, for the price of destroying the central nervous system over time. Start with -1 to Life and Soul and your Artifice can never be more than 2d6+1, no matter what. Rumour is, it feels funny with alcohol?

Hallucinogen fiction (Cost 25% of all loot/gold made is invested on this drug) •

The cursed plant spread by minions of the Trickster! The mushrooms are a stronger poison versus the soul and their alchemy combines them for the worst. Psychotic delusions come along. You cannot fail Nerves checks as you are too busy with induced hallucinations. All Senses checks are at daunting difficulty and with a -4 penalty. As great bonus, you start with a permanently halved Soul state and all drawbacks from Tobacco for weed-smokers, too. Mushrooms cause cancer or tumours (which may seem to speak to your figure) in your guts, later.

Opium & Laudanum fiction (Cost 25% of all loot/gold made is invested on this drug) •

Combine what is written for Tobacco and Cocaine. Add Hallucinations, if you like. Oh the Trickster can be wicked and fierce...

Black Lotus fiction (Cost 75% of all loot/gold made is invested on this drug) •

Heroine is still smoked for needles are scarce, I haven't researched more on it, so same as written for Opium & Laudanum.

Absinthe fiction (Cost 25% of all loot/gold made is invested on this drug) •

Combines Opium with Alcohol I would judge?

The purpose of drug addictions is mostly, not to shun reminders of why a lot of villainy is forbidden and allowing down&dirty style. Remember, I gave the choice, it's not enforced to use rules for it at all. The drugs allow as well, to spy for the guards and make sure some drugsmuggler ring is arrested. Or as mentioned, for Hammerites to have a real or produce a fake excuse to attack pagans.

Features for characters Each player (in truth each figure, even monsters & NPCs) get one feature to individualize them. As this is about individuality, players select their own one instead of rolling dice to get one. The game guide selects for NPCs and antagonists (like monsters). •

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Stealthy Soul. Your figure is more subtle & secret, than most. Gain a cumulative, permanent until Soul Stealing happens (adds to in example faction modifications) +1 to Stealth and Concealment each. Spirited. Your figure is confident or exceptionally disciplined. Receive a cumulative, permanent until Soul Stealing happens bonus to Soul and Nerves, +1 each. Vigilant Soul. Your figure is exceptionally perceptive or has a danger sense. Gain a cumulative, permanent until Soul Stealing happens, +1 to Senses and Initiative each. Villainous Soul (modern). Your figure finds it easy to apply tools of the trade and rarely lacks ideas. Gain +1 cumulative, permanent until Soul Stealing happens bonus to Artifice and Equipment. Villainous Soul (old-school). Your figure naturally looks for opportunities, be they legal or not. Gain cumulative, permanent until Soul Stealing happens +1 bonus to Senses and Artifice. Heroic Soul. Your figure embodies bravado. Gain cumulative, permanent until Soul Stealing happens +1 bonus to Nerves and Initiative. Spiritual Soul. Your figure is greatly connected to magic. Gain cumulative, permanent until Soul Stealing happens +1 bonus to Mysticism and Senses each. Valiant Soul. Your figure shuns no confrontation. Gain cumulative, permanent until Soul Stealing happens +1 bonus to Attack and Initiative each. Assassins Soul. Your figure strikes to kill with ease. Gain cumulative, permanent until Soul Stealing happens +1 bonus to Stealth and all damage rolls.

Basic equipment and prices Weapons (symbolize degree of lethality) Knife, price 20 gold for a reliable blade or old-school switch-blade. This cutting and stabbing weapon is small and quite easy to use. Skilled knife fighters learn to deflect or parry small blades, making advantage of the fact that knives have only one blade. Small knife does 1d6 damage, larger knives do 1d6+2 damage. Concealment: On clothed body the standard difficulty allows to hide it. Dagger, price 50 gold upwards for quality blades plus scabbard or stilettos. Greatest advantage is, that the dagger is a legal weapon to all with citizen rights. A double-edged blade used primarily for stabbing. It's balance allows fencing moves. Dagger does 1d6+1 per hit, Poniard does 1d6+2. Concealment: On clothed body the standard difficulty allows to hide it, if need be. Blackjack & Cudgel, price 15 gold, or larger, fine cudgel 25 gold. For some reasons this skull- and bone-crushing weapon is rarely seen as a threat. Unaware victims can be knocked unconscious with a proper blow to temples or neck. Blackjack does 1d6 damage, cudgel does 1d6+3 damage. Two handed club or mace does 2d6 damage on successful hit. Cutlass or Shortsword 75 gold upwards for quality blades plus scabbard. The cutlass (slim pirate sabre with basket to protect hand) is a stabbing and slashing weapon, the shortsword as well. Generic damage is 1d6 +4 Martial Hammer, 50 gold upwards for quality. A long hammer often wielded with two hands, be it for craft, smithy or skull crushing. The cliché weapon of the Hammerites is a useful tool and lethal weapon. Damage for small hammer is 1d6+2 and large hammer (two-handed wield) is 2d6+1 Shortbow/lite x-bow, 75 gold. Allows to shoot several types of arrows/bolts. Longbow/heavy x-bow has doubled price, doubled damage and doubled range. Damage by arrow/bolt type.

Armours (symbolize overall protection) Reinforced clothing, base price is 50 gold and some home-made improvements The lightest possible want-to-be-armour for Taffers. It absorbs 1 point of damage from hits and even absorbs one point of damage via Soul. For it feels good to wear such. It has no protection versus surprise attacks, but no penalty on movement either. It's maximum weight is 10 pounds, making it one of two possible armours for Koong Foo style. It soaks when you try to swim, giving penalty on such! Leather or fur armour, price 150 gold. Two layers of soft leather or fur make up vests, jackets, jerk as pants and boots. It absorbs 2 points of damage per hit from weapons (damage to Life). It has no protection versus surprise attacks, but no penalty on movement either. It's maximum weight is 20 pounds, making it one of two possible armours for Koong Foo style. It hinders, later soaks when you try to swim, giving penalty on such! Studded leather or reinforced fur, price 200 gold< Two layers of soft leather or fur reinforced with tough “plates or scales of leather or similar”make up cloak, vests, jackets, jerk as pants and boots. It absorbs 3 points of damage per hit from weapons (damage to Life), but 5 points from unarmed damage for it's a thicker bolster. It's weight is between 25 to 30 pounds. It hinders, later soaks when you try to swim, giving penalty on such! It gives -1 penalty to all tasks which rely on mobility or dexterity, too. Reinforced clothing with chain, 330 gold Vulnerable to electricity yet reliable versus mundane weapons. It comes like reinforced cloth added a metal chain-shirt and chain coif. It makes knocks on the back of the head more difficult ( game guide sets penalty) , absorbs 4 points of weapon damage. It's weight is between 25 to 30 pounds. It hinders, later soaks when you try to swim, giving dire penalty on such! It gives -1 penalty to all tasks which rely on mobility or dexterity, too.

Example of what armour covers – chain shirt with extras

I warned about my painting abilities before! This much protection is one of the available light armour sets which I find proper for agile and mobile adventurers. Heavier versions are possible. This one includes bracers and can be combined with a shield. On the Internet there is the gratis demo of “Thief – Deadly Shadows”. After the tutorial comes the castle infiltration mission. Play it, get used to it and play once more until you can easily sneak up on a guard and stab through the spine with even just a dagger, IF you need hints on how to imagine why such protection is better than nothing? Roleplayers really have better sources and know the typical armours of fantasy realms. Newbies got some hints which I could give. I guess they are superfluous, or I hope so. Gloves and gauntlets. Somehow should be ruled part of the bracers or armour set. If a rogue or like-minded wears gloves or gauntlets, then the penalty for pick lock and neutralize trap is decided by game guide. Heavy steel gauntlets really make it hard to wield your nimble fingers.

Arcana Arcana are the paraphernalia (tools of the trade) for mystics, witches, priests and other magic-appliers. Their styles and materials vary, even often among the same faction. Basic Wand, Staff or Dagger, costs 125 gold Prerequisites: Figure must belong to shamans, witches, clergy or similar by faction and have a Mysticism score of 7 or higher. Without faction your Mysticism must be 8 to use such a tool as magic-blaster! Only factions can teach you initially on how to recharge those weapons! Firing magic-blast: Needs line of sight to target, maximum range 1 mile, does 1d6+2. Charges at Start: 1 plus (figures Mysticism minus 5) = When used as a weapon the dagger is a dagger, the Staff is wielded twohanded but damages like a normal cudgel (1d6+3), it has Concealment as it looks like a wandering/medical tool. The wand when wielded damages like a Blackjack (see Weapons above) Reinforced Robe with insignia and in proper colours, price & effects like reinforced clothing, see Armours above. Improved Wand, Staff or Dagger, costs 500 gold All which is not noted here is like the Basic version! Firing magic-blast: Needs line of sight to target, maximum range 1 mile, does 1d6+6. Charges at Start: 2 plus (figures Mysticism minus 7) = Powders, herbs, holy water, candles. Price ranges from cheap to exceptionally expensive, depending on the type of ritual, invocation/evocation (like chant or prayer) or outright summoning (like some pagans can make undead rise, in example), My own priority is more “be atmospheric and suiting faction” anyway!

Quick Character Creation 1. To allow all players the chance to participate in any given venture, all figures start with 7 per attribute each. 2. Now each player decides, what faction the figure is among. The 1st time players should really select what they like to play, style-wise instead of just reading faction bona. Apply one faction bonus (3 times +1) only! Example: Pagan - Brute or shaman/witch, not both! 3. Players select their one style of combat expertise and contemplate, if they will take a drug addiction to bolster them for a price. 4. Players select their personal feature from my list and decide now, if they take a drug addiction. 5. Players note their custom starting equipment and write down the proper 12 attributes with modifications due faction, feature, combat style and eventually drug addiction. Meanwhile game guide considers, how piety, status and honour are handled or if at all. 6. Players finally learn, that their figures (as most) have Life: 11 & Soul: 7

The world which bred Garrett the Master-Thief I am Taffer enough, to tell some basics. The world had a great war behind it and the conflict of divine struggle destroyed entire cultures. Within the city walls, such is quite remembered still. Religious, ambitious and personal conflicts enforce their mark upon everydaylife. Torture is very common, among several factions. Hammerites “interrogate” pagans as pagans “interrogate” Hammerites and any city-head fool they took prisoner. Mood and survival are often as one. Darkness, poverty and lurking threats, no matter, who one is. Yet there is hope. Encouraged by the lucky or competent moments which keep the majority of people from freaking out completely. The alleys spawn countless criminals, some desperate to survive, other driven by greed without regrets. Nobles are often just well-clad villains. The era is a mixture of the late medieval and early renaissance. Castles are still in use, swords are still dangerous weapons in use. Electricity does exist, yet is expensive and rare. Ashes from ovens and Hammerite industry influence the atmosphere. The flow of the city is calm, more from fatigue than from tranquillity. The battle between Trickster and Builder reflects in the social undercurrent it created. Pagans had not given up their struggle against industrialization, fighting to keep the cities from eating away on Nature. Not in romance, but for it is a powersource of the Trickster. Hammerites embody industrial ambition, as they craft and build to please their deity. Discipline and dedication to their faith.

Shady Meadows – tutorial grounds The best summary for Shady Meadows is a small portion of town intersecting with and strongly influenced by the South Quarter and the Docks. The atmosphere is mostly identical to those we should know from the game. Reaching Shady Meadows from the Docks or South Quarter happens by venturing through back-alleys. Those alleys are like veins in allegory, bringing new life to that part of town. Justified superstition is common lore here. Shady Meadows has it's core due Burghers and their way of building. Rogues and thugs are usually among them. Pagans captured their outpost, a former luxury garden with a burned out house. Hammerites come like street preachers or guards, when they are not called or volunteering to repair and build. As the area is not precisely rich, most craftsmen outside of the Builder uniform make the ground level of their houses their working room. Some build or expand to have such a room, like when the family grows or business was running better for a while. The famous pub around here is the “Soul-Trap”. The name stemming from a mixture of the proprietors humour and the criticism for bringing comfort to drunkards. It's classical architecture was improved with cheaply padded walls, a minor noise reduction especially for late hours. The most exotic experience is the “Flunky Parrot” store. The pawnbroker is a redeemed smuggler, who finally took the chance to use his skills for the people instead of on their expense. His family still does street-acrobatics and short gigs in the Soul-Trap.

Crime Rate at game start is bearable. Violent crimes, bar-room brawls excepted, is low. Means murder, mugging, rape and robbery happen in minor dosage or softer ways. Burglary, Theft and similar Street-Crimes are more common. Poverty: Most people are poor. Anyway dogs and cats are rarely eaten (few people spontaneously remember recipes aloud), nobody is known to cook rats (dire lack of gold). Cannibalism is known, but rare and defined as serious crime. People in Shady Meadows usually follow a codex of superficial solidarity. At home direct neighbours help each other, out on the streets one tries to be friendly, or does not push it. A small gang of rogues is around, trying hard to be a real thieves guild. Or maybe posturing to be seen as a thieves guild, those Taffers. MUST PAINT A MAP of Shady Meadows now! A gypsy family acquainted with the pawnbroker has been welcomed to stay for the season. The greatest market of this quarter has been just yesterday, means comparably pleasant cooking smells are in the air around mid of days. Shady Meadows is under the veil of ignorance, as it seems. While such “being forgotten” benefits on certain occasions or ventures, it means that official money rarely finds it's way into the town-part.

Vague GIMP map of Shady Meadows central

Poorest buildings

Soul Trap Inn

The former park, now PAGAN sanctuary. Flunky Parrot & east of it five gypsy tents.

Blue dots = public wells

No Error! Shady Meadows Art house

House of Healing.

Sexual entertainment Wooden houses of workers and largest: their workhall.

Yellow houses: Supply-Shops like a bakery...

Traditional housing.

Public learning hall.

Pseudo-occult revelation – On squared paper

DinA4 pages or my GIMP creation here are a wide-spread and cheap alternative to hexagon and octagon paper or software (damn, expensive stuff) which I remember from war-gaming and tactical games. •

I read a German meter is equal to 1.065 yards. Square meters are known? If one scales the maps of buildings and combat properly (I didn't yet), then one square equals 1 square yard.

What could this be good for? We could in example take our favourite houses and pubs from the PC game and paint them on such paper to have generic houses ready, with idea to describe them and list of potential loot for rogues. Further, decisive fights (that's the fight you want & the fight which neutralizes you, at minimum) can really be like embedded tactical boardgames. Now the bonus (and loads of effort)! We could specify each light-source with radius and shadows to hide in (or filled with lurking monsters). Both! I am still new to the software, yet vague basics can be done with tools, imagination and dedication alone. As I write this it is twenty minutes past four in the morning and this day I have to do crucial renovation work in the main room. Two rooms that far made, new cables, new wall-paste and such. ;o)

Mission ideas in Shady Meadows If reading this has something “weird” about it, maybe this helps: Consider this being my authors notes to game guides and the programmer who can handle the editor of Thief 3 to make my ideas into playable game maps. Corrected Perspective a bit now? The missions will let the “shops&services” as defined. All other houses are either set per mission or per faction, or fully defined (traditional pen&paper solution). Burghers was a medieval word for citizens, known? The ghoulish cannibal prank about that sounding like burgers (hamburger, cheeseburger) is not to my liking. Especially real world. Burgher missions: •

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Education. People really should learn how to read and write, even guards. Players should bring in their own ideas or volunteer to do halftime jobs as teachers. there is no challenge like Kindergarten. ;o) Trade. Burghers can purchase and sell stuff. Good business ventures may improve the quality of lifestyle in Shady Meadows and make one earn status! Scouting. Legally venturing through the city and eavesdropping as spreading rumours and preferably facts. Be it about the competition or market prices or who was seen in the whore-house. Marriage. Maybe that wench from the Soul Trap is not the best choice when it comes to that? As upstart Burgher of Shady Meadows you may help others on such, or meddle with your own love affairs to craft a happy outcome. Quest for the sacred toy or pet. A child you need to care for has lost it's unique artefact or critter. Naturally, in some ghoul haunted dungeon called a small cellar or at the spooky place of hag-sighting or summoning.

Pagan Missions: •

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Duty call. Protection of the sanctum (the park) from rogues and Hammerite spies is a crucial part of the faith. Oh them cityheads. Blood-Magick. The Woodsie-Lord could prosper so much more. Will you go earn gold and purchase blood, or violate the fragile peace and go find some cityheads to make a sacrifice? Or will you outwit Hammerites prejudice and find a win-win solution by making a common threat (thugs, robbers, well-poisoners, tax-collectors, rapists & so forth) your sacrifice? Rescue caught pagans. Infiltration of a Hammerite cathedral or abbey is a daunting task, are you the veterans who get it done? Political counters. Can pagan heads by diplomatic and convincing enough, to make Hammerites gain no stronghold in Shady Meadows? Pagan rogues can take all rogue missions, as long as they draw no attention versus Pagans. Don't get caught and don't be seen with Pagans.

Hammerite Missions - For the Builder •

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Shady Meadows has need for the faithful of the builder. 1st way by bringing in the crafty Hammerites to help building infrastructure, increasing production and 2nd with the infesting Pagan invaders having a stronghold, a Hammerite church or chapel is direly needed. Now it just needs ways to convince the Burghers of this. Supervision. The Builder taught thee well, the Trickster cannot be trusted and must be crushed. Watching for Pagan activity (see BloodMagick or Pagan rogues) and preventing such is a Hammerites' duty and pleasure. Purification. If the group gathers enough evidence of Pagan crimes (especially human sacrifices of Burghers), then the re-conquest of the former public park can begin. If a political speech before the council of the quarter master (Major's council of Shady Meadows) works out well, it may even get guard-support. Undead in the sewers. If you like, make your group of faithful Hammerites face the spawn of the Trickster hidden in a wet and slippery pseudo-dungeon?

Keepers in Shady Meadows •

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Subtly watch and eavesdrop for everything which would destroy the faction-balance or would otherwise escalate. Stealthily scout Shady Meadows for optimum spots to craft GlyphDoors. Not getting caught by anyone is crucial. Disguise as helpers for Burghers Education and spend your time offshift in the Soul Trap. There is something brewing and we are not talking the cooks pot and pan! Visit the Keeper Library for extended instruction and counsel. Make sure the Hammerite-Pagan crusade does not spawn undead which amok on anyone again.

Rogues in Shady Meadows •

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Every option we know from the PC game whenever opportunities present themselves. Alliances. You can make friends of occasion by supporting all factions on their missions, if you find out about those and didn't waste your welcome. A bowyer works in one of the poor houses, sometimes he sells some stuff to the Flunky Parrot. He makes... certain arrows, too.

Thugs in Shady Meadows •

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Racketeers. Collecting money so houses, shops and stores do not have accidents involving fire. Or making sure arson gets well-known to those who do not pay. Every option we know from the PC game whenever opportunities present themselves. Alliances. You can make friends of occasion by supporting all factions on their missions, if you find out about those and didn't waste your welcome. Boss. Getting control of the Soul Trap sounds like a plan. The employees get all the work and you get all the money. Maybe they need more knuckle-sandwiches to comply?

Guards in Shady Meadows •

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Gutter-Patrol. Walking the streets and making sure that nothing which impairs your payment happens. Courtier. Being a guard is the job of your life. But being a guard sergeant or lieutenant is better paid and in reach. All it needs is a mission to impress the captain and some ideas to frame or discredit all other guards who could get the job! Management. Being extra nice and caring towards people who spend you some food or drink, watching for the smith so repairs are cheap and perhaps that harlot could really spice up your night after a long shift of hard work? Prevention. Finding out what other factions are up to and spoiling all villainous Taffery!

This text is sample or probe enough, to give a first impression. Or I hoped so. My Linux needs an update and I have other tasks to solve before this continues. Examples & Arrow-definitions will be implemented soon.

Personally I wonder, if it will attract some suitable constructive feedback. It would be welcome, when done properly. Posting comments at www.estories.org/ or my Thief folder at esnips may be a beginning. Emailing [email protected] would need you to be patient, I am not connected to the Internet and look in once or twice per month from a Web-Café. In-game quoted: Cry, brethren, for the betrayer has come! Your hands will be crippled and you will perish as the wretched outcast into the bleak unwritten. And you will know the face of the betrayer. - recovered text from the Prophecitus •

Check about the author and you may guess, which “bell it rang” for me?

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Or did the programmers sense that Altair (Assassins Creed) will come?

Notes on PDF

Those + and – signs allow you to make the text to be displayed larger (+), or smaller (-). In Adobe, there is a percentage number between or besides them, rewrite it to do the same. Mouse click into it and then 100% to 110% in example.

Mouse click on those entries makes your software “jump” to that part of the text. Can be helpful.

Bookmarks

About the author

In context I can state without exaggeration: I am a fat and ugly Taffer! My biography could be named “becoming a negative role-model for newbies”. I was born on the 2nd of July in the year 1972. German since birth and feeling like hit by Gamal's curse. Prisoner of war in the war against poverty. Like with the song “sympathy for the devil” I often found fascinating, what is target of societies unleashed prejudices. Games like Thief or Vampire Bloodlines made me publish, what discredited me even more. With 35 years in a fucked-up existence, I made it so far without being ever arrested, without need for psychiatric treatment, without molesting children or other lifeforms and without joining any extremist organization. There are moments in my life where I consider this dire mistakes. I became “an author” as a child, neglected it for years and restarted publishing in 1998. I write and publish on whim, “due the muse” or for the community. Until now I never had money as 1st priority. Being a pauper, German law demands, that I consider this among other attempts to get my own income. If I could still care, than you would read fascinating details here, real or artful expressions. ;o)

Missing chapters & rules •

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Arrows & Bolts which prices, function and only artwork which a skilled painter gifts me. ;o) I am really not a painter or drawer by brush or spray. Taffer Magick by factions. Incantations and rituals as we know them from the game & some more. Give all curious neighbours a scrying spell? A tutorial adventure ready for play. Boasting and dabbling about how I found a contract for a Playstation 3 or such and purchased a 2nd hand legal version of Assassins creed? Map hints. Like adding a greyscale version of each self-made map (GIMP is available for Windows, too. Irfan View helps to edit Microsoft Paint works.) Greyscale? Yeah, the most simple way to have a black and white map to contemplate how much darkness is caused when torches and lanterns are turned out. Readers feedback. Since I published gratis electronic files this was rare and I have no problem accepting these efforts here wasted. Another file for my failed projects folder... Surprise attacks. With no chance of LuPaDo or avoidance, it's mostly like a coup de grace. Same when your reflexes are too slow to dodge or block a blade aimed to cut your throat. Writing rules for such cruelty has a flair I dislike.