1) Introduction 1.1) Author's Foreword Long ago (beats me just how long), I ran into a chap by the name of Rob Pool on the Anime RPG mailing list. I'd heard of him before, and I knew a little of his work with the Returners. When our paths crossed on the list, an inspiration struck me, to take the solid rules of the FFRPG and create the one game world that had always been in my mind - that of the Shining Force. With a bit of help from Mr. Pool and a lot of reading, I undertook this project. A month later, the first version of the Shining Force Worldbook was placed in webspace. This is the fourth major revision of the supplement, released near the end of 2000. This revision brings it up to date with the most recent 'final' version of the FFRPG, as well as taking care of a few more bits and pieces. Still to be included for the future - material from Shining Force: CD, Shining: The Holy Ark, Shining Force 3 and Shining In The Darkness. All depending on my own whims and ability to actually play those games, of course. I'm only human, after all. 1.2) Thanks First, to (rather obviously) the makers of the Shining Force games: Hey, this *is* your game, guys. Be flattered, or something. The Returners crew, for making the FFRPG: Hey, this is your game too. Be flattered, or.. wait, I've already used this line, haven't I? Anyhow, thanks for putting together such a good base system that emulates video game RPGs so well. Moogie: I'm a-dedicating this piece to you, for all the amazing work you've done. You deserve it. Rob Pool: For giving me some good advice in the beginning. Omni: For my first taste of game design. You bastard. Special shout to Justin 'Shiva' White for help fine-tuning the init system. 1.3) Don't Sue Me, I'm Just An Innocent Writer, Not A Copyright Breaker Or Anything All proper locations, characters, plotlines and other related things are copyright their owners (Sega, by and large). Shining Force, Shining Force 2 and Shining Force CD are copyright the same people. The FFRPG is copyright the Returners (I think). Moogie's Shining Force 2 Page is copyright Marge 'Moogie' Neilson (also, I think). Th.. oh, look. Basically, there's a lot of stuff in here that's owned by other people. This ain't for profit, so leave me alone - and don't steal anything in here, 'cause it all either belongs to someone else or (nominally) to me. 'Long as you don't try to make cash off of this, it's not a problem. 1.4) Designer's Notes First off, remember that this is a worldbook and add-on supplement to the FFRPG, and not a game in and of itself. The core FFRPG rules are required to effectively use this supplement as written. They're free, so don't get your dander up. Core rules for the FFRPG are available at: http://returners.simplenet.com. Secondly, this worldbook has been designed to be as faithful as possible to the original Shining Force series, while still being compatible with and using rules from the FFRPG. It does not wholly fulfil either goal, but is a compromise between the two: there are differences from both games that, hopefully, form an interesting total. For loads of info on the Shining series of egames, scope out Moogie's place, open and running for nearly five years! http://shining.zophar.net/. Third, as in all RPGs, there is the unwritten (well, sometimes written) Golden Rule: If you don't like it, change it. Also, if you do make changes, feel free to share them with this book's author (along with any other helpful comments), so that this project can, if not become better and better, at least suck less and less. 2) World Overview 2.1) Short World Introduction "Somewhere Evil stirs in a land that's in need of a Hero..." - Simone, SHF1 Two lands that sit quietly in the seas - Rune and Parmecia. With their troubles, true enough, but usually peaceful. But at times, horrible wars ravage them. Twice in remembered history, forces of Darkness have assaulted them, overrunning the cities and fields. Each time, a Hero has risen from the people and gathered a small but powerful army of friends to fight against the tide of evil. This Shining Force, each time wielding the Powers of Light, has defeated all obstacles in its path, banishing the Darkness to where it came. While the most famed Forces are those that battled the Greater Devils like Zeon, in other times of Darkness, other Forces have stood against the night, Shining... 2.2) Timeline (Author's Note: All dates listed here are approximate - Cope with it. There are four major time periods distinguished - Time of the Ancients (TA) [Believed to last 10000-100000 years], Age of Rebuilding (AR) [1000 years], War of Rune (WR) [approximately 600 years], and Coming of Zeon (CZ) [Last egame age, in 7th year].) TA 1 - The believed foundation of the society of the Ancients. This date is actually very vague - historians of Rune have speculated this as being anywhere from 10000 to 100000 years prior to the end of this time period. TA 9000? - The Ancients, through unknown means, bridge the space between dimensions, opening gateways to and from the world of the Devils. A thousand years of war follow, between the Ancients and the Devils. While the Ancients fight hard for many, many years, their technologies are unable to strike a firm blow against the Devils. TA 9750? - Another gateway is opened - this one to a world where the Gods of Light exist. The Ancients and the Gods of Light form a pact - the Gods give power to the beleaguered Ancients to better fight the Devils, and the Ancients provide worship, sacrifices, and dominion to the Gods. This is believed to signal the first appearance of magic among the Ancients - an element which tipped the scales against the Devils in the fighting. Some also cite this as the beginning of the diverse population of the Civilized Races, as some of the Gods of Light find their 'Chosen People', as Volcanon did with the Birdmen, shaping the some of the Ancients into a new race in his image. TA 9900? - Dark Sol and Dark Dragon betray Zeon, the Devil King, and seal his power within the Jewel of Evil. Zeon falls to earth and is sealed below Arc Valley. This sealing of such power inspired Mitula to take a small part of power from each of the Gods of Light, creating the Jewel of Light. This Jewel was given to the Ancient hero Tyber, who had the Jewel forged into the hilt of the Sword of Light. TA 10000? - The Ancients, with the help of Mitula, Volcanon, and the other now forgotten Gods of Light, battle the Devils back to the gate. Tyber, wielding the Sword of Light, strikes down Dark Dragon and the Gods of Light place it, slumbering, in a prison dimension. With Zeon imprisoned by the Jewels and Dark Dragon ever sleeping, the lesser Devils retreat into their home dimension, the remaining Greater Devil leaders bickering and fighting among themselves too much to continue the fight against the Ancients. However, in the final battle, the civilization of the Ancients is mostly destroyed. On Paramecia, only a few tiny traces remain of the once-great society. On Rune, more remains, including several cities. However, these cities fall into ruin and are 'lost', so nearly all that can be found of the Ancients are ruins and the occasional artifact. Of the Gods of Light, some, such as Mitula and Volcanon, settle in the ruins of the world, while the rest return to the dimension from whence they came. AR 1-1000 - In this time, the Civilized Races strived to rebuild from the destruction of the Ancients. The fallout of the massive battle, both from the technological and magical weapons, is believed to have caused the creation of some of the many monster species which roamed the post-Ancients world. Over this era, nearly all of the rebuilding took place on the Rune continent - Paramecia, by and large, was lightly populated. As such, it thrived with considerably more powerful 'monster' species. On Rune, the Humans, Centaurs, Elves and Dwarves built up several large, powerful nations, and most of the truly dangerous monster species were exterminated - those that survived were either the weaker species, which the civilized peoples hunted for food and sport, or were in the small pockets of the powerful species in the deep wilderness. The civilizations of Rune were much more advanced technologically thanks to large troves of the works of the Ancients, rebuilding great cities and wondrous works of artifice. Rune was home to the four largest of the Civilized Races - Humans, Elves, Dwarves, and Centaurs (in that order of size). On Paramecia, where technology was considerably more rare, magic was in much greater power, especially around Beldoe and Tristan, homes of the remaining Gods of Light. Of the Civilized Races, only tiny numbers of them exist here - save the Beastmen and the Birdmen. The Birdmen made their home in Beldoe in Paramecia only, having no holdings anywhere else on either continent - though Birdmen explorers and warriors have roamed over the world, including some (such as the famed Amon and Balbaroy) to distant Rune. The Beastmen's main home is on Paramecia as well, especially in Polca and in Tristan. However, unlike the birds, the Beastmen have cousins living on Rune, though in much smaller numbers. WR 1 - In this year, Runefaust (known before as Protectoria) begins invading and conquering it's neighbors, using both Ancient technologies and the harnessed powers of Rune's remaining powerful monsters. Later discoveries will show King Ramlamdu is being controlled by Dark Sol and the Devil forces to release Dark Dragon. WR 4 - In mid-summer, Runefaust knights and Dwarven forces assault Guardinia, assisted by goblin shock troops. Sir Varios and King Guardinia are slain by Dark Sol himself, along with most of the city's soldiers and population. Resistance to Runefaust's conquest is nearly obliterated with the death of Varios and Guardina - except for a few young warriors who set out to stop the evil. These youthful soldiers, led by the swordsman Max, would eventually be known as the Shining Force. WR 5 - The Shining Force defeats General Elliott in early spring on the Pao Prairie. They spend most of the year at sea, landing just outside of Rudo only a few days before the beginning of the new year. WR 6 - The Shining Force reaches Runefaust itself in the beginning of summer. The Castle of the Ancients rises from the sea, and the battle against Dark Dragon is fought. When Max strikes the final blow, the Castle sinks back into the sea, taking the hero with it. Most of the Force escapes to rebuild Rune again. WR 8 - Queen Anri is officially crowned ruler of Guardinia, and commissions several expeditions to search for the lost Max. WR 13 - One of the Guardinian expeditions to find Max sails across the sea (guided by Amon and Balbaroy, Max's Birdman companions) and finds the Paramecian continent. It returns home again with word of the new land. WR 16 - The port city of Hassan is founded, first of the cities founded on Paramecia by the people of Rune. WR 21 - As search parties and settlers branch out from Hassan, one intrepid group sets out to what will become known as Grans Island, via the Devil's Tail. They eventually settle Gransal, Galam, Hill Town and several other smaller villages on the island. WR 58 - The beasts of Paramecia rise up against the settlers from Rune, under the control of the Greater Devil Imamu. After nearly three years of fighting, Imamu was destroyed in a battle at Hassan - but the Bay of Hassan was torn apart by powerful magic, the water harnessed by Imamu into a massive mystical water-serpent. Afterwards, some force actually kept the bay dry, as though an invisible dam had been created. The city of Hassan fell into a deep economic depression, it's fishing destroyed by this. Even more importantly, Hassan was the only port where ships came from and went to Rune. With landing at Hassan now impossible, the trade route between the continents - and communication between them - fell off. Some other ports were hastily created, but none held the prime position of Hassan, and the damage was done. Over the next few years, ships going between the continents fell off. WR 63 - The last ship from Rune arrives in Hassan-Ne, a small port town west of the original Hassan. With the trade routes to Rune gone, this and other small port towns fall back onto fishing to survive. Most do not, unable to afford militias and falling prey to the roving monsters of Paramecia. Another ship does not cross the sea from Rune to Paramecia for nearly seven hundred years, and, over time, ships between the Parmecian mainland and Grans Island also taper off. CZ 1/WR 600 - The seal on the Tower of Ancients in Arc Valley is broken, releasing Zeon. The Jewels of Evil and Light are captured by Galam troops, their king possessed by one of Zeon's minions. Gransal is invaded and largely destroyed by Galam's armies, leading to a major battle in the Tower itself. In that battle, Bowie, a young student of Astral of Gransal, captures both the Jewel of Evil and Jewel of Light, and they mysteriously fuse to his body. However, Zeon, while weakened, is still a Greater Devil. Arc Valley is destroyed, with the few survivors of Gransal escaping to the main Paramecian continent. CZ 2 - New Gransal is built on the far western edge of South Paramecia. CZ 3 - Bowie, now leading what will become the next Shining Force, leaves New Gransal to explore the continent. He arrives in Beldoe and meets Volcanon in late fall. CZ 4 - In this year, the Force (along with the armies of several of the cities) fight a variety of battles against the Devil Army, breaking through into North Paramecia, and Bowie eventually returns to Grans Island via the Nazca ship. CZ 5 - The final battle with Zeon is waged in spring of this year. In the defeat of the King of the Devils, yet more of Grans Island is destroyed, transforming Galam into a coastal city and the most southern point on the island. CZ 6 - Princess Elis, poisoned in the final confrontation with Zeon, finally recovers. Within a month, she and Bowie are married. Paramecia becomes largely peaceful, many of the deadly monsters hiding after the defeat of Zeon. 2.3) The Civilized Races Humans: By far the most numerous of the Civilized Races, Humans also show the greatest diversity within themselves. Tallest (save the Centaurs) and heaviest (save the Centaurs and equal to the Dwarves) of the races, humans have a staggering array of skin, hair and eye colors among them. Clothing with Humans is also extremely varied, coming in all sorts of styles and colors, though there is quite some popularity for short capes for the men. Humans of Rune and Paramecia should be very familiar to you, the players (since I assume you're either humans yourselves or at least *familiar* with the human species). Being the largest of the Civilized Races, by population, Human settlements are very common. In fact, many of the villages of other races have a sizeable Human population within them. Flexible to the point of being generic, Humans have the abilities to at least closely approximate the specialized skills of the other races - almost (but not quite) as strong as Dwarves, almost (but not quite) as agile as Elves, and so forth. This allows the Humans to do most any job and acquire many skills, reinforcing their inherent flexibility. Human warriors hold to their race's creed of being able to cover any area, using weapons ranging from bows to lances to swords. They are also at least fairly adept at magic - some Humans, in fact, surpass Elves in their abilities. (E-Game Human characters: Max, Anri, Kokichi, Hanzou (SHF1), Bowie, Chaz, Rohde, Frayja (SHF2)) Power: Humans, being jacks-of-all-trades, possess wider ranges of skills than the other races. They start out with 20 extra skill points, and gain another 5 extra each level. Elves: Slightly shorter than Humans, as well as being considerably lighter and thinner, Elves are sometimes mistaken for young Humans by people ignoring tip-offs like their hair color and ears. While Human hair colors usually stick to the 'natural' brown, black and blond colors, Elves have no such restrictions. While Human colors are common, so are bright blues and natural greens. Also very notable are their ears - pointed and long (sometimes as long as the Elf's forearm), the ears also provide a way to tell where an Elf is from - the Elves of Rune have theirs stick mostly upwards (and have slightly shorter ears), like those of a Human, but Paramecian Elves have their ears sticking almost straight out sideways. Elven clothing is varied, though most prefer light, loose clothes that let them move freely. Elves from continental Paramecia of both sexes also wear wide brimmed, pointed hats. While they mostly share towns with Humans and the other Civilized Races, purely Elven communities exist in decent numbers. Semi-nomadic, these villages actually have several rough 'towns' throughout their territory, and the villagers move from one group of structures to the next in seasonal cycles. The empty towns are often havens for hunters and bandits, all of which are gone by the time the Elves come back, if they know what's good for them. (Special Author's Note: There is no deep Elf-Dwarf racial hatred. Please, not that cliche again. We now return you to your regularly scheduled game supplement, already in progress.) Elf warriors are probably best known for their marksmanship - only a handful of the Centaurs rival the Elven skill with a bow. Magic is also an area of great skill for the Elves. These strengths have made the Elves masters of ranged combat, just as many refer to the Dwarves as masters of close fighting. The Elves are effective at close ranges, too, many fighting with short sword and buckler, or a thin fencing blade and a dagger. (E-Game Elf characters: Tao, Hans, Diane (SHF1), Sarah, Kazin, Elric, Janet (SHF2)) Power: Being, well, children of the woods, Elves get a special bonus. While inside a 'forest' area, they automatically gain the advantage heightened sense for all their senses. This reflects their intense familiarity with the surroundings. Dwarves: The short but powerful Dwarves bear a fair resemblance to Humans, sharing many of the physical characteristics. The average Dwarf is almost a foot shorter than the average Elf, but weighs significantly more. Skin, hair and eye colors are similar to those of Humans. Green is a popular color of clothing, as is blue, though any bright color will be worn - they like to be able to make themselves be able to be seen against the brown and grey walls of their homes. Dwarven soldiers usually wear heavy armor and helmets with large plumes on them for decoration, usually dyeing the plume a striking color. Dwarven communities are based underground, or in deep valleys - they like the feel of earth around them. Mining, smithing and other related occupations are greatly favored, although there has always been a lust for exploration among Dwarves, causing many to wander the deepest caves and to try to reach new lands by tunneling. They have a particular dislike for water travel, however, which limits this exploring instinct. Dwarven warriors are well-known for their favorite weapon - the Great Axe, a massive two-handed, two bladed weapon almost as large as they are. The largest Dwarven village is Hill Town, on Grans Island of Paramecia. Only slightly smaller is Rune's Circe, built in a natural fortress-valley and is home of the world's largest museum of art, housed inside a hollowed-out mountain. (E-game Dwarf characters: Luke, Gort, Lowe (SHF1), Jaha, Randolf, Gyan (SHF2)) Power: The hearty Dwarves have one important logistical advantage to themselves, and that's that they're almost supernaturally durable. A Dwarf character needs only half the rest, food, and water of another character. Additionally, they gain a +5% MDef against disease and disease-related attacks. Centaurs: With the lower bodies of powerful horses and humanoid upper bodies, Centaurs are the physically largest of the Civilized Races. Skin, hair and eye colors are similar to those of Elves (or of normal horses, depending on which half of the body you look at), and they possess the long Elfin ears. Male Centaurs grow facial hair, but only very rarely have beards, instead wearing fancy, sometimes outrageous, mustaches. Clothing customs dictate tunics and shirts for the upper body, fancy drapings for the lower body on special occasions, and horseshoes. Many also wear leggings of one sort or another, and hair/tail adornments are popular. Centaurs are very well known as soldiers - in fact, they make up a highly disproportionate number of the militaries on both Rune and Paramecia, having only greater overall numbers than the Birdmen and the various Beastmen species but making up nearly half of all militaries. The Centaurs originally appeared almost exclusively on Rune (until the colonization in WR 16), but there were small numbers of them living as nomads in North Paramecia early on as well. The most famous of the nomadic tribes, which existed on Rune (later to commute to Paramecia) were the Pegasus. These Centaurs possessed one physical characteristic that separated them from others of their kind - great feathered wings on the lower bodies that allowed them to fly. Sometimes called the 'Herd of the Sky', many of these Centaurs sided with Runefaust in the Rune War, and afterwards became extremely rare. Their warrior's skill is often attributed to their size and speed, but it also is deeply ingrained into their way of thinking - most Centaurs could be at least partially described as 'obsessive perfectionists'. They usually take failure badly, and have a lot of pride in their skills. This pride extends to a Centaur's companions, as well - while Centaur mercenaries exist, most are extremely loyal to one specific leader. (E-Game Centaur characters: May, Ken, Earnest, Pelle (SHF1), Chester, Rick, Higgins, Jaro (SHF2)) Power: Centaurs gain an extra 1 movement point when starting a turn in Open terrain, above and beyond their other modifications - and thus are the only PC race that is able to have 10 MP in one turn. While faster, Centaurs react badly to rough terrain. They pay 2 extra (3 total) points while moving through light terrain, and 3 extra (4 total) in heavy. Birdmen: The Birdmen are the smallest numbered of the Civilized Races, their entire population calling the great city Beldoe home. However, they hold a highly honored position, as the personal servants, chosen warriors, and protected people of the God Volcanon, Phoenix of the Sky. Approximately the same height and build as Elves, they weigh considerably less, owing to their thin, hollow bones. However, this makes them considerably more fragile than even the slight Elves. A Birdman's feet are bird-like with talons, but the hands on their upper arms are humanoid, complete with opposable thumbs. A pair of large wings extend backwards from their shoulder blades. Their entire bodies are covered by small feathers - the most common plumage colors are brown and grey-white - and their head is bird-like, complete with a falcon's beak. Clothing among the Birdmen is usually limited to light upper body coverings (that don't interfere with wing movement), and often a hood over the head. Most favor a sword and buckler combination over other weapons, though there is precedent for spear-carriers and archers. While all Birdmen call Beldoe home, they are well known for long travels, as far away as the Rune continent at times. In general, they are extremely noble and well-intended, working to live up to the intentions of Volcanon. (E-Game Birdman characters: Amon, Balbaroy (SHF1), Luke, Screech (SHF2)) Power: Birdmen, rather obviously, are able to naturally fly. This means that, nearly all the time, they move as if Light or Heavy terrain was Open, and are considered to have a permanent 'Float' status condition. Beastmen: The term 'Beastman' actually applies to a large number of races, not just one. Within the Beastman classification are several subspecies, such as the Ratman, the Armadillo, and the most common Wolfman. In general, a Beastman looks like a Human, except with the features of one particular animal species. A Ratman, for example, is covered with short fur (often grey), is thin, has a tail, and a mouse-like head with large ears. Each of the Beastman species tends to hang around with members of it's own type, often forming small, nomadic groups that work as hunters and traders. The most common of the Beastmen is the Wolfman type - the males look like the classic 'werewolf' idea of a wolf that walks on two legs and has hands. The females more closely resemble foxes, and tend to be considerably more agile than the males. Unlike the other Beastmen species, the Wolfman group actually looks incredibly similar to a normal (if overly hairy) human at younger ages, the more beast-like features appearing over time. There are at least twelve known subspecies of Beastmen, with the possibility of several more - note, however, that the Birdmen are considered a separate, distinct other race from the Beastmen. Appearing only in small numbers on Rune, the Beastmen have much larger groups in Paramecia, where many live in Tristam and Polca village. These, however, are only a portion of the Beastmen's population, as most are wanderers. In fact, the Beastmen are well-known as both wide-ranging traders and as excellent hunters, who often appear at towns, selling large amounts of furs and meat. (E-Game Beastman characters: Zylo, Alef, Guntz, Elliott (SHF1), Gerhalt, Slade (SHF2)) Power: Beastmen are able to naturally utilize the Rage power of the Beastmaster class, in regards to the base type of animal they're 'descended' from. As the game progresses, the character may go off and attempt to learn this skill from other 'versions' of their type, as per the Beastmaster class - a Wolfman starts out knowing how to imitate a wolf, and could later learn the powers of the Frost Wolf or Bone Wolf. However, the character couldn't learn to imitate a Dragon (unless, of course, he was a Beastmaster.) 2.4) Maps Map of the Rune continent [See HTML version] Map of the Paramecian continent [See HTML version] 3) Combat 3.1) Movement Movement is handled quite simply, using a map of squares (read: graph paper). Squares are greatly favored to hexes by tradition - the Shining series uses square tiles in the egames, and so it's used here. If you *really* want to use hexes, fine - but you're an evil heathen who's defiling the spirit of the games. ^_^ Each square is considered about 1 meter. Move distance is generated in a method similar to the FFRPG - each character starts with 3, then adds one extra point for every 3 points of Speed. Example: Bowie has a Speed of 8. His base Move is 3, plus 2 because of his Speed (sorry, the 2 point fraction of 3 doesn't count), for a total of 5. Also, Move distances can not go below 3 or above 9 (Except for particular special situations, such as with Centaur characters.) Oh, and no moving diagonally. Height levels as in the FFRPG are eliminated - GMs that wish to add them are welcome to, but they aren't here for the sake of simplicity and faithfulness to the egames. Terrain is handled using the rules listed below, with the exception of water. Depth 1 water is treated as per the FFRPG, but Depth 2 water and deeper is considered impassible. Depth 1 water is just defined as anything a character can move through. All other terrains are covered as follows: Open: Any open, relatively level, clear area - a road, a building floor, a section of grasslands, etc. No Move modifiers. Light: This includes light forests and hills. Move is at 1 extra point per square. Heavy: This is for the really messy stuff - heavy forests, swamps, and the like. Move is at 2 extra points per square. Impassible: This includes mountains, Depth 2 water, gorges, varied obstacles, and anything else that can't be reasonably moved through in only a few turns. Other forms of terrain exist - but most are covered under these four general categories. Stretch them to cover your situation - a desert area can be considered Light, as while they're almost Open, the sand and that tends to slow you down. Stairs inside a building would also work as Light - while a big open pit would be Impassible (except to a flying character, but that's a special case, and up to the GM to figure out independently). 3.2) Fighting Ranges of weapons are handled as per the FFRPG. Simple, eh? Line of Sight is unimpeded unless blocked by an Impassible terrain object (though GMs may judge some Impassibles, such as pits, can be shot over, for obvious reasons). 3.3) Initiative Initiative differs from the standard FFRPG in a way that starts from the way combat rounds are handled. Each 'round' is not a solid whole in and of itself - they flow from one to the next. When a character has finished their action for the round, they immediately roll initiative again for the next action. The exact way things flow is slightly difficult to explain, and is perhaps best conveyed through the following example: In the current combat there are three characters - Max (Speed 7), Bowie (Speed 5) and a Goblin (Speed 4). Now, before we act on those, we need to do a quick spot of math and determine the 'baseline' for this combat - simple enough. We take the highest Speed score (Max's 7) and add 30 points to it. Thus, this little fight's baseline is 37. With that done, we can start. For the first round's rolls, they end up like so: Max: 10 Bowie: 8 Goblin: 5 Max has the highest, and so goes first. He bonks the Goblin onna head. Next is the part that makes things different. We take the difference between Max's initiative and the baseline (37 - 10 = 27), and add it to everybody else's initiative. Then Max re-rolls his initiative, and we continue without adding the difference to Max's new score. Max: 15 Bowie: 35 Goblin: 32 Bowie now has the highest number, and we repeat the previous process. Bowie bonks the Goblin, as well. 37 - 35 = 2, so we add 2 to all the other scores, and re-roll Bowie's. Max: 17 Bowie: 12 Goblin: 34 The Goblin goes next, and the cycle continues. Act. 37 - 34 = 3. Re-roll. Max: 20 Bowie: 15 Goblin: 13 There's a change this time, though - Max decides to use one of his class powers, and takes a -10 initiative penalty. We quickly subtract those 10 points from Max's initiative score, and check to make sure nobody's moved up ahead of him. The 10 points is pretty hefty and lowers Max's init to a 10, so both Bowie and the Goblin are now past Max. We skip Max now, as he's building for his attack, and continue on as if it were Bowie's turn. Act. 37 - 15 = 22. Re-roll. Max: 32 Bowie: 14 Goblin: 35 I think you get the idea, now. The idea is that characters with a high Speed score and good initiative rolls can take multiple actions in the same time it takes a different character to make one. It *is* possible for some characters to just make attack after attack for a short time, decimating slower opponents. While a multi-attack isn't shown above, it's quite possible. The balance for this is that most characters who have the obscenely high Speed scores to really tip the scales tend to have much lower Strength and Vitality scores, making them hit for less and able to take less. Because of this unique initiative system, there are a few other minor changes - Haste/Haste2 do not double/triple a character's initiative score for the duration of a battle. Instead, they double the Speed scores of the affected character(s). Similarly, Slow/Slow2 halving the Speed scores, not the initiatives. Beyond these changes, there are no other modifications to the FFRPG initiative/turn format. 3.4) Special Abilities And Magic Spells each have an area they effect, mentioned in the spell's description. An area 1 spell effects only the square it's targeted at. An area 2 spell hits that square, and the four squares directly next to it, in a cross formation. The powerful area 3 spells extend one more square outwards in each direction from the four 'outer' squares of the area 2, covering a total of 13 squares. Some egame spells (such as Aura 4) have their own, unique areas, but those are simply replaced by standard FFRPG spells, for the sake of simplicity, compatibility, and balance. Any spell or effect which has a duration in rounds measures its duration by how many times the affected character has acted. If it has a duration of 5 rounds, it wears off just before the character takes their 6th action. 3.5) Video/Paper Game Comparisons Coming Soon. 4) System Modifications/Additions 4.1) Races Human: Str: 2-10 Agi: 2-10 Vit: 2-10 Mag: 2-10 Wil: 2-10 Spd: 2-10 Move: +0 Centaur: Str: 2-11 Agi: 2-9 Vit: 3-12 Mag: 1-9 Wil: 1-10 Spd: 2-11 Move: +0 Elf: Str: 2-9 Agi: 3-13 Vit: 1-9 Mag: 2-10 Wil: 3-10 Spd: 2-11 Move: +0 Dwarf: Str: 2-12 Agi: 1-9 Vit: 3-13 Mag: 2-10 Wil: 1-9 Spd: 1-9 Move: -1 Birdman: Str: 1-9 Agi: 3-13 Vit: 1-8 Mag: 2-10 Wil: 2-10 Spd: 2-12 Move: +0 Beastman: Wolf: Str: 2-11 Agi: 2-10 Vit: 2-12 Mag: 2-10 Wil: 2-10 Spd: 1-9 Move: +0 Armadillo: Str: 3-13 Agi: 2-10 Vit: 3-13 Mag: 1-9 Wil: 1-9 Spd: 1-8 Move: -1 Rat: Str: 1-9 Agi: 3-13 Vit: 1-10 Mag: 2-10 Wil: 1-9 Spd: 2-11 Move: +1 Special: Dragon, Phoenix, Hamster, Tortoise, Robot, Golem, Whatever the hell Domingo is: These are unique races, and are (generally) not available to players. They *can* be used by players if the GM decides to - however, keep in mind that these are generally nastily powerful races (the Phoenix and Dragon in particular), as well as extremely rare in game terms. (On the other hand, if one of the players just *has* to be the next Jogurt, well, that's probably not too unbalancing.) Usage and stats for these races are left up to the individual GMs and their whims. 4.2) Classes One of the most important (and unique) things is the promotion of classes to higher levels. Every starting class has several other classes it can 'evolve' into. For example - The Thief class is promoted up to the Ninja class. There are also special classes (the ones listed in the () below) which characters can change to, under special circumstances. It's up to the GM as to what the exact circumstances are, but often it includes a quest of some sort to gain a special item, or a journey to undergo training from a master. When a character is promoted (which also happens at the GM's discretion - the egames had a character able to be promoted at 10th or 20th level, I suggest the additional limitation that the character must meet the starting bases on statistics and skills; and keep in mind they don't have to be promoted if they don't want to be), they keep all the acquired powers of their old class, but do not gain any more levels in those powers. For example, a Knight that decides to promote to Paladin at level 20 keeps his Battle Skill powers, but can't gain any more levels in that, so he'll never gain the Shield Break ability. Instead, he will start learning Paladin powers as if he were a 1st level Paladin - at level 23, he'll learn his first white magic spell, and at level 25, he'll gain the Stasis Sword ability. It should be noted, as well, that promotion is a one-way process. You don't switch back. GMs that wish to may continue to keep track of a character's exp after they reach level 99, allowing them to gain 'levels' towards further, unreached class powers without gaining HP, MP, DC/MDC, etc. From an IC perspective, promotion is something that only happens to the best of the best - the requirements for it are high. Only the elite gain the advanced classes. Promotion is a blessing from the Gods of Light themselves and so a great honor. Basic Classes: Fighter As per FFRPG. Thief As per FFRPG. Black Mage As per FFRPG. White Mage As per FFRPG. Archer A specialized fighter that exclusively uses a bow or gun (Note: Guns do exist, but are very rare). Besides the following exceptions, treat as a Fighter Aspect. Min stats: Str: 4 Agi: 6 Vit: 4 Mag: 1 Wil: 1 Spd: 3. Starting HP: 8 Level Up: +1d10 HP. Skills: Weapon Skill (Bow or Guns) at 60% Awareness at 30% Survival at 40% 150 points for others Can use Pistols and Rifles; Can not wear Gauntlets Uses DC/MDC tables for Fighters. Skill modifications are as per Fighters. Special Abilities: Level 1: Charge attack (as per Ranger) Level 5: Ballistic Shot (can hit targets out of LOS but in range by firing over obstacles) Level 10: Straight Shot (Gains an automatic +15% to called shots) Level 20: Moving Dodge (Since Archers are more effective at range than in-close, they learn how to stay away from opponents. If the Archer has at least 1 Move Point left-over from his last turn, he can attempt to evade physical attacks by 'response moving' to a different location. He gains (Level/2)% to his Defense score, and if the attack misses, he must move to an adjacent square, away from attacker. This movement is not affected by Light or Heavy terrain modifiers, so 1 move point remaining will still move the Archer into a Heavy terrain square. If no viable squares exist, or the Archer doesn't have at least 1 Move Point remaining, the dodge never happens. The downside: If the attack hits, the Archer's Armor is effectively reduced by (Level/2).) Level 25: Interceptor (The companion of Moving Dodge, this gives Archers an extra way to avoid missile weapons. Whenever a ranged physical attack comes at him, the Archer may attempt to shoot the incoming attack out of the air! The Archer makes an attack roll as if shooting something with a Defense of 75%. Success means that the attack doesn't strike the Archer. However, the Archer takes a hefty -15 penalty to his current initiative, hit or miss!) Level 30: Sky Sweeper (Archers are the most effective anti-flier combatants there are. When firing on any airborne target, the Archer gets an extra die of damage on any hit. Additionally, they can target jumping Dragoons at no penalty.) Level 50: Wonder Strike (For taking a -20 initiative penalty on the current turn, the Archer may fire a specially boosted attack. In addition to normal damage, it may ((Level - Target Will)% chance) inflict 1d4 random status conditions on the target. Knight As per FFRPG. Bard As per FFRPG. Promoted Classes: Fighter - Samurai, Baron, Dragoon (Barbarian, Hero) Thief - Ninja, Gambler, Monster Trainer (Mystic Ninja) Black Mage - Caller, Cosmic Mage, Blue Mage (Sage) White Mage - Healer, Red Mage, Chemist (Master Monk) Archer - Bow Master, Ranger, Beast Master (Geomancer) Knight - Paladin, Dark Knight, Magitek Knight (Magic Knight) Bard - Dancer, Artist, Engineer (Dance Fighter) Class Changes: Barons (Sword Masters, renamed) may use Swords or Axes for their techniques (which ever one is their specialty weapon - not both of 'em, you gotta choose one). This rule also applies to Knights and their promoted classes, save that they are able to use Polearms and Swords instead of Axes and Swords. The Master Monk class is really just another name for the Black Belt class. The Hero class is very rare - only a handful of warriors ever are able to achieve it. Stat-wise, it is actually a version of the General class. There should never be any more than one Hero (if that many) in a party at a time - or really a game world. The Bow Master is a variation on the Sword Master, using the bow as the primary weapon. While the stats are the same, the techniques are radically different. Techniques (sorted by the level they are learned at) are: 1: Hawk Eye (Penalty: -2) - One non-called shot that can not miss. Does maximum non-critical damage for that weapon. 8: Twin Shot (Penalty: -4) - By stringing two arrows at once, the Bow Master can hit two targets at once, if they are close together. Each attack does normal damage. The targets must be within 3 squares of each other. 15: Elemental Arrow (Penalty: -6) - Similar to the Magic Knight's Sword Magic, the Bow Master imbibes the arrow with the power of one of the primal elements. The arrow inflicts an extra d6 worth of damage before applying DC, but, more importantly, the arrow gains an affinity to that element, similar to the Black Magic spell, Elemental Blade. 22: Piercing Arrow (Penalty: -8) - Utilizing Ki power, the arrow becomes a shaft of energy. Doing half damage, it is fired at the target. After hitting or missing the first target, it continues onward in a straight line out to the maximum distance, with a -10% cumulative penalty to hit any more targets in that line for the same half damage (to hit a second target directly behind the first, its -10%, a third target behind that, -20%, and so on). 29: Wave Arrow (Penalty: -10) - Again powering up the arrow with Ki, it expands outwards into a wave after it is fired. The bow's range is halved, but the area of attack spreads out in a cone in front of the Bow Master, acting as one normal attack for half damage against each enemy within the area of effect. 36: Spray (Penalty: -12) - By firing four arrows in quick succession, the Bow Master attacks four times, but without much accuracy - the targets of the four attacks are chosen at random, and each attack is for half damage. The targets may be anywhere within the Bow Master's line of sight. 43: Eagle Eye (Penalty: -14) - A no-miss attack that automatically does the maximum non-critical damage to the target, similar to the Hawk Eye. However, the Eagle Eye may be a called shot - the arrow becomes a guided missile, turning corners, following a moving target, anything. Trick shots of impossible magnitude are easy; the only limitations on the shot are the bow's range, and that the arrow can't go through a solid object. The Bow Master doesn't even need to have line of sight on the target when firing. 50: Burst (Penalty: -16) - Similar to Elemental Arrow, when this attack strikes the target, it explodes in an E:2 V:2 area of effect, doing half damage with the proper elemental affinity. The target that the shot hits suffers full damage, as per Elemental Arrow. 57: Arrowstorm (Penalty: -18) - Now, the Bow Master has learned to control the Spray better. Again, four attacks are made against random targets, inflicting 75% damage, but now the Bow Master can choose the targets, to a limited extent. When confronted with more than four possible targets, the player chooses four from the group that will be the group the actual targets are selected from. Example: The Bow Master is confronted by two Goblins and three Orcs. He chooses the two Goblins and the two Orcs with the lowest HP; now the GM rolls for each of the four attacks using just those chosen monsters. The targets may be anywhere within the Bow Master's line of sight. 64: Sniper's Dart (Penalty: -20) - Firing an arrow with perfect accuracy, the Bow Master aims for the heart. There is a 20 + (level/2) + (willpower)% chance to automatically kill the target. Monsters immune to fatal attacks (like bosses) aren't harmed by this technique. 4.3) Magic Except when noted below, magic is handled identically to the standard FFRPG. Black Magic: No alterations - but it is worth note that Fire, Ice and Lightning spells are much, much more common than those of any other element. (Egame speak refers to them as Blaze, Freeze and Bolt spells.) White Magic: There is one alteration of note - Life 1 is no longer a Level 4 spell that costs 30MP; it now is a Level 8 spell that costs 90MP. Higher Life spells (2, 3 and X) are completely unavailable to PCs, and are only known by incredibly rare NPCs. Life-restoring magics (this applies to the Healer's Revive and Revive All powers and items such as Phoenix Down) are extremely rare throughout the game world. (By the same note, it is strongly recommended to cut down on the number of insta-kill magics/attacks as well. You want your PCs to be challenged, not constantly generating new characters.) Red Magic: See the notes on Black and White Magic. Red Mages have no access to a Life spell of any kind. Blue Magic: No changes, save that the spells appear in slightly different forms - these changes are cosmetic, and have no effect on the actual statistics. Cosmic (Grey) Magic: No changes. GMs are strongly cautioned that spells like Create Gate and Wish are sometimes difficult to control in the hands of players. Ninja Magic: No changes. Caller Magic: No changes, but four additions. Dao: 16 MP Weak: Earth Spike (ST R:5 E:1 V:0) With a single move of his hand, Dao causes a single pointed column spring up from the earth, jabbing up at the target from below. 2d10 Earth damage. Medium: Ground Mover (ST R:5 E:1 V:0) The earth-spirit Dao digs his hands into the ground, and causes the ground beneath the target to shift two squares/2 meters in a direction chosen by the caster. CoS on an unwilling target is (50% + (Level/3) + (Mag/2) - (Target's Will)). Strong: Needles of Gaia (U R:5 E:3 V:1) Raising both arms high into the air, Dao causes a large area to suddenly explode upwards with giant rock needles, piercing all within the vicinity. 4d10 Earth damage. Apollo: 40 MP Weak: Sky Shield (ST R:5 E:1 V:0) Reaching down a hand from the sky, Apollo causes the target to be enveloped in a protective whirlwind. All those attacking the target in the next 1d4 turns are automatically counter-attacked by 2d10 Wind damage. Medium: Air Burst (MT R:5 E:2 V:2) Clapping his mighty hands, Apollo unleashes a strong blast of wind and sound upon the targeted area. 4d10 Wind damage, plus a (50% + (Level/3) + (Mag/2)) chance of stunning the targets (-20 to their current initiative). Strong: Fire of Olympus (MT R:5 E:3 V:3) A huge fireball in each hand, Apollo uses them to create a fiery whirlwind that consumes the target area, filling it with flame and hurricane-force winds. 5d10 Fire/Wind damage plus a (50% + (Level/3) + (Mag/2)) chance of Confusion. Netputn: 65 MP Weak: Steam Cloud (U R:5 E:4 V:4)Spurting up from deep within the earth, a geyser explodes from the ground, covering the area with super-heated steam. All actions involving sight have a 30% penalty and all within the mist have a 20% bonus to Defense and a 10% bonus to M.Defense. The steam disappears after 1d6 turns (1d4 if it's very warm, 1d8 if it's very cold). Additionally, those within the cloud when it appears suffer 2d10 Water damage. Medium: Trident Smash (ST R:5 E:1 V:0) Neptune rises up out of a geyser, and repeatedly strikes the target with his trident. 5d10 Physical damage. Strong: Hurricane (MT R:5 E:4 V:3) A sphere of water forms on the end of Neptune's trident, and then is flung high into the air. It explodes, releasing a deadly hurricane onto the targets. 6d10 Water/Wind damage. Atlas: 90 MP Weak: Titan Poke (MT R:5 E:2 V:1) Atlas, the giant that supports the world on his back, shifts his hands slightly, and prods the target area with one of his fingers, squishing anything in the vicinity. 6d10 Physical damage. Medium: Quake of the Ancients (U R:5 E:3 V:1) Atlas shifts his hold again, but this time purposely causes a localized earthquake with his movements. All targets are stunned (-20 to current initiative) (COS: 40% + (Level/3) + (Mag/2)), and suffer 6d10 Earth damage. Strong: Mighty Fist (ST R:5 E:1 V:0) Setting down the world for a moment, Atlas looms high overhead. Raising up both hands, he brings them down in a planet-shaking smash atop the target's head. 8d10 Physical damage. 5) Miscellany 5.1) Sample Bad Guys, Weapons, And Equipment The Sword of Light is one of the greatest artifacts and the most powerful hand-held weapon in the world. This sword, wielded by the ancient hero Tyber against Dark Dragon (and later the heroes Max and Bowie), is a blade of the finest craftsmanship, forged out of pure mithril. But beyond this, it has the Jewel of Light embedded into it's hilt - a Jewel created when each of the Gods of old took a part of their power and solidified it. According to legend, it was lost after each great battle - Tyber lost it when his arm was taken during the final battle, and the sword, along with Max, vanished into the sea. It sat in Max's tomb on Grans for the next 600 years, when it and the Jewel of Light were reunited by Bowie. The sword was again lost when the Tower of the Ground Seal collapsed following Zeon's re-sealing. Cost: None - Unique Artifact Damage: 3d10+4 Abilities: Fine Craftsmanship (+20% to skill), Light Affinity, When used as an item, casts Light 3. An unknown inventor on the Rune continent created what has become known simply as the Steam Suit. The original, worn by the knight Guntz in Max's Shining Force, was later modified with Ancient technologies, but copies of the original suit were produced and became vaguely common on Rune, despite their high cost. Each is, basically, a large, grey, bulky suit of armor with a tremendous backpack that contains it's own steam boiler and turbine - it's slow, klunky, awkward, and as close as you can get to a bipedal tank without actual magic. Type: Mail Cost: 30000 AR: 65 MAR: 35 +Def: 0 +MDef: 0 Notes: -1 to Move. W: Li. R: Normal Weapons. +3 STR. -3 AGI. Cannot be worn with any other armor except Shields. Rare on Rune, Very Rare on Paramecia. Similar to the Steam Suit (and invented at the same time) is the Wing Suit. Created and used by the knight/inventor Kokichi, it combined a suit of light armor with a steam-powered backpack, similar to the Steam Suit's. However, instead of moving the suit itself, the engine now moves a pair of wings, allowing fight! Many attempts were made to replicate the amazing suit, but it remains extremely rare to find one that actually works (without resorting to magical means). Type: Suit Cost: 9000 AR: 16 MAR: 15 +Def: 10 +MDef: 5 Notes: Float/Fly condition. W: Wi. R: Ea. Very Rare on both continents. Zhanya - Greater Devil Lieutenant Appearance: Tall (9 foot), with green-blue skin and purple hair in a ponytail, Zhanya strikes an imposing, handsome silhouette for a demonic hellspawn. Clad in a mass of deep blue plate armor and wielding a huge red halberd, he looks like a deadly soldier - and probably is. Small grey horns poke out of his hair, and huge muscles are visible under the armor. Players of Shining Force would recognize him as being related to Geshp and Zalbard. Behavior: One of Imamu's high-ranked soldiers, Zhanya is a master strategist. While not as powerful in combat as many of his fellows, he still can kick major PC butt if needed. However, he relies on his troops to do most of the fighting for him, keeping back from the main line of combat. He loves to use natural defensive positions to his advantage, as well as hiding troops in ambush. If he is forced to engage in personal combat, he tries to get as close as possible and strike with his mighty polearm. His main weakness is that he focuses on ground-combat, and often misses potential avenues of attack from the air. Level: 15 HP: 420 MP: 60 XP: 4500 GP: 1500 AbP: 900 STR: 12 AGI: 8 VIT: 9 MAG: 12 WIL: 9 SPD: 6 Attack: 90% Defense: 14 Armor: 15 MDefense: 21 MArmor: 15 DC: 3 MDC: 2 Size: Large Intelligence: High Habitat: Special Frequency: Unique Attacks: Fire Spear (3d12+13, Fire Affinity), Throwing Knife (1d6+12), Hell Smash (4d12+13, Fire Affinity) Abilities: Weakness: Light, Counterattack (50%) Notes: After defeat, drops Fire Spear. 5.2) Campaign Hooks For those of you GM's who are actually using this, here's a couple of ideas for you to play with, so you don't just end up taking your players and putting them into the egames (which, personally, I'd find kinda disappointing, to live somebody else's story). 1) The characters are part of one of the Guardinian search parties sent to try and find the Hero, Max. While Dark Sol and Dark Dragon were defeated by Max, there still remained many monsters across Rune. Maybe this group is the one that re-discovers Paramecia! It's quite appropriate for one of the original Force's members to be leading this sort of expedition. (Keep in mind, though, that Max was never found, though many strong leads were.) 2) In the WR 58 monster uprising on Paramecia, there are plenty of opportunities for the players to go through a saga very similar to the original Forces, while still writing the story themselves, rather than following the egame's scripts. 3) Very little (almost none, in fact) is known about what happened on Rune after WR 60. The characters are part of an expedition from Paramecia to re-establish contact with the old homelands. What has happened to them? The potentials of this situation range from finding a thriving and happy civilization, to a devastated land, blasted by an uprising of monsters and Devils, similar to what happened in WR 58 to Paramecia. 4) At the end of the time of the Ancients, the first Hero, Tyber, wielded the Sword of Light and sealed Dark Dragon and Dark Sol. Just like Max and Bowie, Tyber had his own Shining Force. Perhaps the characters are, if not part of it, a group that worked at the same time as it. 5.3) Playing In The Shining Force Style First thing to remember is that every battle means something. There aren't any 'random' encounters - every battle has a reason, and contributes to the plot somehow. Second, large-scale battles are common. In the egames, even the starting battles involve 3-6 PCs and 6-12 monsters, and covered large areas. Battles of this scale were doable because the bad guys usually started spread out and fought the PCs in small groups, rather than as one huge mass, while the PC party started as one solid formation. Thus, while the opposition has a numerical advantage, the PCs have a better strategic position. However, because of the sheer size of battles, the FFRPG's suggestions of monster levels should be toned down - normal monsters should be of slightly lower level than the average PC, and bosses should be at about 150% that average level (if the average is 10, the boss should be 15. If it's 20, the boss should be 30, etc.) Third, PC parties (at least in battle) are traditionally limited to 12 - I personally don't suggest having that many PCs in your game, but adding a couple of NPCs (under your or player control, your choice) to strengthen the party would be in the spirit. Also, don't have them start out with such a little personal army. Gain the other members slowly, and each for a good reason. Never more than two at once. Fourth, in many non-boss battles, there's a 'Key' monster. This would be the leader of the group, or a critical character of some kind. If this monster (or the boss in a boss fight) is taken out, the rest of the baddies disperse and the battle ends. Easy way to escape Certain Doom for the PCs, *if* they can figure out which one the Key is! Fifth, there's always a greater force of Evil at work. Always. Usually it's once again those darn Greater Devils, trying to either gain massive personal power or free their masters, in order to take over the world and decimate it for their own terrible needs. They've also usually got a couple of puppet-mortals that they use for their dirtywork, often a king that they've given great power to in exchange for assistance. More to come.... 5.4) Sample World Yes, an actual world in the worldbook! Because of the millenium-spanning timeline of the Shining Force series, I've chosen something in the middle, and given myself plenty of room to work with - Paramecia in WR 57. The new golden age of civilization, just prior of Imamu's War of Cygnus that separated the people of the two continents again. PARAMECIA: The Paramecian continent can be described as a low, wide U with a similarly shaped but smaller island facing opposite. While there is several wide expanses of plains, woods and two large deserts, the predominant terrain of the continent is mountains. Three mountain ranges cover nearly half of the main continent, and two others occupy a third of the island. The greatest of these ranges is the continent-spanning Concerto Mountains, which stretches from the western shore south of Hassan, slowly curving northwards to close off Polca, sharply turning back south to follow the coastline and continue going all the way to the south shore, before turning east and going all the way to the end of the continent. The Concerto range is broken in several places by deep valleys (Paingoat and Devastation being the largest), but it creates a north-south barrier down the middle of the continent that only has one easy passage through. This makes dividing the continent up easy - the three sections profiled below are the West, the East, and the Island. The West: This is the land of the Rune colonists. While other locations are closer to the Rune continent, the strange weather patterns of the deep sea make the port city of Hassan the perfect joint between the two continents. To Hassan's north likes a vast desert that none cross, but is rumored to hold treasures of the ancients. Beyond that, accessible only via the Swarm River, is an area the settlers described as a 'hidden paradise'. But this area of lush forests, while home to several native wandering Elf tribes, was (and is) heavily populated by monsters. It is considered to be the edge of the frontier by the colonists - a very dangerous place. To Hassan's south lies another desert, only accessible through Devastation Valley. T hose daring enough to follow the river through the land that was blasted clean during the time of the Ancients will eventually find themselves either at the southern coast, or going east and north again to Lake Genoshai, and, just beyond there, Polca. In the Concerto Mountains behind the town likes the great volcano and the city of Bedoe, but no non-Birdman has set foot in the city and left to speak of it. To Hassan's east, down the Titan River, is Ribble, bustling city of learning. Going north from there, across the plains, you find Gateway, on the edge of the Belorum Woods. Gateway is the last city of Western Paramecia, as it sits at one end of the long Tunnel of Will, the only connection between the two parts of the continent. The East: Untamed and wild, East Paramecia remains largely untouched by the people from Rune. Still ruled by the Ancient Gods and the wandering tribes, it has it's own rules to live by. Just outside of the Tunnel of Will sits the only Rune-city on this half of the continent - Ketto. Past there lies the vast Palalon Plain, which covers the entire center of this land. Across it range the wild Centaur herds, dozens of tribes of Beastmen, and a few tiny homesteads of daring people. In the center of it all, however, lies the great tent city of Palalon, trade capital of Paramecia and second only to Hassan in size. Established by the Centaurs long before, this town has few permanent buildings. It is simply a place for the various nomadic groups to come and trade - and is a great land of opportunity for the brave. Far off, legend says, there is another city, built into the side of a mountain and shining like a jewel. But to reach there requires a long, harsh trek up the Paingoat Valley, which is dominated by danger and vicious beasts. The Island: If Paradise is the edge of the frontier, Gran Island is the back of beyond. Far, far past civilization, the island has only two marks of notable habitation. The first, on the far east side, is Hill Town, the largest Dwarven town in the world. Sitting by the side of a great waterfall (unnamed by the Dwarves, oddly), Hill Town is surrounded by natural defenses and exists largely beneith the earth. The other place of note is the village of Galam, not far south of Hill Town. The largest (and virtually only) Rune settlement on Gran Island, Galam is a frontier town of a few hearty nutcases who've ventured to the Island in search of their fortune. RUNE: Rune, the 'mother continent', is a far two weeks sail from Hassan. Separated into two halves, Rune is vaugely shaped like the number 11, again making it easy to split up and detail. The West: Slightly larger than it's other half, the Western part of Rune is the more heavilly populated and bustling of the two. At the southern end lies Guardinia, ruled by the now elderly Queen Anri. The largest city on Rune, the grand castle has been rebuilt and the city long since recovered from the Rune War. To the north lie the smaller cities of Alterone and Rindo, as well as Manarina, learned city of scholars and magi. The heavy Breakride mountains cover the land north of here, making travel further difficult, save through the Valley of Lost Souls and the silent Shade Abbey. Past there lies the mountainside mining city of Bustoke, and further up the valley is the Ancient Bridge that leads to the northernmost part of the West - a wide, flat island that holds the Pao Prairie and the nomads that roam it. The East: The closest port to Hassan (and southernmost city of the East) is what was once Runefaust, now known again as Protectoria. Protectoria is still rebuilding from the Rune War, and is under the aegis of Guardinia's military and Queen Anri. While the Queen is kind and doesn't blame the people of Protectoria for mad King Ralamadu's actions, not all are so kind. Beyond Protectoria's thick walls lies a wide and lush forest, just before the mountain range known as the Serpent's Spine. Much less harsh than the Breakride mountains, this range has a large number of small valleys and passes that wind through it, allowing for relatively easy movement northwards. However, there is little living inside the mountains - from Prompt at the southern edge of the range to Rudo (the Children's City) at the north end, there's not much more than untamed wilderness. Near Rudo, however, lies the ruins of Draconia, once home to a tribe of dragons that were exterminated in the Rune War. Now overrun by monsters, it's a popular place for adventurers that seek the treasures left behind. In the East, there is one last location worth mentioning. To the west of Rudo, in the sea between it and the Pao Prairie, lies a group of islands on a coral reef, populated by a few humans and a family of mermaids. Known as Waral, it serves as the bridge between the two halves of the continent and a popular tourist get-away spot. PEOPLE: A truly comprehensive look at the people would take far too much space to write, so here detailed are simply the most important and influential figures in the 'modern' world. Queen Anri Guardinia: Matriarch of Guardinia and thus, by default, monarch of all Rune, Queen Anri is one of the last remaining members of Max's Shining Force. A powerful mage and as capable a leader as any nation could ask for, the Queen is beloved by her people for her kind and fair ways. Known as the Lonely Queen because of her lifelong wait for Max's return, Anri is now nearly 80 years old. Anri lives by the idea of duty to her people, putting their welfare above her own even as her health declines with age. Te Sheln: Granddaughter of Tao Sheln, this small elf is in many ways unremarkable. A skilled fencer and striking beauty, perhaps, but in most ways just another elfin girl of Guardinia. Save for one critical point - she is one of the favorites of Queen Anri. Some speculate that when the elderly and childless Queen Anri leaves the throne, she shall give it to Te. This makes the girl a central figure in Guardinian politics, though she herself wants little to do with it, instead wanting to go on the adventures that her grandmother used to. Bleu: The last of the dragons of Dragonia, Bleu is one of Max's Shining cohort. Now much older and wiser than he once was, Bleu has entered the life of an old dragon - living in the ruins of the dragon-city, collecting treasure and acting as wise council to those brave enough to seek him out. While some might wonder about why he allows monsters to overrun and live in the Sacred City, the storm dragon seems to enjoy the challenge the beasts represent. Rev. Heaume: An aging priest, Rev. Heaume has recently become very powerful on Rune, leading a group of holy warriors to retake Shade Abbey from the undead and freeing up the treacherous Valley of Lost Souls for travel once more. The Reverend is now re-establishing the monastery and studying the ancient texts of nearby Manarina. Xaylen Pine: The peasant ruler of Protectoria, Xaylen Pine is a shopkeeper turned mayor of the ruined city. While his land is controlled by Guardinian soldiers, he remains proud of his nation's heritage and hopeful for a real future for them. Considered by many as a political outsider and dangerous because of his dedication to his principles. Shell II: The Mermaid Queen of Waral, Shell II is the ruler of the islands of Waral. Close friend and confidante of Queen Anri, Shell is critically important to life on Rune, as she controls the sea that bisects the continent and all travel between the two halves. Fortunately, she is more interested in living the good life than in political activities. Randolf Thoon: Merchantman elite and mayor of Hassan, Randolf is the richest man on Paramecia and probably the most politically powerful. Controlling the Merchant's Guild and being mayor of the city itself, he is able to dictate the policies of the biggest city on the continent and it's vital shipping to Rune. A businessman at heart, Randolf is a realist with few illusions about the harshness of this new land. That doesn't prevent him from taking risks (and succeeding at them, with his great luck!) to make both himself and his city rich. Dacian: A young man and swordsman of great repute, Dacian is one of the leading figures of the Paramecian wilderness. Famed for his daring exploits in protecting villages from roving monster bands and protecting caravans, Dacian is rapidly becoming a folk hero with his blade. Travelling alone most of the time, the man himself remains a mystery to most. Anya: The opposite to Dacian, Anya is the closest thing there is to a leader of the nomadic wild Centaur herds of Paramecia. Sometimes called the Huntress, Anya is one of the greatest Centaur warriors alive and is well known for her dislike of the Rune settlers. While she and her people have yet to become violent against the encroachment, they're far from helpful and go out of their way to avoid giving any assistance to the newcomers. Ged Agatorc: Ged is the master smith of Hill Town, the largest Dwarven city in the world. Legendary for his abilities with a forge, Ged is a great craftsman and one of the most sought-after people on all of Paramecia for the weapons he builds. However, while he does create many weapons of war, he's a peaceful man at heart and prefers building mining tools.