Arcane Codex

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Arcane Codex
The Fall into Darkness
Arcanecodex-logo.svg
publication
Original publisher Bare steel
Original publication October 17, 2002
original language German
World and system
genre Epic Dark Fantasy
Game world Kreijor
Basic system CP purchase system (character creation)
Ascent EP purchase system (stepless)
cube 2 W10

Arcane Codex (short- AC ) is a German, epic Dark-Fantasy - pen - & - paper role-playing game that takes place in a fantasy world. It was developed by Saskia Maucher (née Naescher) and Alexander Junk and published in 2002 by Nackter Stahl . An English translation of the third edition of the basic rules is in progress.

system

A playgroup consists of a game master and one to six players. The game master takes on the role of narrator and referee, describes the game world to the players and plays the NPCs . Each player plays a character.

In order to determine whether a character is acting as desired by the player in the game world, tests for skills, attributes and / or levels in combat schools are required in some situations by the system or the game master. To do this, two ten-sided dice (2D10) are thrown, the results of which are added to the respective skill value and compared with a value determined by the game master or by game mechanisms (e.g. the defense value in combat).

In order to achieve special effects, you can announce successes before rolling the dice, but this increases the minimum throw and thus makes it more difficult. If this test nevertheless succeeds, the successes can be used for various effects. For example, it is intended to achieve greater weapon damage in this way. Other effects are also conceivable (e.g. a higher profit when selling loot or a longer duration of spells), but are generally subject to the interpretation of the game master.

Every character (regardless of whether they are SC or NPC) has arcane power points that can be used in different ways:

  • Supplying spells with the necessary energy
  • use special skills of the learned combat school
  • Improve skill checks once

Character creation

Player characters are created with a point purchase system after the player race has been selected. This system provides that you distribute your own point account for the categories "Characteristics", "Skills" and "Other" (free character points, short: CP ). In contrast to other common point purchase systems, a redistribution of points between these three categories is not possible. With the free character points, however, not only numerous “advantages” and “schools” can be selected, but also “properties” and “skills” can be increased. With the appearance of the second edition, the character points (CP) used in character creation can be converted into experience points (EP) in a ratio of 1: 2.

Playable races

You can choose from among others (only the breeds described in the basic rules are listed below):

  • Humans ("favorites of the gods"): The most versatile race. They are divided into many peoples and tribes and also wage war with one another.
  • Arborim ("voice of the forest"): split off from the other elves since the fratricidal war and despised because they did not want to fight but fled, the peaceful wood elves live secluded in the forest of Arborea.
  • Morai ("Hunter of Shadows"): No people are hated more than the cruel dark elves , whose whole life determines the philosophy of their goddess Anaranth.
  • Sidhe ("The Fog People"): The eternally youthful high elves attach great importance to their beauty and elegance. They are often haughty and strive for perfection.
  • Fairies ("Dancer of the Winds"): The winged fairies are very small, curious and extremely agile.
  • Drakodrim ( "people of the ore"): Strong and stocky understand the dwarves in the production of unique artifacts, which they break down ores in the depths of the northern mountains.
  • Trolls ("People of Winter"): They are taller than any other people. There are trolls in both the far north and the kingdoms of the south, with the southern subspecies being much more civilized and human-like.
  • Krask ("Children of the Dragons"): The mysterious lizard people are feared by many.
  • Halflings ("small people"): Apart from their small body size, the halflings are very similar to humans. Her greatest strengths are her dexterity, sensory acuity and unique technical achievements.
  • Orcs ("thunder of the steppe"): These large and powerful warriors usually live as nomads, but some orc tribes hire themselves out as hordes of mercenaries.

The different races cannot mix with each other and accordingly there are no half races (apart from the "half-demon").

Variants of the playable races

With the basic set of rules (2002, abbreviated GRW) the above races can also be played in the variations "half demon" and "revenant" (physical undead). The second edition of the basic rules (2007) makes it possible to play all races as " vampires ". With the appearance of more country source books, more race variations will also be playable. For example, the Goremound source book enables people and halflings to be played as "wererats" and the Drakia source book allows people to become werewolves. The creature construction kit of the compendium ( out of print ) also allows the game master to create his own (player) races or to modify existing races.

Combat and magic schools

Instead of character classes , Arcane Codex relies on so-called combat and magic schools. Although these are similar to the concept of character classes, they are only superimposed on the stepless system (comparable to talents and special abilities in other systems). This means that players are free to play characters without a school, characters with a school or characters with a combination of schools. Almost every combination of combat and magic schools is conceivable. Only a few religiously colored schools represent a permanent obstacle to the combination with certain other schools due to their background. Some schools are also restricted to certain races.

Fighting styles

  • Bard technique (singers; fine arts, elegant fighting)
  • Berserker (ferocious and merciless warrior of the steppe, driven by destructiveness, fearlessly throws himself into battle)
  • Bladstrom (pirate from the northwest of Kreijor )
  • Blade shooting technique (archer with great precision and concentration)
  • Demon hunter (dedicated to the fight against evil; driven by hatred, revenge)
  • Esprit de Corps
  • Florentines (masters of fencing and elegant fighting)
  • Galea (gladiator, fights for fame and honor)
  • Gossenkampf (winner of every bar fight; various weapons, in the open field at a disadvantage)
  • Eminence gray (born ruler, scheming and manipulative)
  • Crescent corsair (pirate from the south)
  • Rulers of dark streets
    • housebreaker
    • Outlaw
    • Fence
    • Pickpocket
  • Hunter (fixed prey, can set traps; very familiar with nature and the animals' way of life)
  • Blade song (elegant martial art of the Sidhe; harmonious fighting style, flowing movements)
  • War dogs
    • Warmaster
    • Medicus
    • marauder
    • Mercenary leader
  • Kryss (mysterious Krask combat school, uses mystical powers of the Krask ancestors)
  • Lightbringer (honorable fighter in the service of justice, fights for the divine light and the ideals of good)
  • Night Spirit (mysterious assassination caste of the dark elves; absolute body control; stays in the background, spreads fear and then strikes)
  • Pistolero (tech guild only)
  • Praetoria (elite soldier of the Verunian Empire, legion leader)
  • Riastradh (mystical warrior; belief in the mother goddess, mystical strength and superhuman skill; without armor, only goes into battle protected by her faith)
  • Saboteur (only halflings learn this technique of sabotage; can set explosives and sabotage objects and spells)
  • Shadow hand (humans only; available assassin, weapon: dagger)
  • Reaper (mighty warrior, belief in ancestors; powerful blows, great destructive power)
  • Stahlfaust (knight of honor, almost invincible opponent in battle; loyal and brave, wears plate armor; great destructive power)
  • Storm Rider (mounted, freedom-loving; ruler of the tundra)
  • Animal master ("bear strength", particularly good perception, speed; fights instinct-guided)
  • Armorer (magically enhanced weapons and armor, creation and research of weapons)
  • Wind warriors (combat school of fairy warriors, who compensate their size with tactics; speed, poisons, attacks in the group)

Schools of magic

Divine Magic:

  • Priests (representatives of the new deities; servants of a god, powerful magical powers)
  • Druid (follower of the ancient animal gods; prays to an animal spirit, can transform into the corresponding animal)
  • Shaman (admirer of primitive gods and totems ; mediator between the ancestors and the living, role model)

Arcane Magic:

  • Illusionist (delusions and illusions)
  • Necromancer (lord of the dead and the undead, necromancy)
  • Witcher (mysterious summoner of dark secrets; dark, arcane magic)
  • Elementalist
    • Fire elementalist (heat, lava ...)
    • Water elementalist (water fountains, drowning, ice ...)
    • Earth elementalist (influence of gravity and magnetism, deformation of stone, crystal, earth masses, metal ...)
    • Air elementalist (wind, lightning / electricity, movement, weightlessness, flight ...)

Game world

The Kreijor background world largely corresponds to models from various earthly ages and models from fantastic literature. Usually these role models are additionally enriched with some elements of high fantasy .

Kreijor

Kreijor consists of a large land mass that extends from the southern to the northwestern edge of the map, as well as several islands. The west is occupied by the Sapphire Ocean and the Sea of ​​Blades ; to the east lies the sea ​​of ​​storms, which is surrounded by land on three sides .

In the extreme south, Kreijor begins with Saruan (desert and its jungle foothills populated by lizard people) and extends through Saphiria ( 1001 night ambience), Khem (land of the god kings, similar to ancient Egypt ), Veruna ( decaying empire, similar to the Roman Empire ) , Aquitaine (reminiscent of France from the Musketierromanen of Alexandre Dumas ), Drakia (of vampires dominated "land of dark winter nights" corresponds, Transylvania ), which in Arborea (home of the wood elves) and Ilyrien (home of Faerie) divided Dornwald (primordial Forest area), Vargothia ("land of steel princes", medieval Germany), Trulk (wide steppe, which resembles Mongolia at the time of Genghis Khan , even if their riding people are made up of orcs and are still waiting for a great khan) with the independent city of Goremound (Metropolis of the necromancers and revenants), the borderlands (bastion against the east), Khoras (land of the magical kings), Gwynor (highlands), Sk arland (scorched earth), the double ax kingdom (dwarf kingdom in the Wyrmgrat Mountains), Fyregorn ("crystal kingdom " of the dwarfs) and Vanarheim (arctic, eternal ice, home of the trolls) to Rhunir ("land of the ice wind", Viking culture ) .

Far to the west - from south to north - are Vrai Kor (a tropical jungle island ), the Xirr Nagesh peninsula (volcanically burned land of the dark elves), Uliath ("island of the mist", home of the high elves), the islands of the old gods (the "Enchanted islands"), Mordain ( island of the druids with a Celtic touch ), the pirate islands of Aviandor ("sea wolves of the northern seas") and the island of Megalys ( steampunk , halfling tech guild). In the eastern sea are the Corsair Islands of Koris (home of the pirates of the Pearl Sea ) and Atlantea (resembles in many ways a not completely submerged Atlantis ).

As you can see from this small sketch, the world is actually a colorful mixture of different epochs, peoples, countries and cultures. The individual countries are outlined in the basic rules to such an extent that the game master should not have any problems with their design, especially since they are archetypal.

The publisher also provides a map of the continent.

history

Through the history of Kreijor, the individual peoples, countries and cultures were linked. For example, in a fratricidal war, the elves split into the three races that exist today. Other outstanding events were the constitution of the “Arcane Codex” by Andeimos the Heretic and the two cataclysms that it conjured up. Because of the cataclysms, demons and other creatures of darkness have found their way into the world and devastated large areas. In the northern fallow their descendants have been able to build their own empire to this day, in which the scraps of Kreijors have gathered. But even so one is nowhere completely immune from them. According to a prophecy, the third cataclysm is just around the corner, and the signs of it are felt across the land. Evil has found its way everywhere in various forms and is hungry for even more power.

Awards received

  • German Role Playing Prize - Jury 2003 - Product of the Year, 2nd place
  • German Role Playing Prize 2003 - Most Popular Rules Book, 7th place
  • German RPG Prize 2003 - Most Popular RPG, 8th place
  • German RPG Prize 2003 - Most played RPG, 8th place
  • German RPG Prize 2004 - Most played RPG, 9th place
  • German RPG Prize 2004 - RPG Favorite, 9th place

Released products

  • Saskia Naescher, Alexander Junk: Arcane Codex. Basic rules , Essen 2002 (376 pages, hardcover, black and white, 28 color pages, out of print )
  • Saskia Naescher, Alexander Junk: Arcane Codex. Basic rules, 2nd edition , 2007 (432 pages, hardcover, full color)
  • Saskia Maucher (nee Naescher), Alexander Junk: Arcane Codex. Basic rules, 3rd edition , 2017 (477 pages, hardcover, full color)
  • Saskia Naescher, Alexander Junk: Compendium (additional rules; including game leader's screen), 2004 (600 pages, hardcover, black and white, out of print)
  • Mario Leipelt: Das Lied der Gier (adventure campaign in the borderlands), 2005 (224 pages, softcover, out of print)
  • Game master's screen (2nd edition), 2008 (8 pages, color, DIN A4)
  • Alexander Junk: Ketzerhammer (guild booklet with new combat school "Ketzerrichter"), 2011 (16 pages, booklet binding, color)
  • Stefan Speiser, Mario Leipelt: Abysslabyrinth (adventure module ), 2013 (30 pages, color)
  • Alexander Junk: Seelenschmiede (adventure module), 2013 (18 pages, booklet binding, color)
  • Mario Leipelt: Bounty Hunter (Grenzlandemodul), 2014 (32 pages, color)
  • Mario Leipelt: Slatah - the blood elves (new race), 2018 (48 pages, color)

Country source books

  • Saskia Naescher, Alexander Junk, Ulrich Schüppler, Daniel Weide: Goremound. The city of necromancers , 2006 (280 pages, softcover, black and white)
  • Saskia Naescher, Alexander Junk, Till Klause, Merlin Klein: Saphiria. Die Perle des Südens , 2006 (320 pages, softcover, black and white)
  • Mario Leipelt, Saskia Naescher, Alexander Junk, Alain Sarti, Anja Eble: Rhunir. The Land of the Ice Wind , 2008 (312 pages, softcover, black and white)
  • Carolin Berger, Saskia Naescher, Alexander Junk, Mario Leipelt, Martin Killmann: Xirr Nagesh. The realm of shadows (368 pages, softcover, black and white)
  • Michael Mingers, Saskia Naescher, Alexander Junk, Anja Eble: Veruna. Das Ewige Imperium , 2011 (228 pages, softcover, black and white, out of print)
  • Saskia Naescher, Alexander Junk: Dornenwald , 2012 (192 pages, softcover, black and white) - The originally planned title Arborea was changed due to the possibility of confusion with the role play system Aborea .
  • Alexander Junk, Saskia Naescher, Cathleen Schulz: Mordain. Die Insel der Druiden , 2013 (274 pages, softcover, black and white)
  • Saskia Maucher, Anja Eble: Drakia. The land of dark winter nights , 2018 (268 pages, softcover, black and white)

Planned source books are:

  • Mario Leipelt: Borderlands
  • Megalys. The machine island
  • Saruan
  • Aviandor. Kingdom of the sea wolves
  • Uliath. The island of fog
  • Khem. The land of the god kings
  • Vanarheim. The land of beasts and trolls
  • Vargothia
  • Trulk. The steppe of the orcs

More Arcane Codex products

In 2005, the Nackter-Stahl- Verlag brought out the arcane Codex Arena skirmish system based on the pen & paper role-playing game . In addition, an Arcane Codex soundtrack with 20 pieces of music composed by Ralf Kurtsiefer was released.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Michael Fuchs: SPIEL 2018: Naked Steel - News about Arcane Codex. (Interview with Saskia Maucher, including audio file, 3:16 min). In: Part-time heroes. October 26, 2018, accessed May 11, 2019 .
  2. ↑ Roger Lewin: Game 2012, Part II: Ulisses Games, Pegasus Games, Nackter Stahl & 13Mann. In: Part-time heroes. October 20, 2012, accessed May 11, 2019 .
  3. ↑ Rules for Arcane Codex Arena. (PDF file, 1.8 MB). In: Bare Steel. Retrieved May 11, 2019 .
  4. ↑ Arcane Codex soundtrack. In: DriveThruRPG. Retrieved May 11, 2019 .