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Heart and Fur 1

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Author’s Note
Special Thanks to our Patrons
The game you hold in your hands represents the culmination of over half a decade of work. Its gone through a half-dozen versions and revisions, been taken apart and put back together
again many times, and now, finally, has become a finished product.
Its been a wild ride getting here, and one truly amazing experience.
But none of this would be possible without you. All of you.
The fandom has been a constant presence in my life for a
long time, and has helped me through some of the darkest times
I’ve experienced. This game is my way of saying thank you. I hope
it gives back to the fandom a tiny fraction of what it has given me
over the years. But don’t think for a moment that this is the end.
This is only the beginning. I’ve got so much more in store for the
future. Hopefully, this is beginning of something great, but that’s
no for me to say. So, if you find yourself holding a copy of this
game, I just want to say thank you. Thank you for being you, and
for making this fandom such a wonderful place.
Best of luck, and happy hunting.
Zed.
Natani Lucchini
Noel MacLeod
Crow
Tyler Smith
Gavin Ward
Z-Byte
Michael Paradela
Scott Ivey
Jay Ellis-James
Conner Scholte
Michael Brookins
Raya Dah Habis
Dexter Barbo
Justin Peterson
Kasumi Takanawa
Justin Peterson
Kah
Friends
Lovers
Soulmates
Playtesters
The Dragon Hermit
Markus Ursa
Xagranos
Lori Longhorn
Nat
Art Credits
The art credits for each piece of artwork in this game are
embedded at the bottom of each page, along with the artist’s preferred means of contact. Cover art is by Fleki.
Written and Designed by Zed
Copyright © 2017 by Sheath Studios. All rights reserved.
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Contents
Part One: Game 6
Character Creation 9
Character 11
Races 21
Mechanics31
Traits40
Equipment46
Running the Game52
Part Two: Setting54
Lamina56
The Strain66
Glimmer78
Character Sheet91
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Part One
Game
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Welcome to Heart and Fur. Heart and Fur is a character-centric roleplaying game, where characters’ relationships and
personalities are their most important traits. While other roleplaying games aim to tell stories of adventure, where the main characters slay monsters and save worlds, Heart and Fur is different.
It aims to tell stories that are smaller in scope, focusing on the
lives, goals and emotions of a group of people and their immediate friends and lovers. It’s a much more intimate kind of game. If
you’ve ever played a game of text-based roleplay with a friend over
the internet, then you are familiar with the kind of story that Heart
and Fur aims to tell. If this kind of story isn’t for you, that’s fine.
Future supplements will expand on the kinds of games that can be
played using Heart and Fur. If this kind of game does appeal to you,
however, then you’re in for quite a ride.
solely for their own PC, and has complete control over their personality and actions. If the game were a movie, the PC would be
the stars, and the players would be their actors, writers and makeup artists. Heart and Fur typically works best with small groups of
players, between two and four, so each has more time in the limelight.
Alternate GM Styles
The role of GM is a challenging one, but you don’t have to
do it alone. If the gaming group agrees, the responsibility of GMing
can be shared or rotated among the gaming group.
Rotated
If everyone is willing to take some responsibility for being
the GM, the role can be rotated among the gaming group. Each
week or game session, a different person takes on the role of GM,
running the game and portraying all the supporting characters until its someone else’s turn. This style of GM works best for episodic
stories that last a session or two and then end. That way, a GM can
come in, tell a short but cohesive story, and then give the seat over
to someone else.
What is a Roleplaying Game?
A roleplaying game is a game that is played almost entirely within the minds of its players. It’s a shared imaginary world, a
collaborative story and a rules-based game all in one. It’s an experience unlike any other, where you have complete control over the
course of the story and the actions of the characters within it. In
a roleplaying game, the players don’t compete with one another.
Rather, they take turns describing what their characters do in the
imagined game world. When conflict happens, be it between two
characters or a character and the environment, rules are used to resolve how the conflict ends. The golden rule of a role-playing game
is to have fun. Every other rule in this or any other book should
ultimately lead toward that end goal. If something in this book impedes the game you want to play or the story you want to tell, then
change it. It’s as simple as that.
Shared
In this method, each player takes on some responsibility for running the game. Rather than having one person control
all non-player characters, each player controls one or two NPCs.
Whenever those characters are on-screen, their player is responsible for their actions and any conflict involving them. The players as
a whole decide on the direction that the story will move in, and the
task of creating a compelling story is split evenly between them.
Each player takes some responsibility for creating and
running a region or section of the game. These can be physical locations (downtown, the mall, the beach) or aspects of the narrative
(a mystery, conflict, the world’s history). Whenever the players are
interacting with that facet of the story, its creator takes over being
GM. Whenever a character attempts to accomplish something, another character’s player is responsible for creating the challenges
they must overcome in order to succeed. This model works best for
games that focus on character interaction and social dynamics, as
it is difficult to run a complex plot using this method. Still, sharing
GM responsibilities can be a uniquely rewarding experience.
What You’ll Need
In order to play Heart and Fur, you need only a few things.
First, you’ll need a copy of this book. Second, you’ll need some
copies of the character sheets found with this book or at SheathStudios.com, as well as some blank paper and pencils. You’ll also want
some tokens to track character’s Heart points. Beads, poker chips
and small candies work fine for this purpose. Finally, and perhaps
most importantly, you’ll need some dice. Specifically, you’ll need
twelve-sided dice (d12s). Each players should ideally have their
own die, while the GM may want to have more than one. How
these dice are used will be covered more later on.
Comfort Levels
Let’s be honest, Heart and Fur is about sex. It’s also about
character interaction, emotion and relationships, but it’s still about
sex. In light of this, it’s important to discuss with each player about
their comfort level and expectations. It’s never a good idea to put
a player in a situation they aren’t comfortable with, especially one
that involves sex. Presenting characters with novel challenges and
new experiences is one thing. Making that character’s player feel
unsafe or like they are being forced into something they don’t like is
by far another. There’s a simple way around this though, and that’s
being honest with each other about what each person wants to experience and what they don’t. The cardinal rule here is consent, just
like in real life.
Roles
Heart and Fur is best played with a group of between
three and five people. One of these people takes on the role of
Game Master, hereafter shortened to GM. This person describes
the setting and scenario, role-plays all of the supporting characters
and prepares adversaries and challenged for the player characters.
Whenever a dice roll is needed, they set the difficulty and describe
the action’s results. In short, they make the game happen.
Everyone else takes the roll of a player character, or a PC.
These are the heroes (or antiheroes) of the story. They are the ones
the action and drama centers around. Each player is responsible
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Web Tools
Social Focus
Heart and Fur places a great emphasis on social interaction and the relationships between characters. The core idea of
Heart and Fur is that our relationships make us stronger, and define in a way who we are as a person. The challenge of portraying a real and dynamic character, complete with relationships and
quirks, is what the game is fundamentally about.
As such, Heart and Fur can lend itself to a different form
of play than many roleplaying games. Campaigns that center solely on character interaction and the complex net of relationships
between characters are possible. Entire game sessions can focus
solely on building or altering relationships, rather than on more
conventional roleplaying staples like mystery or combat. Running
a game like this can be a truly unique experience. It’s not for everyone; some people by far prefer simply blowing things up and killing
monsters. That’s perfectly fine as well, but the option remains there
for those who are interested.
If your gaming group is not comfortable meeting in person, or is separated by great distances, there are several online alternatives to meeting in real life. Roll20 is a website designed for
hosting roleplaying games, and supports maps and voice chat.
MapTools is a desktop application that allows users to host servers
that others can join, and supports maps and a wide variety of user-created macros. It’s not as user friendly as Roll20, and there is no
voice chat, but it also has more flexibility. Both have built-in dice
rollers, and both are free. It is worth keeping in mind that online
roleplay typically takes longer than in person. If your group is going to be playing digitally, expect everything to take twice to three
times as long to resolve.
Design Goals
Every rpg has goals: what it is trying to accomplish or be
about. Heart and Fur is no different. Its primary goals are twofold:
sex positivity and social focus.
Sex Positive
Heart and Fur aims to do something never before done
in an rpg: to present sex in a manner that is both positive and fun
to play. Some games have made reference to sex, or even involved
it in their mechanics, but it is rarely more than a footnote compared to the game’s other elements. Heart and Fur is different. Sex
is integrated into almost every aspect of the game, and can play a
crucial role in the stories and adventures told using this system. In
addition, Heart and Fur aims to be as inclusive as possible, providing rules for portraying a wide number of sexual preferences and
activities, some real and some pure fantasy, without forcing any of
them on the characters or story.
Vancha Marl - Furaffinity
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Character Creation
Step Four: Select Race
The first step in playing Heart and Fur is creating a
charcter. This will be your avatar in the game world, and it’s best to
create a character that you think will be fun to play. No one wants
to get stuck with a character that they later find boring or uninteresting. This chapter outlines the process of making a character step
by step.
You probably already have an idea of the race you want
to play. If not, read through the Races chapter and pick a race that
you like. Select a Race that you think would be fun to roleplay, not
one that has the best Traits, as you’ll be far happier with an enjoyable race than a mechanically optimized one. Record your race’s
Traits and Personality on your character sheet and make note of
how many bonus points that race gets.
If you want to, you can select a Personality that is different than your race’s default Personality. The default Personalities
indicate what a race is typically like, but there will always be people
who don’t fit a race’s standard behaviour. The choice is yours.
Step One: Determine Setting
The first step in making a character is determining what
kind of world they will exist within. Talk with GM about the setting
they will be telling your story in. Making a suave swashbuckler is
of little use in a sci-fi setting where everyone fights with rayguns.
Perhaps a suave pilot would be a better fit. This book contains a few
sample settings, but others can easily be substituted for them.
Step Five: Select Body Type
Step Two: Character Concept
Characters in Heart and Fur can have one or more body
types, which are descriptions of their overall physique. This has no
direct mechanical impact, although characters can have Preferences for them, but gives you a chance to make your character more
unique in appearance and concept. You are free to choose more
than one body type, or none at all.
Come up with an idea or short phrase that sums up your
character. Ideally, this phrase should give you some indication as to
their personality and profession. The previously mentioned suave
swordsman is a good example. In particular, think about how your
character responds to conflict. Are they going to be a frontline
fighter or a social manipulator? It’s worth checking in with the rest
of your gaming group at this point to make sure you have some variety in your characters. Having everyone play a swordsman leaves
a lot of bases uncovered. Also, think about what race and gender
you would like your character to be, and how that fits into your
concept of them.
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them.
Step Three: Select Sexual Traits
Lithe - Your character is thin and spry.
Muscular - Your character is well muscled and large.
Petite - Your character is short and small.
Tall – Your character is uncommonly tall.
Weighty - Your character has a few extra pounds on
Choose both your character’s sexual regions and their
gender identity. Characters can begin with any combination of
sexual regions they desire. Hermaphrodites and other intersex individuals occur naturally in the world of Heart and Fur, and don’t
carry any sort of stigma in most places. Some default packages are
outlined below, but you are free to mix and match as you like.
Step Six: Personalities
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Step Seven: Select Skills
Now comes the mechanical side of character creation.
First, you need to select your character’s Personalities. Characters
have three Personalities, one from their race and two you choose.
Select two Personalities from the list in the next chapter, or create
your own.
Penis, Testicles
Vagina, Clitoris, Breasts
Penis, Testicles, Breasts
Vagina, Clitoris
Penis, Testicles, Vagina, Clitoris, Breasts
The next step in character creation is to select your character’s Skills. You get seven points to put into Skills. Raising a Skill
from +0 to +1 or +1 to +2 costs one point. Raising a Skill from +2
to +3 costs two points.
You have two options when selecting Skills. Your character can have a high rating in relatively few Skills, or a moderate rating in a large number. The choice is up to you. If you want a combat
specialist, put a large number of points into Fighting and Athletics.
If you want them to be a social expert, invest in Persuasion, Deception and Integrity. Being a specialist means that you will be very
capable in a narrow range of activities, but generally not useful outside of those tasks. Being a generalist means that you’ll normally
have a Skill relevant to most situations, but you won’t be as good
at any one thing as a specialist will. This is especially useful if there
are many specialists in the group already. Also, consider putting at
least a couple point into sexual Skills, as they are likely to come up
at some point.
Record these in the Traits and Regions sections of the character sheet, as well as the mouth, hands and anus resions, which all
characters have. In addition, select your character’s gender. This is
not what traits their body has, but what they internally identify as.
There are three main options, each with some associated pronouns,
but none of them are mandatory. A character is perfectly free to not
identify with a gender, and use whichever pronouns they feel best
fit them.
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Male (he and his)
Female (her and hers)
Herm (shi and shis)
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Step Eight: Select Assets
After Skills, the next step is to give your character Assets.
Like Skills, you get seven points to spread among your character’s
Assets. Raising an Asset from 0 to +1 or from +1 to +2 costs one
point, while raising it from +2 to +3 costs two. Unlike Skills, not
all characters are going to have access to all Assets. Some Assets
require the character to possess certain Traits. For example, your
character can’t gain ratings in the Penis Asset if they don’t have a
penis.
Again, think about what you want your character to be
good at, and choose between having a few high rated Assets or
several lower rated ones. Also consider choosing Assets that complement your character’s Skills. Fighting and Muscle, Integrity and
Intellect, Athletics and Speed, these Skills and Assets are normally paired together, and investing in both will make your character
more capable within their chosen sphere of focus. Like with Skills,
think about putting a point or two into a sexual Asset.
Step Nine: Bonds
Choose people who your character have Bonds with.
Characters begin with two rank-one Bonds and one rank-two
Bond. Some of these can and perhaps should be towards other
player characters. This ensures that you’ll have an easy way of replenishing Heart during play, and provide more cohesion to the
group. Some Bonds should be towards non-player characters, as
they help to flesh out your character and provide hooks that the
GM can use to create stories in the future.
Step Ten: Preferences
Select any number starting Preferences for your character.
These are sexual likes and interests that your character has, and
can be rated as either weak or strong (Preferences are explained in
more detail in the Mechanics chapter). These can be for anything
you like, including certain body types, sexual acts and kinks. Make
sure these are for things that you would enjoy roleplaying, as they
are likely to come up through the course of the game.
Step Eleven Bonus Points and Flaws
Based on your choice of Race, you’ll have a number of
bonus points to spend on whatever you like. Each bonus point can
raise one Skill or Asset from 0 to +1 or +1 to +2, while two can
raise one from +2 to +3. Characters can also spend bonus points
on Traits. Internal and External Traits cost one bonus point each,
while Cosmetic Traits cost nothing. It’s worth noting that some
people in the world of Heart and Fur possess Traits that don’t come
from their species. They are rare mutants or have a hint of some
other race’s blood in them.
At this point, you may want more bonus points. These can
be obtained by selecting Flaws, which are Traits that in some way
hinder or inconvenience the character. Each Flaw gives you one
bonus point, and you can never have more than three Flaws in total.
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Step Eleven: Finishing Touches
Your character is almost done. The next step is to determine a good motivation for your character. As gameplay in Heart
and Fur is often riven by character motives, it’s important to give
your character a few overall goals that they can pursue. Do they
want to become a famous singer or performer? Help win an ages
old feud with another family? Or do they just what to make love
to as many beautiful women as possible? Decide on three Motives
for your character that they will pursue during the story to come.
Optionally, some Motives can be left undefined and filled in during
play as the character learns more about themselves. Just make sure
that this isn’t used as an excuse to declare every situation a character enters as a Motive.
Characters also start with some equipment. They begin
with one Tool and one Outfit. All characters also begin with ten
Wealth, although this number can be changed by the GM based on
the kind of setting they are using.
Character
Compassionate
Characters are the core of any story, and this is no different in a role-playing game. The characters you create will be your
avatars in the game world. Through them, you’ll interact with the
rest of the setting and have grand adventures. The mechanics outlined here represent a wide variety of character traits, including
their core Personalities, Skills, Assets and relationships.
A compassionate character cares deeply about the feelings
and wellbeing of others. This may be a select group of friends, but is
more likely to be everyone they meet. The compassionate are typically known for being supportive and kind, and can often overextend themselves when seeing to other’s needs. The compassionate
normally:
Personalities
Characters in Heart and Fur are people first, and are chiefly defined by their Personalities. These are simple, one-word descriptions of their nature and demeanour. Whenever a character
acts in line with one of their Personalities, they gain a +2 bonus to
the relevant dice roll. This is stackable, so acting in line with two
Personalities grants a +4 bonus, and so on. In light of this, make
sure that you pick Personalities you will actually enjoy roleplaying,
as they are going to come up a lot. This section lists a selection of
sample Personalities to use in your game. More can be created by
both players and the GM as they see fit.
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Come to the aid of those in need.
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Defend those who can’t defend themselves.
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Take other people’s feelings and desires into account
when acting.
Curious
The curious are always looking for new information and
experience. Some may be book smart, seeking new knowledge
in tomes and academics, while others try to learn from life itself,
seeing each new experience as a new lesion. When presented with
something new, the curious often can’t resist jumping in, just to see
what it is like. The curious often:
Aggressive
The aggressive are always ready for a fight, and never back
down. They aren’t necessarily angry people, they just hate to lose or
surrender. This can often get them into problems, but it also means
that they won’t give up going after something that matters to them.
The aggressive often:
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Start conflicts with others.
Pursue goals regardless of obstacles.
Refuse to back down from a fight or confrontation.
Determined
The determined act with resolve and self-assurance. They
will stop at nothing when pursuing their goals and objectives, and
let nothing stand in their way. When presented with an obstacle,
they never stop looking for a way to go around, through, or over it.
Even when anyone else would have long since given up, the determined stay strong and keep trying. They normally:
Aloof
An aloof character keeps their thoughts and motives to
themselves. They act as though they are disinterested in the world
around them, perhaps as though it’s beneath them, perhaps as
though it simply bores them. There is a distance between them and
the rest of the world, one which they create and maintain. You act
aloof when you:
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Seek out new information.
Ask frequent questions.
Look for new experiences.
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ing it.
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Withhold information about yourself.
Act disinterested in what’s going on around you
Give others the cold shoulder.
Persevere even when success is not assured.
Keep with the same course of action rather than changIgnore obstacles and pursue goals regardless of them.
Dominant
Carefree
The carefree don’t take life too seriously. It’s not that they
don’t care, it’s that they know that you can’t get too attached to
things. They are laidback and easygoing, making them easy to get
along with. Even when the going gets tough, they never lose their
relaxed attitude, and just keep reminding themselves that they’re
going to be alright. The carefree normally:
The dominant thrive on being in charge. Regardless of the
situation, they always try to be in control. Some see themselves as
natural leaders, whose leadership is the best option in any set of
circumstances, while others simply love telling others what to do.
The dominant don’t take people questioning their control lightly,
and will defend their position of dominance against any threat. The
dominant normally:
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Make light of serious situations.
Encourage others to relax or calm down.
Act calmly even when surrounded by difficulty.
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Try to take control of a situation.
Act with authority even when they aren’t given any.
Command others to do their bidding.
Eager
The eager are always open to new experiences and adventures. They love life, and love diving into it feet first. They are often
friendly and likeable, and their friends know that they are open to
anything. They come at all situations with a willingness to experience and enjoy, be they friendships, work or sexual encounters. The
eager:
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Leap into new situations.
Express desire and willingness.
Agree to new experiences or courses of action.
Independent
The independent prefer to act and work alone. It isn’t
necessarily that they don’t like people, they simply prefer to be by
themselves. They are typically assured of their own abilities and
don’t like relying on others for help. More than that, they often reject the society around them, preferring to find their own ways of
living and doing things rather than accepting those of others. The
independent normally:
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Flamboyant
The flamboyant treat life as a great stage. To them, everything is a performance, and they are the star performer. Why be
small when you can be large, they ask. Everything about them is
larger than life, from their clothing to their mannerisms. Not everyone may like them, but everyone notices them, and that’s good
enough for them. The flamboyant typically:
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Act with eccentricity or strangeness.
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Make a big deal of themselves.
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Draw attention to themselves through their actions and
words.
Loyal
The loyal care deeply about their friends, allies, or superiors. They would never dream of betraying those they care for, and
want to do whatever they can to help them. The may not necessarily be obedient or submissive, but the will act in the best interests of
those they are loyal to whenever they can. Their loyalty runs deep,
and is often their main motivation for doing what they do. They
loyal often:
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Fleki - Furaffinity
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Ignore offers of help from others.
Strike out on their own.
Ignore dominant social conventions or expectations.
Stick with the people they know well.
Defer to a leader or authority figure.
Take action to benefit their friends or allies.
Passionate
Proud
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The passionate are driven by their emotions. Be it anger
or lust, their feelings burn hot and dictate most of their behaviour.
The passionate often leap into situations without thinking them
through first, acting on whatever feeling is strongest at the time.
They may be easy to enrage or seduce, but they are always true to
themselves. The passionate are known to:
The proud are full of self-worth and confidence. They
may not necessarily think that they are better than others, but they
are fully aware of how amazing they are, and expect everyone else
around them to be aware of it as well. Some walk a fine line between self-esteem and arrogance while others fall off that line entirely, but all value themselves highly. The proud typically:
Act on emotion without thinking things through.
Attempt to seduce someone because of lust.
Start a fight or conflict because of anger.
Playful
Random
To the playful, everything is a game. All of life is an opportunity to have fun and experience new things. They can take any
situation, from a business meeting to a gathering of friends, and
turn it into a sport. In their personal relationships, they are always
looking for ways to have fun and play. The playful normally:
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Speak about themselves in glowing terms.
Expect respect and deference from others.
Act like they are in charge or otherwise a leader.
The random are impossible to predict. Their actions are
often nonsensical and strange, following a logic that is apparent
only to them. No one can predict them, and that’s just fine with
them. People who know them know that they often make no sense.
But sometimes, through chance or some invisible plan on their
part, their crazy actions work and produce results. Often, when this
happens, they are the most surprised of anyone. The random often:
Turn serious situations into games.
Encourage others to have fun or play.
Make light of difficult situations or circumstances.
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Practical
The practical are concerned with the world that can be
seen and touched, not the world of abstracts and ideals. They act
based on what they think will work, not high-flying morals or
principals. For the practical, results come first, all else second. The
practical typically:
Take actions that make no sense.
Change courses of action part way through taking them.
Suggest plans or actions that come out of left field.
Rowdy
The rowdy like to party. Whether it’s a night out drinking
or a night in with friends, they love to have a good time. Regardless
of what they are doing at the time, they can turn almost any situation or gathering into a party. The rowdy like to:
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Try to find down to earth solutions to problems.
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Act for realistic reasons, not based on ideals or notions
of how things should be.
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Reason through problems rather than acting on intuition
or emotion.
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Proposition someone for sex or another activity.
Try to arrange parties or gatherings.
Try to make serious situations into a parties.
Serene
Proper
The proper care about the correct ordering of their actions and relationships. For them, social standing and correct behaviour are of the highest importance. They don’t argue with their
betters or violate the established social order. At least, they don’t do
so openly. The proper are known to:
The serene are bastions of calm and self-control. They are
controlled under pressure and act with tranquility in all that they
do. They are more than just relaxed. They are immovable objects,
never allowing the world to get the better of them. Nothing can get
them riled up, and just being in their presence often makes other
people feel more at ease. The serene are known to:
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Defer to those of higher social standing.
Demonstrate etiquette and decorum.
Deal with problems calmly and civilly.
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Not react emotionally to events.
Try to deescalate situations.
Approach problems with calm and peacefulness.
Serious
Submissive
The serious are solemn and contemplative. They are not
inclined to joke or make light of a situation, and always focus on
the task at hand. They are formal and to the point, never deviating
from what they want or are there to do. They serious normally:
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The submissive like it when others take control of their
actions or a situation. They might be timid introvert or a proud
bottom, but either way, they prefer that someone else be in control.
They may make this preference into a lifestyle, where they let other
people direct them, or restrain it to certain parts of their life, such
as romance or their work, but either way, the like to be dominated.
A submissive character will normally:
Remain focused on a goal regardless of distractions.
Ignore frivolous behaviour or jokes.
Encourage others to be calm and think things through.
Shy
The shy dislike being the center of attention. They don’t
like when others are focused on them, or when they stand out.
They may dislike people, or they may just be introverted, but the
result is the same, they prefer to blend into the background whenever possible. This shouldn’t be mistaken for cowardice, however,
as the shy can be just as courageous as anyone else. The shy often:
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Avoid interacting with others.
Present themselves meekly or not at all.
Use indirect means of attaining their goals.
Sly
The sly are cunning and mischevious. They get what they
want through manipulation and misdirection, never through direct means. This doesn’t make them bad people, as they can just as
easily bring people together through their schemes. It just makes
them subtle. The sly never act overtly if they can help it, always
planning and maneuvering others to their advantage. The sly often:
•
Misrepresent their goals or motives to others.
•
Attempt to manipulate people into doing what they want.
•
Use subtlety and guile rather than outright action or
persuasion.
Sociable
A sociable character likes to talk to and relate to others.
They are gregarious and easily liked. They prefer to spend their
time talking with other people than alone, and make friends easily
with those they meet. Even when there is no benefit to it, they can
always be found striking up conversation with strangers and passers-by. Sociable characters often:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Let others make their decisions for them.
Agree with another person’s ideas or point of view.
Go along with what others want.
Skills
A character’s talents and learned aptitudes are represented by their Skills. Skills cover a broad range of possible capabilities,
from the ability to use a weapon to how good a character is in bed,
and help to define a character’s life and history. Mechanically, Skills
have three possible ratings, +1, +2 and +3. Whenever a character
attempts an action that they have a relevant Skill for, they gain the
Skill’s rating as a bonus to that action. Only one Skill can be applied
to any given action. A number of Skills are outlined here, along
with what Assets they are commonly paired with and some sample uses of each. More Skills will be added in future supplements,
and can be created by the GM or the group. Should one of a Skill’s
uses reference making a roll, but does not state the roll’s difficulty,
assume it is 4.
Alchemy
Alchemy is the skill of making potions and elixirs with
various effects (see more about potions in the Equipment chapter).
Alchemy is a form of science that can yield miraculous results. The
Skill normally comes from training under a master alchemist, but
can also come from experimentation as a hobby potion-maker. Alchemy is always paired with Intellect.
•
A character with the Alchemy Skill can make potions.
Doing so requires one hour of work and access to materials equal
to half the potion’s final cost. The Quality of potion the character
can make is determined by their rating in this Skill. Weak potions
at +1, Moderate potions at +2, Strong potions at +3.
•
A character can identify a potion they encounter with a
difficulty 4 Alchemy roll.
Athletics
Athletics represents a character’s ability to perform all
manner of strenuous physical activities, including climbing and
swimming. It is a broad Skill with many potential uses, which
makes it valuable in many different situations. Someone with high
Athletics is likely an outdoors sort, or perhaps uses climbing to
navigate an urban area. Athletics can be paired with a variety of
Assets.
Start conversations with strangers.
Try to use words to solve problems.
Flirt and have fun with other people, even strangers.
14
•
Anyone with Athletics +2 can climb up rough surfaces at
a yard a turn.
•
A character can dodge an incoming Fighting attack using
Athletics.
•
A character can swim at five yards per turn with Athletics +1.
are acting on.
•
Empathy can be used to determine a sexual partner’s
Preferences. A roll or 4 yields one Preference, and eahc +4 after
that reveals one more. This can be contested with Deception. This
does not take an action.
•
An Empathy roll can be used to tell how close someone
is to orgasm. This does not take an action.
Crime
Fighting
Crime is the ability to perform a variety of illegal acts.
This includes picking some’s pocket, disarming a trap or detection
device and picking locks. This Skill is normally possessed by career criminals, but is occasionally known by locksmiths and similar
professionals. Crime is normally paired with Paws.
The Fighting Skill is used whenever a character wields a
weapon of any kind. This includes swords, spears, guns and bows,
as well as natural weapons like claws and horns. A character skilled
in Fighting is likely a warrior of some kind, perhaps a soldier or a
knight. Fighting is normally paired with Muscle.
•
Picking a lock requires a Crime roll against a Difficulty
set by the GM.
•
Picking a pocket requires a Crime vs Perception contest.
•
Impressing someone with sleight of hand requires success on a Crime roll.
•
Sneaking past someone requires a contest between
Crime vs Perception.
•
Fighting is used to make physical attacks in conflicts.
•
Fighting can be used to defend against physical attacks in
conflict.
•
Contests of strength, like arm wrestling, use Fighting as
their roll.
•
Fighting can be used to make social attacks through
intimidation.
Deception
This is the ability to bluff and come up with reasonable
lies in short spaces of time. Using it, character can hide the truth or
create outright falsities. This Skill is often possessed by con artists
and thieves, but is useful to anyone who has an interest in deceiving
others. It is normally paired with Charm.
Grapple
The Grapple Skill represents the ability to grab and hold
other characters. It is mainly useful in conflict, but a clever character could always find alternative uses for it. It is comonly possessed
by wrestlers and other fighters, but is also possessed by rough lovers. Grapple is always paired with Muscle.
•
Lying to someone requires a successful Deception vs
Empathy roll.
•
Coercing someone in a Conflict requires a Deception
roll, contested by Integrity or Empathy.
•
A character can project a false Personality through
Deception. All Empathy rolls to read their goals or Personalities must beat a Deception roll in a contest or read the false trait
instead.
•
Grapple can be used to restrain other characters in conflict (see the Mechanics chapter for more details).
•
A a Grapple roll can allow a character to re-position
someone else in the middle of sex.
Hypnosis
The Hypnosis Skill is the ability to put others into altered
states. It is useful both in and out of conflict situations, but despite
this, it is a rarely used Skill. Most societies distrust people who are
skilled at hypnosis, and they often have good reasons to feel this
way. Someone with a good Hypnosis rating may be a performer, or
they may just have a knack for worming their way through someone else’s mind. Hypnosis is always paired with the Charm Asset.
Empathy
Empathy represents the ability to read other people’s emotions, intentions and actions. Someone with high Empathy can figure out things about a person that they themselves might not know.
They also likely have a natural talent for reading people, or have
been trained to notice subtle gestures and facial expressions. It is
normally paired with Senses.
•
Hypnosis is rolled to hypnotise others (see the Mechanics chapter for more details).
•
Empathy is used to contest Deception rolls.
•
Whenever someone nearby uses a Personality in a roll,
an Empathy roll can reveal what Personality they used.
•
Whenever someone in the Scene takes an action to pursue a goal or Motive, an Empathy roll can reveal what goal they
Integrity
The Integrity Skill is used to resist mental influence and
coercion. It represents a character’s ability to retain their mental
15
footing in the face of emotion, persuasion and seduction. Someone with high Integrity had likely been around a lot of seduction
attempts, whether because of their job or simply natural beauty.
Integrity is always paired with Intellect.
•
All forms of social attack can be resisted with a contest of
Integrity.
•
An Integrity roll, contested against a pleasuring or
arousing action, can allow the character to ignore all the Pleasure
or Arousal gained from that action. This is entirely optional, and
does not take an action.
Persuasion
Persuasion is used to get other people to agree with the
character, do things for them and feel what they want them to feel.
It’s useful in a wide array of social situations and endeavours. People with a high Persuasion Skill may be natural leaders, or have
training in the arts of interpersonal interaction. Persuasion is
paired with a variety of Assets.
•
flicts.
•
sion.
•
Knowledge
The Knowledge Skill represents broad learning and
knowledge in many different fields. Someone with the Knowledge
Skill is likely an academic or expert in their chosen field. Knowledge is always paired with Intellect.
•
In a conflict, Knowledge can be used to make social
attacks.
•
Impressing someone with vast Knowledge is a good way
of seducing them.
•
Success on a Knowledge roll can produce a fact useful in
whatever situation is at hand.
Persuasion can be used to make social attacks in conSeducing others with word or attractiveness uses PersuaIn bed, Persuasion can be used to arouse a partner.
Stability
Stability is a unique Skill. Rather than allowing the character to perform certain actions, it prevents certain things from
happening to them. A character with the Stability Skill is naturally
resistant to Transformation and similar effects. This Skill is likely
not going to come up much, but it is included here should your
group be playing in a setting where Transformation is common,
but one or more players don’t want their characters to be changed.
Stability is always paired with Stamina.
•
Stability makes it less likely that a character will undergo
Transformation (see the Mechanics chapter for more details).
Lick
Lick represents a character’s ability to use their mouth to
perform sexual actions. This includes licking, sucking and blowing.
This Skill is less commonly possessed than Thrust, and knowing it
can quickly set a character apart from others in the bedroom. Lick
is always paired with Tongue.
•
Lick is used to pleasure and arouse a partner in sexual
encounters.
Perception
The Perception Skill is used to notice things of importance in one’s surroundings. While Empathy is used to read other
people, Perception is used to read one’s environment. Perception is
usually gained through a childhood noticing things, be they wild
beasts in the wilderness or dangers in a city’s back alleys. Perception is always paired with Senses.
•
Seeing a hidden object requires a Perception roll with a
Difficulty.
•
Noticing something obviously amiss requires a Perception roll.
•
Searching for something requires a Perception roll with
a Difficulty.
Thrust
The Thrust Skill measures a character’s skill at making
love using their natural hardware. Thrust is about more than just
speed, it’s about knowing how to respond to one’s partner and give
them what they didn’t know they wanted. This Skill is perhaps the
most common Skill in the world, but still, most people never move
above basic competence in it. Thrust can be paired witha variety of
Assets.
•
Touch
The Touch Skill represents skill at using one’s hands to
pleasure and arouse another. It comes from a combination of manual dexterity and careful practice, and people with a high Touch
Skill are often known for their ‘magic hands.’ This Skill is common
among professional courtesans and anyone who appreciates the
tactile side of lovemaking. Touch is always paired with Paws.
•
16
Thrust is used in sex to pleasure a partner.
A character can arouse and please a partner using Touch.
Assets
termination. It is useful for knowledge-based tasks, as well as resisting social influence. Intellect adds to:
In addition to Skills, characters also possess Assets. These
are innate characteristics of the character, rather than learned abilities. Most Assets measure some physical facet of the character, such
as their strength or the size of their penis. Some, though, measure
more abstract traits, like the character’s charisma or memory.
Like Skills, Assets are rated from +0 to +3, and they add
their rating to all rolls that the Asset could help with. A character can apply both a Skill and an Asset to a roll, but they can only
ever apply one of each. If two or more Assets would apply to one
roll, they can choose which one to use. Common Assets and some
actions they apply to are detailed below, but like Skills, characters
and the GM can come up with more Assets and uses as they see
fit. Characters can upgrade Assets with Experience like they can
upgrade Skills.
•
•
•
•
Muscle
The Muscle Asset measures how physically fit and strong
a character is. Those with high Muscle can lift large loads and easily
restrain others. People with this Asset are typically bulky and have
a toned physique, but they could just as easily be lean and fit. Muscle adds to:
•
All Fighting attacks, but not defensive rolls.
•
All rolls to establish, maintain and break free from a
grapple.
•
All Athletics rolls involving lifting and muscular
Ass
The Ass Asset measures how nice a character’s ass is. This
Asset can represent size, but it can also measure how well shaped a
character’s butt is, or how well they can use it. This Asset adds to:
•
•
strength.
Sexual actions the character takes involving their ass.
Persuasion rolls involving the ass, including attacks.
Paws
The Paws Asset measures how skilled a character is with
their hands, representing manual dexterity and fine muscle control. The Paws Asset adds to:
Breast
The Breast Asset measures how alluring a character’s
breasts are. This Asset can represent size, with higher ratings representing larger breasts, but it can also measure shape, firmness,
or how well a character’s breasts work with their body. A character
must have breasts to gain this Asset. Breasts adds to:
•
•
•
All Touch rolls.
Most Crime rolls.
All rolls requiring manual dexterity.
Penis
•
Persuasion actions centring around a character’s breasts,
including attacks.
•
Sexual actions involving the character’s breasts.
The Penis Asset measures how potent a character’s penis
is. This Asset can represent size, but it can also measure how skilled
a character is with their member. A character must have a penis to
gain this Asset. The Asset adds to:
Charm
•
Thrust rolls involving the penis.
•
Persuasion actions revolving around the character’s dick,
including attacks.
The Charm Asset represents a character’s strength of personality and likeability. While the Persuasion Skill shows how good
a character is at influencing people, the Charm Asset is how naturally charismatic they are. Charm adds to:
•
attacks.
•
•
•
All Knowledge rolls.
All Alchemy rolls.
All Integrity rolls.
Crime rolls involving complex security systems.
Senses
Persuasion rolls not involving another Asset, including
The Senses Asset measures how aware a character is.
Whereas the Perception Skill represents how well a character can
find things they are looking for, the Senses Asset measures how
well their sense organs actually work. Sense adds to:
All Deception rolls.
Rolls to establish, maintain and use hypnosis.
Sexual actions involving charisma.
•
•
•
Intellect
Intellect measures a character’s ability to think and process information, as well as their reserves of willpower and self-de-
17
All Perception rolls.
All Empathy rolls.
Rolls requiring noticing things.
Speed
Speed measures a character’s swiftness and agility. It is
useful to move quickly, and to get out of harm’s way. Speed adds to:
•
•
•
Building a Bond
Fighting and Athletics rolls to avoid Fighting attacks.
Athletics rolls involving movement and swiftness.
Crime rolls to sneak and go unnoticed.
Stamina
Stamina measures a character’s vitality and endurance. In
addition to adding to rolls, it also increases the number of Wounds
boxes a character has. Each rating in Stamina increases the number of Wounds they can withstand in conflict by one. Stamina adds
to:
•
•
lessened if these people weren’t in their life. Rank-three Bonds represent the most intimate of mates and lifelong friends. These are
people the character would defend with their life. There is no limit
to how many Bonds a character can have at one time.
Stability rolls.
Athletics rolls involving long-term exertion and effort.
Tongue
The Tongue Asset measures how well a character can use
their tongue and mouth. It can measure how long their tongue is,
or how large and accommodating their mouth is, but it can also
represent how well they use what they have. Tongue adds to:
•
All Lick rolls.
•
Persuasion actions involving using the character’s mouth,
including attacks.
Vagina
The Vagina Asset measures how pleasurable and enticing
a character’s vagina is. It can measure how tight or accommodating
it is, or how well the character can use it. A character must have a
vagina to gain this Asset. Vagina adds to:
•
Thrust rolls the character takes involving their vagina.
•
Persuasion actions involving using the vagina, including
attacks.
Bonds
A character’s inner personality, convictions and relationships are important in Heart Roll, just as important if not more
so than their Skills and Assets. All of these complex feelings and
connections are represented through Bonds. A Bond is any strong
relationship that a character has, be it to a lover or a friend. Bonds
form a roadmap to the character’s heart, giving insight into what
drives them and what they feel is important.
Bonds come in three ranks. Rank-one Bonds represent
general friends and acquaintances, people that the character knows
well but who aren’t particularly close. Rank-two Bonds are close
friends and significant romantic partners. The character would feel
18
Building a Bond is relatively simple. It generally involves
two stages. First, the characters involved must get to know each
other some. This involves at least a Scene spent interacting, during
which time the characters must learn something about each other
or share something of themselves. Second, the characters involved
must perform some sort of intimate activity together. This can be
sex, but a walk in the park, nice dinner, or night of playing board
games all also count.
When a Bond is made, it is recorded on the sheets of all
characters involved, and each character involved also gains one
Heart. There is no limit to the number of characters who can establish Bonds to each other at once. These steps are not a hard-set
rule; if the GM thinks that two characters have gotten to know each
other well enough to form a Bond through other means, the characters can form the Bond.
Upgrading Bonds
In order to raise a Bond to the next level of intensity, two
conditions must be met. First, the players must successfully complete one goal, although the goal does not need to be directly related to the Bond. Second, the characters involved must engage in
another Scene of intimate activity. This activity can be anything
that would allow the creation of a Bond, from sex to a night to a
deep conversation. Once these two conditions are met, the Bond
can be upgraded to the next intensity, and all characters involved
gain one Heart point. If a Scene of interaction is used to upgrade
a Bond, it cannot also count as a Moment between the characters,
but it can involve sex and gains the normal Heart rewards from sex
at the Bond’s new rating. Only one Bond can be upgraded per goal.
Degrading Bonds
For the most part, Bonds don’t degrade over time. A character with a Bond has a special place in their heart for its subject,
and time or distance cannot change that. Should a player desire to
remove a Bond from their character, they can simply remove it. The
character finds that they no longer have strong feelings for another
as they once did, and moves on from there.
Some characters may find that forming Bonds appeals to
them more than keeping or reinforcing them. These characters are
likely to form Bonds quickly, and then abandon them just as quickly. This can easily lead to a string of one-night stands and shortlived relationships. This is not necissarily a bad thing, although it
can lead to many disappointed or angry ex-lovers.
Effects of a Bond
Having a Bond has a distinct benefit to the character, as
it allows them to restore Heart points more easily. Taking an action that helps the object of a Bond grants that Bond’s rating in
Heart to both characters. This action can be virtually anything, but
should take some degree of effort on the part of the character. Giv-
ing someone a compliment isn’t enough to gain Heart. Setting up a
candlelit dinner is. Going for a walk with someone on their lunch
break isn’t enough to gain Heart. Arranging to take them to one
of their favourite places is. Getting upset when someone insults a
friend isn’t enough to gain Heart. Personally coming to their defence, even if it puts the character in an awkward situation, does.
These events are referred to as Moments. They are events that form
memories for all involved, and show how important the Bond is to
the character. A character can only benefit from one Moment per
Scene.
so does not require an action. There is no limit to how many Heart
points a character can have at one time.
Motives
Characters in Heart and Fur want things. As a social-centric game, a lot of time may be devoted to the goals and desires of
individual player characters. These goals are represented as Motives. A Motive can be for anything, from a new experience the
character wants to have to a goal they have been working on for
their entire life. These Motives should be large enough that they
won’t be accomplished in one session, but not so large that they are
impossible for a person to achieve. They should also be general, not
specific. Going on a first date, starting a business, or trying bondage for the first time are all suitable Motives. Going on a first date
with the lizard who works in accounting down the hall, starting a
business in a specific building with three specific people, or being
bound by a bovine with green eyes are all too specific.
Characters can have three Motives at a time. These
should be things that the character has never done, and things that
the player would like to roleplay. When a character completes a
Motive, they gain one Experience, and their player can select a new
Motive to replace it at the end of the session. In addition, the character’s player has some licence to make changes in the character.
Having had a new experience, the character’s horizons are expanded and they learn new things about themselves. Their player can
use this as an opportunity to add a Preference to the character, or
to swap out one of their Personalities for another one, as they grow
and change as a person.
Heart
Characters in Heart and Fur care about things. They have
relationships, desires and hopes. In pursuing these, they often draw
upon deep, inner reserves of willpower and emotion. These stores
of internal power are represented by Heart points, and can be used
by characters to succeed at their goals. Then used, a Heart point
can have one of two effects:
•
The character using it can immediately gain the effects of
a Shift without having to roll to create it.
•
For four Heart points, the number of steps needed to
complete a goal decreases by one.
Characters can gain Heart points through Moments and
through sex. Characters can also transfer Heart points between
themselves. To do this, one character must interact with the other
in some intimate manner. A passionate kiss, a word of encouragement at a key moment or a furtive glance while under duress are
all suitable actions. Characters can only transfer one point of Heart
per turn, and only on the donating character’s turn, although doing
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19
Character Advancement
Characters are not static. Through their life experiences
they learn and grow, becoming more than they were. Characters in
Heart and Fur track this growth through Experience. Experience is
measured in points, with characters gaining more points by completing their goals and having new experiences. Once a character
has Experience points, they can spend them to improve their Skills
and gain new Traits. The costs to do so are outlined below.
•
•
•
•
•
Upgrade a Skill or Asset from 0 to +1
4
Upgrade a Skill or Asset from +1 to +2
4
Upgrade a Skill or Asset from +2 to +3
8
Gain a Trait8
Remove a Flaw8
When gaining a new Trait, select which Trait the character will gain, and then turn that over to the GM. The GM should
then provide the character with a way of gaining that new Trait in
the next few sessions, as they have an opportunity. This could come
in a wide variety of way. Perhaps the character finds a mutagenic
potion that doesn’t wear off, has sex with something magical that
transforms them, or is exposed to a virus or chemical that alters
their physiology. If in doubt, brainstorm with the group for ways of
granting the Trait.
Gaining Experience
Experience points can be awarded for a variety of things.
Outlined here are some common sources, but more can be invented as needed by the group.
•
Each session, all characters gain one or two Experience,
based on how long the session takes.
•
Completing a goal grants one Experience to all characters.
•
Completing a Motive grants one Experience point to
that character. They can then select a new Motive at the end of the
session.
20
Races
The world of Heart and Fur is populated by a wide array of
races. From the noble stallion to the mysterious bat to the honourable wolf, there is a startling variety of people who call the world
home. This chapter outlines the most common races found in the
world of Heart and Fur. If a race you want to play is not on this list,
feel free to create them using the Traits found in the Traits chapter,
and the rules presented at the end of this chapter.
Bat
Bats are clever and secretive. They fly in seemingly chaotic
patterns, yet get to their destination all the same. Similarly, their
minds work in strange ways, taking unusual ideas or points of view
and following them to seemingly nonsensical extremes, yet they
reach valuable conclusions anyway. Bats are typically aloof and difficult to read, often preferring their own company to that of others.
With their keen sense and insight, bats rarely miss anything in their
surroundings, or other people. They tend to keep this information
to themselves, however, and are known be storehouses of secrets
that few others know.
•
•
•
Traits: Wings, Acute Hearing, Echolocation, Fur
Personality: Aloof
Bonus Points: 2
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21
Bear
Bird
•
•
•
•
•
(owl)
•
Bears are an often misunderstood race. They are large
and strong, and have a reputation for being easily angered. At their
heart though, bears are not a violent people. They are gentle and
thoughtful individuals, possessed of a nurturing spirit that extends
to all of their relationships. But when a bear is angered, nothing can
stand between them and the object of their rage. Bears are difficult
to enrage, normally only becoming angered when their loved ones
are threatened. However, many people give them a wide berth all
the same. This isn’t helped by the fact that bears are often gruff and
overly direct. But the truth is, most bears would much rather sleep
than fight.
Traits: Claws, Tail, Fur
Personality: Compassionate
Bonus Points: 4
BadHedgehog - Furaffinity
Birds are a diverse group of similar races. Songbirds
are social and generally likable, forming large groups and always
putting the needs of others above their own. Eagles are regal and
powerful, radiating majesty and authority. Hawks and falcons are
quick-witted and predatory, always hunting and searching for potential prey, even in social situations. Owls are introspective and
thoughtful, and are known for being wise beyond their years. As a
whole, birds prize freedom and can’t bear to be trapped in any field
of their life. Their ability to fly gives them a unique perspective on
the world and the problems it contains.
Traits: Wings, Acute Sight, Tail, Feathers
Personality: Sociable (songbird), Proud (raptor), Aloof
Bonus Points: 3
BadHedgehog - Furaffinity
22
Bovine
Dog
Bovines are a race divided. Bulls are competitive and aggressive. They are easily angered and quick to express it. Most people know to keep away from a bull when they are enraged. Cows,
on the other hand, are patient and nurturing. They have strong maternal instincts, which they extend to almost everyone they know.
Few people can match a cow in terms of the comfort and support
they can give. This split between male aggression and female compassion is core to the race, who naturally complement one another
when paired together. Some bovines havs the disposition of the opposite gender, often paired with an attraction to their own sex.
Dogs are cousins of wolves, and share many traits in common with them. They are loyal and confident, but not as aggressive or hierarchical. More than anything, dogs are friendly. They
love meeting new people and forming relationships. It’s here that
their loyalty often expresses itself. Dogs make faithful companions
and lovers, and never turn their back on someone they care about.
Dogs are always eager to meet new people and try new things. They
make new friend easily and love spending time with them.
•
•
•
•
Traits: Multiple Nipples (if female or herm), Horns (if
male or herm), Hooves, Tail, Fur
•
Personality: Compassionate (if female or herm), Aggressive (if male)
•
Bonus Points: 3 (2 if herm)
BadHedgehog - Furaffinity
Traits: Fangs, Tail, Acute Scent, Fur
Personality: Eager
Bonus Points: 3
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23
Deer
Tall and regal, deer are the lords of the forest, despite being herbivores. They often consider themselves first among equals
among the forest dwelling races, a claim which few others can or
will dispute. Despite this, deer are well known for their gentle nature. They often shy away from violence and aggression. This is
sometimes taken for weakness, but to do so is a mistake. When
pressed, deer plunge into difficult situations headlong and with all
the force they can muster. Female deer, does, are gentle and nurturing, yet still majestic and strong. Bucks are lordly and powerful,
never backing down from a challenge to their domain or safety.
Regardless of gender, deer are quick witted and nimble, relying on
their gracefulness to escape from harm’s way.
•
•
•
Traits: Hooves, Horns (if male), Fur
Personality: Serene
Bonus Points: 4 (3 if male)
BadHedgehog - Furaffinity
Fox
Foxes are sly and clever, renowned for both their cunning
and their sense of humour. They are mischievous at the best of
times. They are known to find the exceptions and loopholes in any
set of instructions or rules, and a fox can find their way into and
then out of just about any situation imaginable. A fox’s instincts
drive them to be subversive and clever, always looking for indirect solutions to problems and roundabout, but often strangely effective, ways of getting what they want. No one ever can be quite
sure what a fox is thinking or planning, but they cannot doubt that
those plans will work.
•
•
•
Traits: Claws, Tail, Fur
Personality: Sly
Bonus Points: 4
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24
Horse
Human
Horses are sturdy and dependable. Their legs can carry
them swiftly and their backs can hold the weight of the world.
Some are noble stallions, proud and strong, with regal motions and
honourable heritage. Some are sturdy workhorses, able to endure
harsh loads and come back for more. Some are carefree ponies,
living their lives as one giant run through open fields. Regardless
of the specifics, horses are hardy and durable. They never give in
to difficulty or hardship, and can always be counted on to come
through strong in the end. Horses’ natural speed and resistance
make them excellent messengers, soldiers and athletes.
•
•
•
Humans are perhaps the most diverse race, with a wide
array of outlooks, personalities and temperaments. Ambition often defines humans, be it for wealth, prestige or discovery. They
are never satisfied with what they have and always seek out more.
Humans are also naturally curious and innovative. They’re driven
to seek the boundaries of the known and push through into the unknown. Lacking in natural weapons or powerful instincts, humans
make complex societies around themselves, building through social structures what other races have naturally through instinct.
Humans make excellent explorers, but also experimental craftsmen
and ambitious leaders.
Traits: Hooves, Fur
Personality: Determined
Bonus Points: 4
•
•
•
SandraMJ - Twitter @TheHunkBunker
Traits: Skin
Personality: Curious
Bonus Points: 5
BadHedgehog - Furaffinity
25
Lion
Lions are powerful and courageous. A lion never backs
down from a fight, confrontation or disagreement. They move and
act with the self-assurance that comes with being a top predator. In
all things they do, they bring absolute confidence and an awareness
of their own innate power. Lions are driven to always be in control,
and need to be in charge of any situation that they encounter. This
can often lead to disagreements in relationships between lions, but
also makes lions exceptional leaders, as managing the actions of
others comes naturally to them.
•
•
•
Traits: Claws, Tail, Fur
Personality: Proud
Bonus Points: 4
Lizard
Lizards are a diverse group of similar races with several
traits in common. They have a reputation for being emotionless.
The truth is, they simply don’t express their emotions through facial expression like other races do. They also seem quite eccentric
to most other races. There are countless species of lizard, each with
their own peculiarities. Chameleons hide their motives and ideas
like they do their bodies. Salamanders are fiery and easily angered,
despite their impassive voices and faces. Iguanas are slow and careful, but meticulous. As a whole, lizards often stand apart from the
other races, but they can be equally warm and loving when someone gets to know them.
•
•
•
SandraMJ - Twitter @TheHunkBunker
Traits: Claws, Tail, Scales
Personality: Sly
Bonus Points: 4
BadHedgehog - Furaffinity
26
Mouse
Otter
•
•
•
•
•
•
Small and shy, the mouse is easily overlooked. They are
quiet and unassuming, never drawing unneeded attention to themselves. Most people don’t notice them, and they prefer it that way.
At the same time, it’s a mistake to completely discount the humble
mouse. Mice are supremely clever and resourceful, making up for
their lack of physical prowess with quick wit. They can make use of
the most limited resources and find solutions to the most daunting
of problems. Some are drawn to use their skills in a life of crime,
but others find legal uses for their cleverness. Mice work best in
the background, there they can go about their business unseen and
undetected.
Otters are a complex race, although they don’t seem so
at first glance. On the surface, they are a carefree and easygoing
people. They have a laid-back attitude toward life, letting things
happen as they may and accepting life as it comes. But much like
the ocean, otters have an unseen depth. Beneath their lighthearted
exterior, they are carnivores, and possess a warrior’s heart. Otters
possess a shocking amount of courage and resolve for such an easygoing people. They don’t let others harm them or their friends, least
of all because they refused to act. Most people never see this side
of the race, and otters for their part are content to keep things that
way.
Traits: Tail, Large Ears, Fur
Personality: Shy
Bonus Points: 4
BadHedgehog - Furaffinity
Traits: Webbed Feet, Tail, Fur
Personality: Playful
Bonus Points: 4
SandraMJ - Twitter @TheHunkBunker
27
Rabbit
Rabbits are often shy and quiet, preferring to remain on
the fringes of a group rather than be at its center. But underneath
this timid exterior is a brave and honest heart. A rabbit rarely fights
or challenges others, but if it comes down to it, there are few things
that they would not do for those they care for. Rabbits may be slow
to make friend due to their quiet, soft-spoken nature, but once they
do, they keep them for life. They are also known for being exceptionally fecund. Beneath their meek exteriors, many rabbits are
raging balls of hormones.
•
•
•
Traits: Large Ears, Fur, Tail
Personality: Shy
Bonus Points: 4
Squirrel
The squirrel is small and full of energy. They dart constantly from one task to the next, and from one relationship to the
next, never looking back save to remember where they kept their
favourite things. They often seem flighty and uncommitted to others, but it’s simply their natural enthusiasm for everything expressing itself. But when a squirrel devotes themselves fully to something, they are a force to be reckoned with. Squirrels have strong
instincts to avoid danger and confrontation, and will often skirt
around an issue rather than plunge headlong into it. This does not
mean they are cowardly, however. When a squirrel must stand up
and fight, there is very little that can stop them.
•
•
•
SandraMJ - Twitter @TheHunkBunker
Traits: Large Ears, Tail, Climbing Pads, Fur
Personality: Curious
Bonus Points: 3
BadHedgehog - Furaffinity
28
Shark
Tiger
Sharks are an uncommon race, rarely seen above their
ocean home. In their natural habitat, they are apex predators with
few equals. On land though, they must contend with other predatory races for top placement. This only adds to the shark’s natural
aggression. Sharks pursue what they want with unstoppable ambition, be it a job or a lover. They never back down from a fight,
and are often the instigators of them. This aggression often extends
into territorial protection, with a shark doing everything in their
power to protect and keep what’s theirs. It is a rare person who
sees a shark’s inner self, as their aggression keeps most people at a
distance. Those who do, however, find that the shark is not unwilling to love, they just prefer to solve their problems through direct
force.
•
•
•
Tigers are power personified, and their every action flows
with both gracefulness and might. They are strong and persistent,
and bring their trademark strength into everything they do. They
are less arrogant than lions, but no less liable to exert their authority over others. Tigers are also fiercely independent, driven by deep
instincts to be self-reliant and self-sufficient. They are solitary creatures by nature, and seek out pursuits where they can excel on their
own. Tigers can seem standoffish to people they don’t know well
and rarely express their true feelings, but their authority over their
domain cannot be questioned.
•
•
•
Traits: Gills, Fangs, Webbed Feet, Skin, Tail
Personality: Aggressive
Bonus Points: 2
BadHedgehog - Furaffinity
Traits: Claws, Tail, Fur
Personality: Independent
Bonus Points: 4
SandraMJ - Twitter @TheHunkBunker
29
Making Races
If the race you want to play as doesn’t appear in this chapter, feel free to create it. Doing so is relatively simple. First, select
one Personality that best fits the race. Second, select their Traits.
Most races have between one and three mechanically useful Traits,
plus one Trait to represent their covering, such as fur or scales.
When making a race, try to select the Traits that best represent the
animal’s capabilities, not ones that give them a mechanical edge. A
race can have a maximum of four Traits, not including their Cosmeitc Traits. Finally, calculate how many bonus points the race
gets. To do this, subtract the number of Traits the race has from
five. Cosmetic Traits like fur, scales and unusual colouration are
free, and do not decrease the number of bonus points the race gets.
If the character you are making is the offspring of two other races, creating them follows a similar set of steps. First, pick one
Personality from either of their parents. Second, select any combination of Traits possessed by either of their parents’ races. A hybrid
can still only have four mechanically useful Traits. Finaly, calculate
their bonus points, as per a normal race.
Wolf
Wolves are physically powerful and full of self-confidence.
They thrive on social structure and often need to be part of a group
in order to feel at home. This instinctual need for knowing one’s
place sometimes translates in to a love of dominance or submissive
play, but it’s just as likely to be expresses through natural leadership
or group camraderie. If there’s one thing a wolf is, it is loyal, often
to a fault. Lone wolves, however, stand in opposition to this trend,
preferring to strike out on their own and keep their own company.
Wolves can also be highly territorial, working hard to protect and
keep whatever they claim as theirs, be it a piece of land or a sexual
conquest. Wolves have many sub variates, including the common
grey wolf, the white arctic wolf, and the ruddy red wolf. Other possible colourations include black and tan.
•
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•
Traits: Fangs, Tail, Acute Scent, Fur
Personality: Loyal or Independant
Bonus Points: 3
SandraMJ - Twitter @TheHunkBunker
30
Mechanics
Bonuses
A roleplaying game is essentially a collaborative story.
There are many different voices and ideas all trying to have a say in
the overall outcome of the narrative: each player wants their character to succeed, while the GM wants to tell a cohesive plotline. In
order to mediate between all of these different goals, role-playing
games make use of rules and dice rolls.
Dice rolls and rules are necessary to provide some form
of structure to a game. They provide a means of arbitrating results
and resolving conflicts that come up during the course of play.
They also make the game more exciting, providing an element of
risk and uncertainty. This chapter outlines the rules needed to play
Heart and Fur.
Sometimes, circumstances conspire to help a character. In
these cases, the dice roll gains a bonus, often a +1, which adds to
the final roll result. This is often due to a character’s equipment and
Traits. More beneficial circumstances can grant larger +2 or even
+3 bonuses. Bonuses from multiples sources stack with one another.
Penalties
Other times, circumstances make an action harder. Trying
to climb a mountain in the rain, aim a bow in heavy fog or reason
with a drunken man all make the character’s action harder. In these
cases, the character’s roll takes on a penalty. Subtract the penalty
from the character’s final roll result. The most common penalty is
-1, but -2 and -3 penalties can be inflicted for particularly difficult
situations. Like bonuses, penalties stack with themselves.
The Core Mechanic
When a character goes to take an action, and there is a
reasonable chance of their failure, the character’s player makes a
dice roll. This uses a single twelve sided dice, a d12, and adds to
it the rating of their most relevant Skill and Asset, along with any
bonuses and penalties relevant to the action. If they don’t possess a
relevant Skill or Asset, then they make the roll without that bonus.
However, not all actions require dice rolls. If a character has a high
Skill rating in the task at hand, or the task has little relevance to the
overalll story, a dice roll is not generally required.
There are two kinds of rolls in Heart and Fur: compared
rolls and contests. In a compared roll, the result is compared to
a difficulty set by the GM. Compared rolls are good whenever a
character is attempting to overcome some part of the environment
around them, such as busting open a locked door or finding a book
in a crowded library. The following difficulties are general guidelines to use when setting a difficulty for a player. If no difficulty is
given in an action’s description, assume the difficulty is 4. As always, select a difficulty that best suits the story being told.
•
•
•
•
•
•
Effects of a Roll
Depending on how well a character rolls, their action can
have one of many levels of success or failure.
Failure
When a character’s roll result is lower than the target difficulty, or their opponent’s roll, the character fails in their action.
They do not get the result they wanted, but aren’t significantly
harmed in the process. If appropriate, this failure can be humorous.
The character goofs up in some interesting or memorable way, as
dictated by the GM.
Success
If the character’s final roll result meets or exceeds the
target difficulty, their action succeeds. The GM narrates how they
obtain their desired result or how circumstances work out in their
favour.
Easy4
Moderate 6
Challenging 8
Difficult10
Very Difficult
12
Extremely Difficult
14
Improved Success
When a character gets a result four or more above the
roll’s difficulty, they get an improved success. When this happens,
the character gains some extra bonus on top of their action succeeding. If they are attacking, they deal an additional Wound. If
they are trying to recall information, they gain additional clues
they weren’t even looking for. Each additional increment of four
further increases this effect, as the GM deems appropriate.
Sometimes, two character’s actions are directly opposed
to one another. In these cases, both characters make a roll and the
one with the higher result succeeds. Contests function almost identically to compared rolls, in that players roll a d12 and add a Skill
and an Asset. This is most commonly used in conflict and other
direct contests between charaters.
In general, each increment of four that a roll gets above its
difficulty increases the quality of its result. For example, if a character is searching for something, and they get four or more above
the roll’s difficulty, they find what they were looking for as well as
something else that helps them. This is especially important in sex
and in conflict, which are explained in more detail in their own
sections.
Personalities and Rolls
With Skills, the highest bonus a roll can gain is +3. If this
seems small, that’s because it’s supposed to. In Heart Roll, Skills
aren’t the main determinant of whether an action succeeds or fails.
Personalities are.
Whenever a character takes an action that is alignment
with one of their Personalities, they gain a +2 on the roll. If they act
in alignment with two, they gain a +4 bonus, and so on. This is the
core challenge of Heart Roll, to portray characters well enough to
get bonuses from their Personalities.
Note that the same action can be used for multiple differ-
31
ent Personalities, depending on how the player describes it. If the
character is asking a question, they could ask is quietly and meekly,
for the Shy Personality, or they could demand to be told immediately, for the Aggressive Personality.
If there’s any doubt over whether a character is expressing
a Personality, the play group can vote on it. If the majority thinks
the Personality is evident in the character’s actions, then they gain
the bonus for it. If the majority thinks it is not, then they do not.
In general, the group should accept any genuine effort to portray a
Personality, only voting when the matter is truly not clear. Should
the character take a risk of some sort to express one of their Personalities, it should definitely count.
It is sometimes a good idea for the characters to be responsible for tracking their own Personalities, and letting the GM
know when they think they deserve a bonus from one, that way the
GM doesn’t have to continously manage each character’s Personalities.
Shifts
In addition to Personalities, characters have another
means of gaining an advantage in their endeavours. Using their
Skills, a character can make a change to the situation around them
to give themselves a better shot at succeeding. They may use Persuasion to instill an emotion in another, Deception to make someone more likely to believe a future argument, or Empathy to notice a useful fact about a person. These small advantages are called
Shifts.
Mechanically, creating a Shift requires a single dice roll
using the most appropriate Skill and Asset. The difficulty for this
roll is always 6, and a character must have a rating of at least +1 in
the Skill involved. In addition, the player must describe how their
character uses their Skill to gain an advantage. They may take a
moment to survey the room with Perception, state the subtle lies
they tell using Deception, or narrate how they watch someone’s
expression with Empathy. Creating a Shift in conflict requires the
character’s action for the round. Once created, a Shift lasts for the
Scene. Shifts can also be given to other characters, and doing so
does not require an action. A Shift can be used to gain one of the
following effects. Once used, a Shift is gone.
•
A single dice roll the character makes gains a +4 bonus.
A roll can only benefit from this bonus once, even if it is later
rerolled.
•
A single dice roll the character makes can be rerolled. A
roll can only benefit from thie bonus once.
•
The character’s player can make a small, reasonable
change to the Scene in question that is in line with the Skill used.
If they need a particular item, they happen to find it on sale. If
they want someone to spend the night with, they find someone
they’re attracted to walks into the room. These changes cannot
completely remove major obstacles to a character’s goals, and they
cannot be used in conflict. Changes involving other characters’ actions must be in line with the character’s personality and motives.
32
Scenes
Gameplay in Heart and Fur is divided into segments
called Scenes. Each Scene is a set of events that happen in one place
and at one time. Think of it like a scene in a movie. Each scene has a
place where it is set, a time when it happens, and involves a relatively stable group of characters. When the main characters move to
another location, or when enough time passes, a new scene starts
and the old one ends. This is exactly how Scenes work in Heart and
Fur.
Goals
Gameplay in Heart and Fur follows a less stringent structure than in many other roleplaying games. Rather than deal with
pre-set plot lines, Heart and Fur uses a looser method of creating
stories. In this system, the gaming group agrees together on a goal
that the characters are going to pursue. These goals can be presented to the group by the GM as part of an ongoing story, but they can
also be created by the characters themselves in response to their
own Motives and lives. In either case, the whole group should be
interested in pursuing the goal, and agree to it.
Once the group has a goal, the GM decides on a number of steps necessary to complete the goal. These steps should be
reasonable given the goal in question. More complex or ambitious
goals should have more steps. The GM can tell the players each step
involved in the goal, but they can also keep some of them secret
and reveal them as they become relevant. In this case, when the
players resolve one step, the next is revealed to them by one of the
characters in the Scene or by the events around them.
If the GM sets a goal for the group, it is a good idea for
them to suggest possible courses of action they can take to pursue
it. This way, the players can focus on actually working toward the
goal, rather than on figuring out how their characters could actually accomplish it.
In addition to actively working on a goal, the players have
another option to allow them to progress toward it faster. The players can spend four Heart points on a goal to bring them immdiate
success on the goal’s current step. This cost can be split between the
players however they like. However, a goal can only have at most
half of its steps (round down) removed in this way, and the last step
cannot be removed.
When a step is removed, the GM should find a way to
accomplish that steps without the player character’s direct involvement. Luck simply works out to favour them and their goal. If they
are trying to solve a mystery, then they recieve one of the pieces of
information they need to solve it without having to go look for it. If
they are trying to get two people together, the two meet each other
by accident, but not start going out, saving the player characters
some work. More work is still needed for both of these goals, but
less so than before.
If the group is engaging in a larger storyline that focuses on particularly big goals, the GM can split these goals up into
a number of smaller goals, allowing the characters to make more
frequent progress toward their ultimate objectives, and get Expe-
rience more often. For example, if the group is trying to become a
famous rock band, they might first have to get an agent, then get
signed by a label, then take steps to increase their popularity and
possibly deal with other bands competing with them. This way, all
of a group’s goals can tie into a larger storyline.
In order to make an attack, the character’s player should
narrate what their character is doing. If they are swinging a sword,
describe the sword swing. If they are arguing, state the arguments
that they make. If they are trying to seduce someone, describe how
they swing their hips and speak in soft tones. Similarly, the defender should narrate what they do in response to an attack. Do they
attempt to block a punch, or duck out of the way? Do they argue
back, or try to withstand the onslaught of words? Do they seduce
in turn, or try to ignore how attractive their opponent is? Better
descriptions make for a more enjoyable experience for everyone.
Conflict
Conflict is a staple of any story, be it a conflict of personalities or swords. Presented here are rules for running Cconflicts
between characters. These mechanics are intentionally left open to
interpretation. A conflict could represent an all-out battle against
two opposing forces, but it could also depict a heated argument or
a seduction attempt.
Conflicts most commonly happen when two characters or
groups of characters have opposing goals. As neither side is willing
to sacrifice their goals, they come into conflict. Note that this can
even happen within the group of main characters, as some want
to take one course of action and the others want to take the opposite. There is nothing wrong with having a conflict between main
characters, so long as the players don’t take it too personally and
are alright with it happening. For the most part, however, conflict
shouldn’t be the first response to a problem. The characters should
try to talk out their differences first and see if they can’t reach some
sort of compromise. Only if both sides are unwilling or unable to
reach an agreement should conflict result.
Conflict is divided into turns, each one lasting anywhere
from a few seconds to a few minutes. Each character involved in
the conflict has one turn, which they take in order. To decide who
acts first, each character involved in the conflict rolls Athletics +
Speed. Rank the results from highest to lowest, with ties rolling
again as a tie breaker. This is the order that characters will act in,
called the Initaitive order. Once each character takes their turn, the
round of conflict ends and the characters begin acting again from
the top of the list, and continues on until one side of the conflict
wins. If a character wants to, they can delay their action until a later
point in the round, but if they delay their action until their next
turn, the delayed action is lost.
When in a conflict, characters can still use their Personalities as normal. If the player describes their character acting or
attacking in a manner consistent with a Personality, they gain a
bonus from it.
Sample Attacks
Fight
The character makes a physical attack against another
character, using fists, claws or a weapon.
•
Roll: Fighting + Muscle
•
Opposed By: Fighting + Speed or Athletics + Speed
Intimidate
The character uses their strength and battle prowess to
strike fear into their opponents.
•
Roll: Fighting + Charm
•
Opposed By: Integrity + Intellect
Seduce
The character attempts to instill lust in their opponent.
•
Roll: Persuasion + One of Penis, Breasts, Tongue, Ass, or
Vagina
•
Opposed By: Integrity + Intellect or Empathy + Intellect
Persuade
The character attempts to convince their opponent
through appeals to emotion and sentiment.
•
•
Roll: Persuasion + Charm
Opposed By: Persuasion + Charm or Integrity + Intellect
Deceive
Attacking
The character lies to their opponent in order to gain the
upper hand.
Each turn, a character may make one attack against another character. This attack may be physical or social, and uses one
of the character’s Skills and Assets. Doing so requires the character’s action for the round. Common forms of attack are listed below, but more can be created by players or the GM. When someone
is the subject of an attack, they can make a roll to defend themselves. Each type of attack lists the Skills and Assets that are usually
used to oppose it. A character is perfectly free to use a different
Skill or Asset, provided they give a description of how they use it in
response to the attack there are receiving.
•
•
33
Roll: Deception + Charm
Opposed By: Empathy + Sense or Integrity + Intellect
Argue
The character uses facts and knowledge to win over their
opponent.
•
•
lect
Roll: Knowledge + Intellect
Opposed By: Knowledge + Intellect or Integrity + Intel-
Wounds and Surrender
Each time a defending character fails an attack contest,
they take one or more Wounds. These Wounds can be physical or
social, depending on the nature of the attack, but the results are the
same either way. The defender loses some of their will to fight. The
number of Wounds depends on the rolls’ results. If the defender
and the attacker tie, one Wound is given. For each additional value
of four that the attacker’s result beats the defender’s, the defender
gains an additional Wound.
A character can only bear so many Wounds before they
lose the fight. A character can take a number of Wounds equal to
four plus their Stamina Asset. Wounds are tracked in the Wound
boxes on a character’s sheet. Each Wound a character receives
marks off one Wound box. Should a character mark off their last
Wound box, they surrender. They are not dead, mortally wounded
or seriously harmed in any way, but they have lost the will to fight
and are out of the conflict. Should some effect be capable of restoring Wounds, it can only restore Wounds to characters who have
not surrendered. Once conflict ends, characters recover all of their
Wounds at the end of the Scene.
If all the characters on one side of a Conflict surrender,
that side loses. This is not a permanent loss, and no one is dead.
It simply means that the losing side gives into the demands of the
winners. The winners get what they want, and the losers have to
give it to them. This might inconvenience the characters, but they
will survive. If the conflict the social in nature, the losers might
agree to a request or demand they dislike, or have to do something
they don’t want to. If it’s physical in nature, the losers might get
robbed or taken captive, but they could just as likely be facing social consequences.
These consequences shouldn’t be too severe, and should
never leave the players unable to continue pursuing their goals.
However, if the conflict in question was directly tied to a goal, losing it can add another step to the number needed to complete the
goal, at the GM’s discretion.
Support
In conflict, a character can also take on the role of aiding
one of their friends. To do this, the character uses their action for
the round to generate a Shift. This Shift can be used by them on a
subsequent turn, or given to another character to improve one of
their own rolls. In conflict, Shifts cannot be used to make narrative
changes to the Scene, only to gain dice bonuses.
34
Other Conflict Rules
Conflict Restrictions
In order to add more challenge to a conflict, the GM can
declare a restriction. This is some type of action that the characters
cannot take during that conflict, usually a type of attack that they
cannot make. The most common restriction is against the Fighting
Skill. If they characters are trying to seduce someone or bargain
with a wealthy noble, pulling out a sword and attacking isn’t an
appropriate course of action. Other restrictions include not using
intimidation, not trying to use certain emotions or not using Deception.
Guard
A character can forego their attack for their turn and
spend it actively defending themselves. They do not get to make
an attack, but until their next turn they can roll all defensive rolls
twice and take the better result. This applies to both physical and
social defences.
Grappling
While in combat, a character can attempt to grab hold
of another character. This is referred to as grappling. In order to
grapple another character, the character must be in close-combat
range of the character they wish to grapple. The attacking character
rolls Grapple + Muscle against the defending character’s Athletics
+ Muscle. If the attacker wins the contest, they successfully grab
and hold onto their target.
While grappled, a character cannot take any physical actions. The can still speak and perform mental and social tasks. The
grappling character can relocate the grappled character, but cannot
attack or take similar actions (unless they possess Traits like Extra Arms or Tentacles). Both the grappled and grappling characters lose their ability to defend against physical attacks (any attack
against them is a compared roll with a difficulty of 4), but can still
defend against social attacks as normal.
On the grappling character’s turn, they can attempt to
strip or disarm the grapple’s target. This requires a Grapple + Muscle vs Athletics + Muscle roll. If a character is successfully stripped,
they lose the benefits of their Outfit until they spend a turn putting
it back on. If they are disarmed, they lose the benefits of their Tool
until they spend a turn picking it back up. They cannot do either
while grappled.
Each time it is their turn, the grappled character can attempt to break free from the grapple. They repeat the roll used to
establish the grapple. Should they win, they break free from the
grapple and can act normally on their next turn.
Sex
action, even when it is not their turn. Talking is always allowed
during intercourse, provided the character isn’t using their mouth
for something else.
Sex divides a character’s body into various regions. Each
region can only be used once per round. If a character has already
taken an action involving that region that round, they or another character cannot take an unrelated action involving it until the
next round. For example, if someone is using their penis to thrust
into their partner, another character can’t also give them oral sex at
the same time. A character who is being thrust into can, however,
thrust back on their turn. Use common sense when adjudicating
what actions characters can and cannot take.
All characters possess the regions of hands, mouth and
anus. Characters start with more regions from the genitalia they
picked during character creation. In addition to regions, characters
have Preferences. These act somewhat like equipment, adding bonuses to certain sexual actions. These are explained in full later in
this section.
Heart and Fur is fundamentally about people and relationships. It aims to present character ties, motivations and personality in an interesting and enjoyable way. And in relationships, especially intimate ones, sex is unavoidable. Rather than skirt around
the topic, or mention it in passing but never elaborate on it, Heart
and Fur aims to do things differently. Presented in this section are
complete rules for sex, covering all manner of sexual situations and
preferences. These rules are designed to be simple, flexible and,
above all, fun to play with.
There’s no reason, however, why these rules have to be
used. If your gaming group would prefer to ad-lib sex and just
make things up as they see fit, they are more than welcome to.
These mechanics are presented to give sexual situations some more
structure and, potentially, make them more rewarding to play as a
result.
Goals and Sex
Sex can be used in your game in a variety of ways. It could
be used as the goal that the characters work towards. It could be
used to portray the characters’ relationships and intimacy. For
groups who want more of a challenge, it can also be used as goal
to complete. If your group wants to add more drama and tension
to sex, you can have a Scene of sex have the potential of working
toward the group’s goal, but only if a certain condition is met. Some
sample conditions are listed below.
•
•
•
•
Arousal and Pleasure
Mechanically, sex revolves around two concepts: Arousal
and Pleasure. Arousal represents a character’s internal desire and
lust. It’s the mental and emotional component to intercourse. Pleasure represents physical contact and stimulation. It’s the bodily and
tactile component to intercourse. Characters require both in order
to reach climax.
Arousal and Pleasure are tracked using circles on the
character sheet, referred to as the character’s sex track. The two
are tracked using the same continuum of circles, each from an
opposite direction. Pleasure is tracked from left to right, using
right-slanted lines (\), while Arousal is tracked from right to left
using left-slanted lines (/). Various sexual actions can cause characters to gain either Pleasure or Arousal. When a character has five
or more Arousal, they are visibly aroused, and others can tell they
are aroused with a Perception + Sense roll, difficulty 4.
Characters continually become more aroused over time.
Each day that passes that a character has not had sex checks one
of their Arousal circles. Pleasure is the opposite. Without constant
stimulation, a character’s Pleasure decreases. Remove one Pleasure
each sexual round in which the character receives no Pleasure. This
can be prevented by using a dildo. Having a dildo inserted into
any of a character’s sensitive orifices (not their mouth) prevents
Pleasure loss. Furthermore, a vibrator provides a flat one Pleasure
per sexual round so long as it is on and in contact with one of a
character’s sensitive regions.
Some sexual actions (most notably anal intercourse) can
cause one partner Pain. Pain is marked with a horizontal line (–) in
the first available circle on the left side of the character’s sex track.
The character cannot gain any more Pleasure until the Pain is removed from their track. Pain fades away at a rate of one point per
round of sex. Some Preferences change the way Pain behaves, making it act like Pleasure.
Make your partner climax first.
Make another character develop feelings for you.
Climax at the same turn as your partner.
Uncover another character’s Preferences.
Alternatively, for groups who want even more tension,
you can run sex like a form of conflict. The goal is not to reach orgasm, but to make your opponents reach orgasm before you. Each
character who climaxes is then exhausted and out of the scene. The
last side who has a character standing wins the conflict, with the
usual benefits of winning a conflict. These rules are, however, entirely optional. If your group just wants to roleplay sex for the fun
of it, more power to you.
Sexual Mechanics
Sexual intercourse takes place in turns like conflict does,
although the pace of these turns is much slower than in combat.
Each round of sex represents between one to five minutes of intercourse. Characters roll Initiative and take their turns in order
just like in regular combat. Unlike in Conflict, characters can take
two actions each sexual turn. For example, a character could thrust
into their partner and kiss them in one round, or they could give
oral sex to one person and a hand job to another. Common sexual
actions are outlined in the next section.
Characters can perform minor tasks like opening a nearby drawer, applying lube or shifting positions without using an
35
Whenever a character is subject to an action that grants
them Arousal or Pleasure, the base difficulty is 4. A result or four
adds one Pleasure or Arousal. Each additional increment of four
increases the Pleasure or Arousal gain by one.
•
•
•
•
•
•
Roll Result
4
8
12
16
20
Points
1
2
3
4
5
can only be marked with Pleasure, while the left-most circle can
only be marked with Arousal. In other words, the character must
have at least one Pleasure and one Arousal to reach climax.
There are benefits to reaching climax. The first time in a
day that a character climaxes, they gain Heart points. Normally, sex
grants one Heart. However, having sex with someone the character
has a Bond with restores that Bond’s rating in additional Heart.
Should the character have Bonds with more than one person present, only the highest Bond rating is used.
Sexual Actions
Climax
Pleasure is tracked from left to right and Arousal from
right to left. When the two meet and overlap, the character reaches climax and has an orgasm. Upon reaching climax, erase all
Pleasure and Arousal currently on the character’s sheet, but keep
overflow from the last sexual action. A character can have as many
consecutive orgasms as they want, but only the first one a day has
mechanical benefits. Males in the world of Heart and Fur don’t suffer from refractory periods, and can keep having sex for as long as
they want. There are a few requirements for a character having an
orgasm. Their Pleasure and Arousal must overlap, resulting in one
or more circles being marked with both a right facing and a left facing slash (an X). The right-most circle in the character’s sex track
Placidandy
36
The following are the most common actions that a character can take in a sexual encounter, along with the regions they use,
their roll (if any) and whether they give Pleasure or Arousal.
Anal Intercourse
Regions: Penis and partner’s anus
The lover inserts their penis into their partner’s anus and
begins thrusting. The first time an hour a character has a penis or
similar object inserted into their anus, they gain one Pain. Should
their partner use a lubricant, they gain no Pain. During anal intercourse, the top thrusts in and out, rolling Thrust + Penis and
adding to their own Pleasure based on the result. The bottom gains
a flat one Pleasure from their partner’s thrusts, once their Pain has
faded away. On their turn, the bottom can roll Thrust + Ass and
add the result to the top’s Pleasure, while gaining one Pleasure
themselves.
Breast Job
Seduce
Regions: Penis and both of partner’s breast.
The character slides their penis between their partner’s
breasts and thrusts back and forth. The thrusting character can roll
Thrust + Penis and gain the result as Pleasure, while the recieving
character gets one Arousal. The recieving character can roll Thrust
+ Breasts to do the same.
Requires: Mouth and Breasts or Ass
The character uses their assets to arouse their partner.
Roll Persuasion + Ass or Breasts and apply the result to the target ‘s
Arousal.
Stroke
Requires: Hand and partner’s penis or vagina
The lover actively strokes their partner’s sensitive areas.
Roll Touch + Paws and apply the result as Pleasure. The giver receives a flat one Arousal as well.
Caress
Regions: Hands
The lover gently touches and holds their partner. This
gives the partner a flat one Arousal.
Pain Inducing Actions
Dirty Talk
Not everyone is adverse to Pain. Some people find it to be
enjoyable in its own right, while others turn to it in order to add
variety to their lovemaking.
Regions: Mouth
The lover describes in great detail what they want their
partner to do to their partner’s body. They roll Persuasion + Charm
and adds the result to both partners’ Arousal.
Spank
Requires: Hands
One partner spanks, smacks or paddles their partner’s ass
or other body part. The receiving partner gains one Pain.
Frot
Regions: Both parties’ penises or vaginas
The lover rubs their penis or vagina against their partner’s,
pushing them together and generating friction between them.
Frotting adds a flat one Pleasure to both character’s sex tracks.
Whip
Requires: Hands
One lover brings a whip, cord or belt down on their partner’s body. Roll Fighting + Muscle and apply the result as Pain.
Grope
Regions: Hands
The lover aggressively gropes and fondles their partner’s
body. This grants the target a flat one Pleasure.
Preferences
People are complex, and their desires even more so. To
model the different likes and sexual kinks of characters, Heart and
Fur makes use of Preferences. A Preference is any object, situation
or idea that makes the character become aroused.
Preferences come in two varieties: weak and strong. Weak
Preferences cause sexual actions to be more effective. Each time a
character is part of a sexual action they have a Preference for, the
action grants them one more Pleasure or Arousal than it usually
would. This only affects the Pleasure or Arousal of the person who
has the Preference; others involved in the action gain the normal
amount of Pleasure or Arousal.
Strong Preferences are more powerful than weak Preferences. They have all the effects of a weak preference. In addition,
each time a character encounters the object of a strong Preference,
they gain an automatic one Arousal. This can happen once per sexual round per Preference, or once per Scene outside or sex. A character who remains in contact with a strong Preference will continue to gain Arousal each round, until they reach orgasm. Regardless
of its intensity, only one Preference can affect a given sexual action.
For example, Rell the tiger has a weak Preference for
bondage. If she is tied up or otherwise bound, all sexual actions
toward her grant an additional Pleasure or Arousal. If she had a
strong Preference for bondage, being tied up would grant her an
automatic one Arousal per round, in addition to the additional
Pleasure and Arousal she gets from sexual actions.
Kiss
Requires: Mouth and partner’s mouth
The lover makes out with their partner. Both parties gain
a flat one Arousal form kissing.
Lick
Regions: Mouth
The lover traces their tongue across their partner’s body.
This grants the target a flat one Arousal.
Oral Intercourse
Regions: Mouth and partner’s penis, vagina, clitoris, testicles, anus, or breast
The lover licks, sucks, or deepthroats one of their partner’s
sensitive areas. On more sensitive areas like the penis and vagina,
the lover rolls Lick + Tongue and adds to their partner’s Pleasure
based on the result, while their partner can roll Thrust + Asset for
the same effect. On less sensitive areas like the breasts, anus or testicles, the target gains a flat one Pleasure. In either case, the giver
gains a flat one Arousal from the sexual contact.
Vaginal Intercourse
Requires: Penis and partner’s vagina
The lover inserts their penis into their partner’s vagina
and thrusts. The penetrating partner rolls Thrust + Penis and adds
to both partner’s Pleasure based on the result. The receiving partner can roll Thrust + Vagina on their turn and add the result to
both partner’s Pleasure.
37
Sample Preferences
Voyeuristic
A particular size of person gets the character off (small,
regular, large or massive).
Applies When: Someone of that size takes any sexual action toward the character, or is present in a sexual situation.
Pregnancy
Body Size
Body Type
The character has a thing for people of a specific body
type (Muscular, Lithe, Weighty, etc.).
Applies When: Someone of that body type makes any sexual action towards the character, or is present in a sexual situation.
Bondage
The character likes to be bound, restrained or otherwise
prevented from moving.
Applies When: The character is restrained using any form
of bondage gear.
Dominant
do.
The character likes to be in control, telling others what to
Applies When: The character is being obeyed by others.
Exhibitionist
The character likes to be seen while having sex.
Applies When: Someone is watching the charaacter in a
sexual situation but not directly participating.
The character likes to watch others having sex, possibly
while masturbating.
Applies When: Someone nearby is having sex that the
character is not directly involved in.
With sex comes the chance of impregnation. To determine if pregnancy results from a given sexual encounter, have both
the male and female characters roll a d12. Pregnancy results if the
two player’s rolls match one another. If more than one male ejaculated within the woman during the encounter they each roll a die.
If there is more than one match, the GM determines whose child
the pregnancy is. Make this roll when the encounter is over, when
the characters are resting or getting dressed. The female character’s
player has the option of vetoing any pregnancy they would otherwise gain. A player should never be forced to portray a pregnancy
if they don’t want to.
An average pregnancy lasts for three seasons, and imposes some penalties on the character in the later stages. Starting at
the second season, all physical actions take a -2 penalty, while in
the last month they take a -3 penalty. Giving birth takes a day and
removes these penalties.
Other Rules
Eating and Expansion
The character loves the look, feel or smell of a material,
such as leather, latex or plastic.
Applies When: The character comes into contact with this
material, or it is involved in a sexual action.
The average person consumes around four pounds of
food a day, one or two at any given meal, but can eat up to six with
only mild discomfort. Smaller characters can get by with two or
three pounds, while larger characters require six or seven pounds
of food a day.
Someone who is forced (or chooses) to eat beyond this
limit has their body expand in order accommodate their additional
intake. Each additional two pounds of food will cause their belly to
expand by one inch. As the body is flexible in the world of Heart
and Fur, there is no limit to the amount of expansion a person can
experience as a result of overeating. Excess stomach size is lost at a
rate of one inch per day, until the character’s normal stomach size
is regained.
Sadist
Orgasm Denial
Masochist
The character enjoys pain. This Preference causes all Pain
the character incurs to be treated as Pleasure. Pain-causing actions
also add an additional Pleasure, or an automatic Arousal as appropriate.
Applies When: The character receives Pain from any
source.
Material
The character likes to give pain to others. Whenever they
give Pain to someone, they gain a flat one Arousal. This isn’t increased by the Preference.
Applies When: The character gives Pain to another in any
way.
Submissive
The character likes to be ordered around, dominated, or
controlled.
Applies When: Someone else takes control of a sexual situation or gives the character an order.
38
The desire for sex and pleasure runs hot in the world of
Heart and Fur. Being given pleasure, but prevented from reaching
climax, can quickly erode a person’s will to fight and resist. In order to induce orgasm denial, one character must pleasure another
character, but stop short of giving them an orgasm. A character
can withstand a little while of this, but not extended periods. For
each hour a character is kept in a state of near-orgasm, without any
hope of actually reaching climax, they must make an Integrity +
Intellect roll, difficulty 8. Failure inflicts a Wound on them, which
they cannot remove until they reach climax. Should they lose their
last Wound and surrender, they suffer all the usual effects of losing
a conflict.
Hypnosis
Transformation points add up over time. For every four
points of Transformation a character gains, they gain a new Trait.
The GM and player should work together to determine what Trait
is appropriate. The first few times this happens could grant Cosmetic Traits, changing how the character looks but not anything
central to their physiology. After that, the Traits gained could be
more major changes, granting the character the Traits of another
race or gender. Alternatively, the character can gain whatever Traits
their player wants, as the GM deems appropriate.
If a player doesn’t want their character to be Transformed
on a regular basis, they can invest in the Stability Skill. If a character has this Skill, whenever they would usually gain Transformation, they can instead roll Stability + Stamina. If they get a 6 or
higher, they ignore the Transformation. If the character would gain
multiple points of Transformation at once, they add 1 to the difficulty of the roll per additional point. This Skill is mostly useful in
settings where transformation is common. If the group as a whole
dislikes transformation, then the GM should simply avoid putting
them in situations that can cause it. The players should be informed
of this in advance so they know whether to invest in the Stability
Skill.
In extreme cases, and only with the player’s approval,
the character can change one of their Personalities as a result of
Transformation. This represents a core facet of the character being changed, and has dramatic repercussions for their nature and
demeanour. It’s also possible, although rare, for a character to lose
one of their Personalities due to Transformation. In this case, the
character loses a large portion of their independence and thinking
ability. Characters who lose all of their Personalities become little
more than mindless slaves, unable to make decisions for themselves. Whether your group is comfortable allowing this option, or
portraying characters under its effects, is up to you.
Characters who have suffered from Personality loss or alteration can be restored to their former selves through the actions
of others around them. By being reminded of who they are and the
emotions they used to feel, they rekindle something of their former
self. Any time a character suffering from Personality loss or alteration would be the subject of a Moment, or if they form or upgrade
a Bond with another, they forego the usual benefits to restore one
of their Personalities to normal. However, the character must want
to restore this Personality. If they are happy with their new way of
being, then they cannot be changed back.
Using a combination of soothing voice and mesmerizing
motions, a character can attempt to put another character into an
altered state. They must make a Hypnosis + Charm roll in a contest
against their target’s Integrity + Intellect. If the attacker succeeds,
the defender is hypnotized. The defending character must be able
to see the attacker for this to take effect.
While hypnotized, the character cannot initiate any actions of their own and is highly suggestible. They will obey any
instructions their hypnotizer gives them, although their ability to
act is highly limited. A hypnotized character can only carry out
simple commands like undressing or licking. They cannot be made
to attack anyone. A hypnotized character is easily swayed and cannot defend against social attacks (they automatically succeed at difficulty 4), while being the subject of a physical attack immediately
ends the hypnosis. Hypnotised characters can be made to strip or
drop their Tool with a successful Hypnosis + Charm vs Integrity + Intellect contest. Like a grapple, the character responsible for
hypnotising someone must use their action each turn to maintain
the hypnosis, or the hypnotized character automatically breaks free
and can act normally on their next turn.
The hypnotized character can attempt to break free each
turn, rolling their Integrity + Intellect against their hypnotizer’s
Hypnosis + Charm. If the hypnotized character gets a higher result than the hypnotizer, they break free and can act normally on
their next turn. A hypnotized character who loses their last Wound
while under hypnosis cannot rouse themselves from hypnosis until
the end of the next Scene, unless they are attacked or otherwise
physically shocked.
Transformation
In the world of Heart and Fur, there are many forces that
can change someone’s body. People can be transformed through
magical means, through contact with certain substances or because
of the actions of strange science. All of these physical changes are
represented as Transformation.
Characters track Transformation using points, which are
tracked on their character sheet. Transformation points are gained
from a variety of sources. Some sample ones are outlined below,
but the GM is encouraged to add more based on the type of setting
they are using in their game.
•
Consuming a mutagenic alchemy adds one point of
Transformation.
•
Consuming a corruptive alchemy adds its quality bonus
in Transformation.
•
Being exposed to radiation or mutagenic chemicals adds
a point of Transformation.
•
Being the subject of a magical effect that transforms the
body in some way adds a point of Transformation.
•
Certain plants contain transformative properties. Eating
one adds a point of Transformation.
39
Traits
Traits define aspects of a character that aren’t captured by
their other statistics. If a character is a good fighter, that’s a Skill,
but if they have sharp claws that add to their combat prowess, that’s
a Trait. Traits have four varieties: Cosmetic, Internal, External and
Flaws. Cosmetic Traits alter the character’s appearance but have no
mechanical effects, such as being a strange colour. They are also
free to obtain. Internal traits are things that cannot be seen but affect the character in some way, like being ambidextrous. External
Traits are visible parts of the character’s body, like claws, horns or
wings. Flaws are Traits that inflict some penalty or hindrance on
the character, and are usually gained at character creation in exchange for points to spend on other characteristics.
Altered Seed
Cosmetic Traits
Subtle Glow
Cosmetic Traits alter a character’s appearance in some
way. They are not mechanically useful, but they are also free. Cosmetic Traits never cost anything to obtain at character creation or
later.
Covering Traits
Covering Traits define a character’s skin covering. All
characters start with a covering Trait. On the character sheet, record the colour of your character’s covering as well as the type. For
example, a grey wolf would write ‘Grey Fur’ in the Traits section of
their character sheet.
Carapace
The character gives off a dim natural light, from their
palms, feet, mouth and genitalia. It’s not enough to see by, but it
does make the character stand out in a dark room.
Tail
The character has a tail. This could be a short tail like a
rabbit or bear, a long mobile tail like a cat or wolf, or even an abdomen like an insect.
Tasty Body
The character’s skin and other body parts taste like something pleasant. They might taste like chocolate, berries or spices.
Internal Traits
The character has unusually keen eyes. They gain +2 to all
visual Perception rolls.
The character is covered in soft skin or rough hide.
Size Traits alter how large the character is. These Traits
have no mechanical effects, but can be the subject of Preferences.
Massive
Ambidextrous
The character can use both hands equally well. They have
an additional hand region for use in sexual encounters.
Anal Control
The character is massive, at least eight feet tall. They might
have trouble fitting through some doorways.
The character has extra musculature in their anus, allowing them to actively pleasure anyone thrusting into them. All anal
Thrust rolls they make gain a +2 bonus.
Camouflage
The character is very large, at least seven feet tall.
The character can blend into their surroundings. All
Crime rolls to sneak gain a +2 bonus.
The character is petite and adorable, under four feet tall.
Climbing Pads
Diminutive
The character is extremely small, under two feet.
Other Cosmetic Traits
ry.
When not erect, the character’s penis is covered by a
sheath. This Trait is mostly possessed by wolves and other canines.
Acute Sight
Size Traits
Small
Sheath
The character possesses a nose capable of picking up
minute traces of scents. They can make Perception rolls to pick up
scents like others would sights and sounds.
The character is covered in scales, with larger scales across
most of their body and finer ones around the joints.
Large
The character’s fur, scales, skin or hide has an unusual or
unnatural colour. This makes them stand out in a crowd, but has no
mechanical effects.
Acute Scent
The character is covered with a layer of fine or thick fur.
Scales
Skin
Unusual Colour
These Traits alter what a character is capable of, but have
no effects on their appearance.
The character is covered with a layer of hard exoskeleton.
Fur
The character’s semen has an unusual taste, scent or colour. It may be blue, taste like raspberries or smell like sweet honey.
It may be unusually hot or strangely cold.
These are Cosmetic Traits don’t fall into any other catrgo-
40
The character has pads on their hands and feet that allow
them to climb easily. They can always move at their full movement
rate while climbing, and can climb regardless of their Athletics rating. They must be barefoot and not wearing gloves to gain this benefit.
Contortionist
attached to them. They are always under the effects of one piece of
sexual equipment. If this is bondage gear, they are always bound for
the purposes of Preferences.
The character is capable of bending into positions that
others could never manage. They can perform oral sex on themselves easily, and can work themselves into other unusual arrangements, such as licking someone’s taint while also giving them anal
sex.
Loose Butt
The character’s butt is unusually loose and easily accepts a
partner’s thrusts. They suffer no Pain when receiving anal sex.
Corruptive
Natural Alchemy
The character’s body slowly warps and changes those who
are in contact with them. Each time the character has sex with
someone, that person gains two Transformation. This can be resisted by the Stability Skill as normal. The bearer of this Trait also has a
set of Traits that they usually grant to others, which is chosen when
this Trait is gained. Characters transformed by them typically gain
one of these Traits.
The character’s body naturally produces an alchemical
substance. Select one alchemical Effect. One of their bodily fluids
carries this effect at the Moderate Quality, affecting anyone who
consumes it. Alternatively, the character can release the alchemy
as a pheromone and affects everyone in ten yards of them. Both
of these effects can only afffect a given character once per Scene.
Regardless of the delivery method, the alchemy never affects the
character who produces it. Some sample uses of this Trait include
lubricating sweat, aphrodisiac precum and mutagenic saliva.
Echolocation
The character is capable of hearing high-pitched sounds
and using them for navigation. They can see perfectly in darkness
and dim light, but extremely loud sounds temporarily ‘blind’ them,
rendering their echolocation useless for a round.
Nourishing Fluid
One of the character’s bodily fluids, be it semen, vaginal
secretions, or milk, is unusually nutritious. Anyone consuming
even a small amount of this fluid does not need to eat or drink for
the next day. This includes the character themselves.
Extra Womb
The character has one additional womb located somewhere on their body. It could be in their stomach like a regular
womb, or in their anus, breast, tail, or anywhere else. They can carry one additional pregnancy at a time, although they only suffer
the penalties from the most advanced pregnancy. This Trait can be
obtained multiple times, adding an additional womb each time.
Permissive Orifice
One of he character’s holes is extremely stretchy and
loose. They can have two penises inserted into is at one time.
Photosynthesis
The character possesses chlorophyll in their skin or organs. They can survive off nothing but water and six hours a day of
sunlight, although they are likely green.
Fertile
The character’s body is unusually fecund, and is able to
cause or get pregnant easily. All rolls for pregnancy the character
makes roll two additional dice.
Prehensile Feet
The character’s feet are as dextrous as their hands. They
can use their feet to hold objects and gain them as a region to use
in sexual encounters. This does not allow the character to use an
additional Tool, however.
Fluid Feeder
The character’s body is designed to survive off sexual fluids. They can live off nothing but semen or vaginal secretions. They
must have oral sex at least once a day or they begin to suffer the
effects of starvation, infllicting a -2 penalty on all of their actions,
and they must swallow any fluids released during sex. Most people
with this ability can eat normal food as well, and can survive just
fine off either diet, or a combination of the two.
Premature
The character often orgasms before they intend to. They
can reach climax with Arousal alone.
Sensitive Anus
The character’s anus is unusually sensitive. When receiving or giving an anal thrust action, the character gains the action’s
full result in Pleasure, rather than the usual flat one Pleasure.
Gratuitous Cum
The charater’s body produces impossibly large amounts
of semen, on the order of several gallons per load. Whenever they
ejaculate into someone, be it orally, anally, or vaginally, their partner’s waistline increases by two inches. This excess weight is lost at
the standard rate of one inch per day.
Sensitive Spot
The character has some spot on their body that is unusually sensitive. When this Trait is gained, select one body part. This
becomes a sexual region capable of receiving Pleasure like a penis
or vagina is. This could allow the character to have highly sensitive
ears, tail, feet, or any other region they like.
Hypnotic Eyes
The character’s eyes can create hypnotic patterns, glow
with magical light or are simply unusually captivating. They add
+2 to all hypnosis rolls when the target can see their eyes.
Swift Pregnancy
The character’s body is designed to speed through pregnancy. Their pregnancy advances each day, rather than each month.
Integrated Gear
The character has some form of sexual gear permanently
41
A full pregnancy occurs in nine days. An additional purchase of
this Trait decreases the time to each hour.
Thick Hide
The character’s skin is unusually tough. They gain an additional Wound.
Vaginal Control
The character has an unusual degree of control over their
vaginal muscles. All vaginal thrust rolls they make gain a +2 bonus.
They must possess the Vagina Trait to have this Trait.
External Traits
These Traits affect how a character looks and what physical capabilities they have.
Breast Traits
These Traits alter how the character’s breasts work. A
character must have breasts to gain these Traits.
Controlled Lactation
The character can regulate how their body produces
milk. They can cause milk to flow from their breasts at will, in any
amount they desire.
Extra Breasts
The character has an extra pair of breasts of the same size
as their regular ones. Add two additional Breast sexual regions on
their character sheet.
length and a tip that flares outward. On the character sheet, record
your penis’ type, and if you wish its size. This Trait allows the character to gain the Penis Asset.
Testicles
The character possesses a pair of testicles. Add testicles to
their list of sexual regions, and also make a note of their size (golfball, tennis-ball, grapefruit, etc.).
Vagina
The character possesses a vagina. Add a vagina and clitoris to their list of sexual regions. They can also gain the Vagina
Asset.
Mouth Traits
Mouth Traits alter how the character’s mouth works, particularly how it works during sex.
Cock Tongue
The character’s tongue is a fully functional penis. Add
Tongue Penis to their list of sexual regions. Due to this penis’s
placement, it cannot receive the usual sexual actions that a penis
can. Instead, whenever the character gives someone oral sex, they
gain the effects of the roll in Pleasure along with their partner. Kissing grants them a flat one Pleasure as well as the usual Arousal.
When aroused, this penis gets in the way of speaking. Whenever the character has more than five points of Arousal in their sex
track, they take a -2 to all attempts to communicate verbally.
Multiple Nipples
Long Tongue
Nipple Holes
Mouth Vagina
Each of the character’s breasts has four nipples. All Pleasure received by one of their breasts increases by one.
The character’s nipples are sensitive openings rather than
small buds. Their nipples can be targeted by thrust actions and gain
one Pleasure per round of thrusting. They can also have dildos inserted into them.
Genitalia
These Traits define the character’s basic sexual regions, as
well as what Assets they can gain. These Traits are free to acquire
during character creation, and can be gained after by Transformation.
Breasts
The character character possesses a pair of breasts, adding
two breast regions to their character sheet for use in sexual encounters. They can also record their breast size in cup size (A, B, C, etc.).
This also allows the character to gain the Breast Asset.
Penis
The character possesses a penis. They gain the penis region for the purposes of sexual intercourse. There are three kinds
of penises: knoted, flared and straight. A straight penis resembles
a human’s member, with foreskin and a glans. A knoted penis resembles a canine’s member, with a bulging knot at the base and a
pointed tip. A flared penis resembles a horse’s, with ridges along its
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The character’s tongue is unusually long and dextrous.
They gain a +2 to all rolls involving the Tongue Asset.
The character’s mouth is shaped like a vagina, and functions as one. This vagina can receive the same suite of sexual actions
that a regular vagina can. Also, you gain one automatic Pleasure
from kissing someone. Having a mouth vagina makes it difficult to
speak, inflicting a -2 penalty to all attempts at communicating with
words when the character has more than five points of Arousal.
Penis Traits
These Traits alter how a character’s penis works. A character must have a penis to gain these Traits.
Cock Beads
The character has beads along the length of their penis.
All Thrust rolls they make with their penis are at +2.
Cock Gun
The character’s penis is also usable as a weapon. It can
shoot blasts of energy or other projectiles at will. The character can
substitute their Penis Asset for their Muscle Asset when making
Fighting attacks.
Extra Penis
The character possesses an extra penis, either right beside
or directly below their original. They gain an additional penis sexual region, which can give and recieve the same suite of actions as
their original penis. This Trait can be gained multiple times.
Prehensile Penis
The character’s penis can move and bend of its own accord. It can hold objects, although it can’t attack, and it can maneuver to better get at sensitive places. All thrust attempts the character makes are at +2.
Retractable Penis
The character can pull their penis into their body, leaving
only a small slit. This slit can be pleasured like a vagina, and can
take all actions a vagina can take. While the character’s penis is
retracted, it cannot be the subject of sexual actions, and they use
Vagina in place of Penis for sexual rolls.
Snake Penis
The character’s penis is long, prehensile and ends in a
snake head, or other face. It can lift objects, although it can’t attack,
and has a personality of its own. It might be able to speak, at the
player’s discretion. It can still receive and give the full suite of sexual actions, and gains a +2 to Thrust rolls due to its intellect and
dexterity. Due to its length, it can do things that a normal penis
couldn’t, such as wrapping around someone’s leg or reaching up to
their mouth when they are standing next to the character.
Variable Penis
The character can change the shape of their penis at will.
They can switch it between being straight, knotted or flared at any
time.
Other External Traits
Extras
Antennae
These Traits represent a wide variety of organs and functions that a character can possess.
The character has a pair of antennae on their head, which
are sensitive to scents and pheromones. They allows them to take
scent-based Perception rolls. If they already have this ability, they
add +2 to all scent-based rolls.
These Traits add extra body parts to a character.
Extra Arms
The character possesses an extra pair of arms. They gain a
+2 bonus to all grapple attempts, and can continue to take actions
and make attacks even while grappling someone. They also gain
an additional hand region. They still cannot grapple more than one
person at a time however.
Gills
The character has gills on their neck. They can breathe
underwater indefinitely.
Hooves
Extra Eyes
The character has hard hooves, enabling them to travel
extremely fast. They can run at 40 mph, and move twenty yards in
a turn, should it ever be necessary to do so.
The character has an extra eye or pair of eyes. They gain
+2 to all visual Perception rolls.
Extra Head
Hyper
The character has an extra head. This head has its own
personality and may want different things than the other head
does. The character can roll all Knowledge rolls twice and take the
better result. In addition, they gain an additional mouth region.
This Trait can be obtained multiple times.
The character is extremely large and muscular. They gain
a +2 to Muscle rolls.
Inner Compartment
The characters’s body has a large open cavity within their
chest or stomach. When successfully grappling another character,
they can take them into this compartment with their action for the
turn. While inside, the character cannot be attacked or attack others, and cannot perceive their surroundings. They can escape with
the normal roll to break a grapple, but the character with this Trait
can grapple and act normally while another is inside of them.
Extra Legs
The character it a centaur, with four or more legs. This
grants +2 to Athletics rolls involving speed and running.
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Large Ears
The character possesses ears larger than most species’.
They gain +2 to all hearing-based rolls.
Liquid Body
The character’s body is fluid and can shift shapes at will.
They cannot be grappled or held in any form of constraint. When
grappling another character, they keep them inside of their body
until the character breaks free. The character with this Trait still
must use their action to maintain the grapple.
Ovipositor
The character can lay eggs with one of their organs, usually their tail or penis. These eggs can be laid within another’s anus
or vagina. In order to lay eggs within someone’s body, they must
either be in a grapple or be willing. Laying eggs takes a turn, after
which they cannot be removed without medical intervention. The
eggs hatch one week later, and tiny offspring emerge from the appropriate cavity.
Serpent’s Torso
The character’s lower body is like that of a snake. They
have no legs, only a long prehensile tail. They can use this tail to
make grapple attempts, while keeping their hands free for other
actions. They roll to grapple as normal, but can keep one person
grappled in their tail and still take other actions. The character with
this Trait can still only grapple one character at a time.
Wings
The character possesses a pair of functional wings. They
can fly at ten yards a turn, and can take off or land using a turn.
On the character sheet, record what kind of wings they are. The
choices are feathered (like a bird’s), leathery (like a bat or dragon)
and membranous (like a dragonfly).
tentacles and still be able to move and act regularly on their turn.
Tentacles count at their own sexual region and can make grope and
caress actions, and can thrust, but do not receive any Pleasure from
thrusting. All of these actions use the character’s regular Skills and
Assets. This Trait may be obtained multiple times, adding a new
sexual region each time. Each additional instance of this Trait allows for one more person to be held in grapple without affecting
the grappling character’s ability to move and act.
Dextrous Tentacles
The character’s tentacles are capable of fine manipulation
of objects. They can wield weapons, open doors and pick locks, although the character still cannot use more than one Tool at a time.
The character must possess tentacles to gain this Trait.
Phallic Tentacles
The character’s tentacles end in penises of the same kind
as their normal one. The tentacles can be targeted by sexual actions
as though they were a penis, and can gain Pleasure from them as
normal. A character must possess tentacles to gain this Trait.
Tail Traits
These Traits alter how a character’s tail functions. A character must have a tail to gain these Traits.
Prehensile Tail
The character’s tail is sensitive and dextrous. It can pick
up and wield objects as though it were a hand, and can be used to
make caress and grope actions. A character with this Trait can stil
only use one Tool at a time.
Web Spinning
The character possesses the ability to bind others in webbing. After a successful grapple attempt, the character can spend
a turn weaving webs around their target. After this, the target remains grappled, but the web-spinning character can move and act
freely. The roll to escape from the webbing is the same as the one
to escape from a normal grapple, and still relies on the grappler’s
Grapple and Muscle ratings. This Trait can also be used to create
bondage gear like arm binders and rope.
Webbed Feet
The character’s feet have webbing between their toes.
They can swim ad 15 yards per turn, and gain a +2 to all Athletics
rolls involding swimming.
Tentacle Traits
These Traits represent a character having prehensile tehcacles of some kind.
Tentacles
The character has a pair of tentacles growing out of their
back or groin (your choice). They may use these tentacles to make
grapple attempts. They can hold someone in a grapple using their
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Tail Cock
potential sexual conquest alone or to always give your enemies a
chance to surrender.
The character’s tail ends in a functional penis. Add tail
penis to their list of sexual regions. This region can make and receive all the actions a penis can, and contributes fully to its host’s
Pleasure.
Cumbersome
The character has a body part, be it their breasts, stomach,
penis or testicles, that is large enough to weigh them down. All
Speed rolls they make take a -2 penalty.
Tail Mouth
Declawed
The character’s tail has a mouth, and possibly eyes. Add
tail mouth to their list of sexual regions. The tail can make bite attacks using a roll of Fighting + Strength, and may be able to speak.
(If it can speak, decide whether the character controls it or if it has a
mind of its own). It can also give and recieve mouth sexual actions.
Through an accident, birth defect or purposeful removal, the character has lost their claws. Declawing is used in some
societies as a punishment for particularly severe crimes, but more
modern cultures view this as barbaric. The character must originally have the Caws Trait to gain this Flaw, and loses it upon gaining
this Trait.
Tail Vagina
The character’s tail contains or ends in a functional vagina. Add tail vagina to their list of sexual regions. This region can
give and receive all sexual actions that a regular vagina can, and
contributes fully to its host’s Pleasure.
Fluid Dependant
The character requires sexual fluids in order to survive.
They must have oral sex, and swallow all fluids released, at least
once per day or they begin to starve, inflicting a -2 penalty on all
actions. If they also have the Fluid Feeder Trait they can survive off
these fluids alone, but otherwise must eat regular food as well.
Vagina Traits
These Traits affect how a character’s vagian works. A character must have a vagina to gain these Traits.
Extra Vagina
Frail
Prehensile Clitoris
Infamy
They character is physically weak and mentally unstrong.
They can sustain one fewer Wounds before surrendering.
The character has more than one vagina. They gain one
additional vagina sexual region.
Whether deserved or not, the character has a foul reputation. People are inclined to dislike or work against them as a result.
Anyone who is aware of this reputation will likely treat them poorly
and will be less likely to help or cooperate with then (possibly inflicting a penalty on relevant rolls).
The character’s clitoral hood is long and capable of moving on its own. It can make grope and caress actions during intercourse.
Weapon Traits
Lustful
These Traits give the character natural weapons that cannot be removed or disarmed. There are a variety of possible weapons, including Claws, Horns, Fangs, or a Stinger. All Weapon Traits
function the same way, granting a +2 bonus to all Fighting attacks.
A character can gain the effects of one weapon Trait at one time.
The charaacter has a hard time controlling their actions
when they’re feeling horny, and they’re always feeling horny. This
can either be a permanent affliction, or something that is triggered
during certain seasons, such as a rut, heat or mating season. If the
effect if year-round, the character suffers a -1 penalty to all rolls to
resist attacks based on lust. If the effect is confined to a season, then
for those months they take a -2 penalty on all rolls to resist attacks
based on lust.
Flaws
Flaws are Traits that inflict negative effects on the character possessing them. Characters most commonly gain Flaws during
character creation in exchange for more bonus points. A character
can never have more than three Flaws.
Scar
Some painful or traumatic event happened in the character’s history. They may have lost their parents, had a bad break up
,or been part of a natural disaster. This has left an emotional mark
on them, and anyone who knows about it can use it to gain the
upper hand. By mentioning this Scar during a conflict, a character
can add a free Shift to their next attack against the character bearing the Flaw. This can only happen once per Scene.
Carnivore
The character’s diet consists solely of meat, which is typically more expensive than plant-based foods. Most races can eat
plant foods if they need to, as meat may not always be available to
them. A character with this Flaw, however, cannot. This increases
the cost of all meals they eat by one half.
Creed
Weakness
The have a set of rules or principals that you live by. They
must always follow the strictures of this creed. These rules must be
something that can inconvenience the character during play. Sample Creeds include to always help those in need, to never leave a
The character has a soft spot for a certain action or kind
of person. It could be blonds, bondage or reptiles, but regardless of
the specifics, the results are the same. Any roll they make to resist a
social attack that involves their weakness takes a -2 penalty.
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Equipment
This chapter presents the rules for equipment that the
player characters are likely to come across, as well as how to purchase it.
Wealth
Heart and Fur is about the subtleties of character interaction and relationships. It is not about tracking every penny that
a character possesses. It is also a game designed to be played with
many different settings, ranging from fantasy to contemporary to
sci-fi. In order to accommodate such variety, the game uses a much
simpler system of tracking wealth than many other role-playing
games. Characters track their money using points called Wealth.
Each Wealth represents an approximate amount of money, rather
than a hard value. Each thing a character could buy has a rating in
Wealth, which is the amount of Wealth the character must pay in
order to acquire it.
Most characters have some sort of job or career that provides them with a regular supply of Wealth. To represent this, characters gain points of Wealth each month that passes in the game.
The amount depends on the specifics of the character’s job, but
should usually be between 5 and 20 Wealth. This ensures that the
character always has a bit of spending cash.
Common Purchases
Tools
•
A Tool5
Food and Provisions
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Week’s cheap food
3
Week’s fine food
7
Month’s provisions
10
Dinner out2
Fancy meal4
Banquet10
Night’s drinking3
Cask of ale
4
Single beer1
Cheap wine2
Fine wine5
Shot of spirits
2
Bottle of spirits
7
Coverings
•
•
Average Outfit5
Fine Outfit10
Housing
•
•
•
•
•
•
A hovel3/month
An apartment5/month
A house10/month
A mansion20/month
An estate30/month
An island50/month
Vehicles
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
A used car
30
A car50
A sports car
100
A fishing boat
30
A house boat
70
A private jet
150
A trip on an airline
7
Services
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Haircut2
Massage2
Marking5
Hair colouration3
Cheap prostitute4
Skilled courtesan7
High-end escort10
Strip artist7
Professional entertainer
7
Sexual Gear
•
•
•
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Bondage Gear3
Dildo1
Vibrator2
Outfits
In Heart and Fur, a character’s choice of clothing does
more than just express their sense of aesthetics, it provides important mechanical effects. These sets of clothing are referred to
as Outfits, and each Outfit is linked to a single Personality. When
wearing clothing for a certain Personality, the bonus that Personality provides increased from +2 to +3. If a character doesn’t possess the Personality for an Outfit they are wearing, they gain that
Personality at its usual intensity until they remove the clothing. By
presenting themselves in a certain way, a character can experiment
with new ways of acting and relating to others.
A character can own as many Outfits as they like, but can
only wear and benefit from one Outfit at a time. Choosing what
to wear to an event or night out therefore becomes an important
decision. Some sample Outfits are presented here, but characters
can come up with more during play. Each Outfit only works for one
Personality, however, and the Personality it effects cannot change
once it is obtained.
•
Spiked Jacket - Aggressive
•
Hoodie – Aloof
•
Tie Dye Shirt – Flamboyant
•
Corset – Proper
•
Business Suit – Proud
•
Trench Coat – Serious
•
Bondage Harness - Submissive
Markings
In addition to outfits, characters can also gain Markings.
These may be permanent tattoos, dye applied to the fur or skin, or
piercings and other body-modifications, but the mechanics are the
same regardless. Having a set of Markings functions like an Outfit does, but only when the character isn’t wearing an Outfit. This
means that when the character is having sex, or if they are stripped
in Conflict, they can still benefit from the effects of an Outfit. A
character’s Markings can look like whatever they want, but should
tie in somehow to the Personality they enhance. Aggressive markings should be spiky and harsh, while playful ones should be bright
and fun. A character can only have one set of Markings at a time.
They are recorded on the character sheet under the equipment section as Marking: Personality.
Tools
Tools are useful objects that a character can wield to enhance a certain Skill. Tools always grant a +2 bonus to a single Skill.
A character can own as many Tools as they like, but can only use
one at a time, and switching them out during Conflict requires
their action for the round. In addition, Tools can be disarmed using
Grapple and Hypnosis, preventing the character from using them
until they are picked back up, which requires a turn. Tools do not
stack with the bonuses from Traits; only one can be added to a given roll. Below are a selection of sample Tools, but players and the
GM can invent more as they see fit.
Book
Armour
A book contains useful information on a variety of subjects. It adds to Knowledge rolls.
In some settings, it becomes necessary to keep oneself
safe. Physical attack is a risk, and one must be prepared for it. In
these settings, characters can make use of armour. Armour takes
the place of an Outfit and adds a +2 to all Fighting and Athletics
rolls to avoid physical attacks, but not to social attacks. A character
cannot gain the effects of both armour and a standard set of clothing at the same time.
The specific form armour takes depends on the setting. In
a historic setting, it is likely leather or metal. In a modern setting is
is probably a bullet proof vest. For a science fiction setting, it could
be power armour or a force field.
Memento
A keepsake from someone well loved. It reminds the bearer of what’s important to them. Adds to Integrity rolls. Mementos
cannot be purchased, but a character can start with one at the beginning of play or gain one during play.
Pendulum
A pendulum is used to hypnotize others. It adds to Hypnosis rolls.
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Thieves’ Tools
Spreader Bar
Thieves’ tools include lockpicks and similar gadgets. They
add to Crime rolls.
A spreader bar attaches to both of its wearer’s legs and
holds them apart, making it impossible to walk or deny someone
access to their nether regions. Someone wearing a spreader bar
cannot close their legs.
Weapon
A weapon can take any form the character desires, from
a sword to a gun to brass knuckles. Regardless of form, it adds to
Fighting rolls.
Strap On
Rope
A rope can be used to bind and entangle opponents, adding to Grapple rolls.
Jewellery
Jewellery makes a character more attractive, adding to
Persuasion rolls.
Sexual Gear
This section presents the rules for a wide variety of sexual
equipment, from dildos to vibrators to bondage gear.
Arm Binders
These coverings bind the individual’s arms together, removing both hand region from play and prenting them from using
Tools.
Beads
Beads are a form of dildo that is shaped like a string of
beads. Putting beads into an orifice or taking them out grants a flat
one Pleasure. While they are left in, they prevent the gradual loss of
Pleasure that normally occurs over time.
Blindfolds
A strap on is a dildo that can be mounted on the wearer’s
pelvis. It allows its waerer to make thrust actions as though they
had a penis, although it cannot receive Pleasure.
Tail Raiser
A tail raiser attaches to the wearer’s tail and back and lifts
their tail up to allow for easier access to their hindquarters.
Vibrator
A vibrator is a dildo or other small device that vibrates for
pleasure. They are the exclusive domain of modern and advanced
settings, barring some form of magic, and provide anyone they are
inserted into with one Pleasure per round. Many vibrators take up
a sexual region, but some can be worn without limiting access to
the user’s body.
Alchemy
In the world of Heart and Fur, people regularly make and
consume a wide variety of potions. These elixirs can arouse, enlarge
and transform, among countless other effects, and are collectively
known as potions. All potions have three traits: their Quality, Delivery and Effect. Quality measures their strength, Delivery how
they are used and Effect what the potion does once consumed. In
the following entries, potions are listed as follows.
Blindfolds prevent their wearer from seeing, making them
fail all sight based Perception rolls.
Quality Effect Delivery
Dildo
Dildos are any object designed to be inserted into a sensitive orifice for pleasure. When inserted, they prevent the loss of
Pleasure over time. Dildos are most common in modern settings,
but they could be found in some pre-modern ones, made of stone
or heavily varnished wood (you wouldn’t want splinters). They may
be rare, the domain of nobility and the elite, or commonly available
to the public.
Gag
A gag removes the wearer’s mouth region from play, and
prevents them from speaking. There are a wide variety of gags in
existence. Ball and bit gags are the most common. Ball gags are soft
balls attacked to straps, while bit gags are rods that have harnesses
attached. Some ball gags have an open centre, allowing objects to
be inserted into the wearer’s mouth. If a penis is inserted into it, its
owner gains a flat one Pleasure a round.
Leash
A favourite of wolves and other canines, leashes and collars can be used both for bondage and as a fashion accessory. When
someone is wearing a leash, its holder can direct their movement
and make them follow them around.
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For example, a potion listed as Strong Endowment Flask
would have the Quality of Strong, the Effect of Endowment and the
Delivery of Flask. All of these are explained in more detail below.
Quality
All alchemical potions have a quality, which determines
both the potion’s cost and its effectiveness. Should the potion’s effect require a roll, the roll is always a d12 with a bonus based on the
potion’s Quality. This is referred to as its quality roll. This roll can
be enhanced with Heart and appropriate Shifts. Alternatively, some
potions last longer based on their Quality.
•
•
•
•
Quality
Weak
Moderate
Strong
Delivery
Bonus
+2
+4
+6
Price
2
4
6
Potions have many different delivery methods for their
effects. Presented here are the more common ones.
Draught
Suffusion
Flask
Effects
A draught is a potion designed to be consumed orally.
The user drinks it in order to make it take effect, which requires
their action for the round. Some people are known to take a
draught, without swallowing it, and then give it orally to another.
Many alchemists mix flavours into their draughts in order to make
consuming them more appealing.
A suffusion is an alchemy that builds up in the body and is
released in the individual’s fluids. After taking a suffusion, the individual’s saliva, milk, semen, sweat and vaginal secretions all take on
the potion’s qualities. Anyone consuming these fluids is automatically effected by the potion. The individual who takes the suffusion
is also affected by it.
A flask is a small glass bottle designed to break on contact
with its target and splash them with its contents. Using a flask requires throwing it at a target, using a successful Fighting + Muscle
attack. Once successfully thrown, the flask’s contents get on the target and take effect immediately.
A potion’s Effect dictates what exactly it does to someone
who consumes or otherwise encounters it. A number of common
Effects are listed below, but more can be made by the GM or players.
Aphrodisiacs
Musk
Aphrodisiacs are a class of potion that induce arousal and
sexual desire. They are often employed by courtesans and more
socially-minded combatants. Many bars and taverns serve drinks
laced with mild aphrodisiacs, while providing rooms for their patrons to retire to (for a fee of course). When used, aphrodisiacs
automatically roll their quality roll as a social attack, which is contested normally. Should the target be willing to have sex, the potion
instead acts as a normal arousing action.
Musks are airborne potions. They are aerosolised either
by uncorking them and allowing them to evaporate or by burning
them like sticks of incense. Once released into the air, the musk
affects everyone who enters a ten yard radius around it. In enclosed
spaces, this region can be smaller. Musks can only affect a given
individual once per Scene.
Salve
A salve is a paste that is applied to a weapon or sexual
region before use. After a salve is applied, the next successful attack
or sexual action that the user makes will carry the potion’s effects.
Salves can be applied to both natural weapons and Tools. Applying
a salve requires an action. Once applied, salves lose their effectiveness in an hour.
Ambrose
Weak Aphrodisiac Draught
This is a tea-like drink common in many parts of the
world. When consumed, it fills the drinker’s body with pleasant
warmth, which gradually settles in their groin.
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Black Rum
Moderate Aphrodisiac Draught
This hard beverage has a complex, woody taste and is often mixed with other drinks. Some regions of the world are famous
for its production.
Honey Musk
Moderate Aphrodisiac Musk
This honey-coloured liquid evaporates quickly when uncorked. It has a sweet fragrance, and causes feelings of arousal in
anyone who smells it.
Nectar of Heaven
Moderate Aphrodisiac Suffusion
This sweet tasting liquid is consumed in large quantities
by devotees of certain faiths. They then have oral sex with parishioners as part of their sacred rituals.
Lust Bomb
Canine Elixir
Moderate Corruptive Draught
Canine Elixir was designed by an alchemist with a love for
canines. The potion commonly grants its drinker Fur, Claws, Acute
Scent, a Tail or, if they are male, a knotted penis. The drink has a
slightly musky scent and tastes bitter.
Diminishing
A diminishing potion decreases some aspect of a character, be it their strength, intellect or breast size. All diminishing
potions inflict a -2 penalty to a single Asset. Each individual potion
only affects one Asset, and the effect lasts one hour per Quality
rating. Assets affected by a diminishing potion become noticeably
smaller or less functional. These potions don’t stack with themselves.
Emerald Curse
Moderate Aphrodisiac Flask
This vaguely blue liquid is known for its lust-inducing
qualities. When thinned with water and bottled, it can be thrown
to induce strong arousal in another.
Moderate Diminishing Flask
This greenish liquid quickly absorbs into the skin when
splashed onto a person. Thereafter, they find their body becomes
heavy and harder to move, and their muscles shrink down significantly. They take a -2 to Muscle.
Constrictor
Endowment
Constricting agents splash over their target and then
harden into ropy strings, binding them in place. Constrictors must
be used as a Flask. When thrown, the constrictor potion makes a
grapple attempt against its target using its quality roll. The potion
continues to roll in opposition to its target breaking free each turn
the target struggles against it. Should the target break free, the potion has no further effect. In addition, a constrictor potion can be
poured over someone as a form of bondage, restricting the movement of the region it is applied to.
Spider’s Flash
Moderate Constrictor Flask
This white potion quickly hardens into a silk-like net that
traps those within it.
Contraceptive
An endowment potion increases the size or functionality
of one of the user’s Assets. Each potion affects a different Asset,
and has no effects on someone who cannot possess that Asset. The
potion provides a +2 bonus to that Asset for one hour per Quality
rating, in addition to making the Asset significantly larger. These
bonuses do stack with those from Traits or Tools, but not with
themselves.
Lover’s Ally
Weak Endowment Draught
The potion commonly known as lover’s ally is designed
to enhance the penis of its drinker, making it significantly larger.
Some people, however, know it as lover’s bane, as not everyone can
fit such a large member inside of them. Still, its a favourite of size
freaks everywhere.
Fertility Enhancer
A contraceptive potion is designed to prevent pregnancy
resulting from intercourse. When taken by a woman, it prevents all
pregnancies for a full day per Quality rating. One for Weak, two for
Moderate, three for Strong.
Corruptive
Corruptive potions permanently warp their drinker’s
physiology. Being affected by a corruptive alchemy adds the potion’s quality bonus to the target’s Transformation. Unlike mutagens, which inflict temporary changes, the effects of a corruptive
alchemy are lasting. Each different variety of Corruptive potion
normally has a set of Traits associated with it, which those affected
by it most commonly gain. Some, however, inflict Traits at complete random, and can have virtually any effect on the user.
50
Fertility enhancers promote conception and pregnancy.
They improve the virility of a man’s seed or the receptibility of a
woman’s womb. For species with a designated mating period, they
artificially force the body into mating mode. A fertility drug allows
an extra die per Quality rating to be rolled when determining if a
pregnancy takes place (so a moderate Quality potion allows two
extra die to be rolled). The effects of a fertility drug last for a day.
Lactate
A lactate potion causes a female to begin producing milk.
After it is taken, the woman’s breasts will swell slightly and then
begin lactating. They will release a small trickle milk constantly, or
a large stream if suckled on. Lactate potions last for one hour per
quality rating.
Looseners
Sensitivity Booster
Lubricant
Angel’s Caress
Looseners cause certain muscles to relax and make penetration easier. They are often used before anal sex to allow the bottom an easier time taking the top’s penis. Taking a loosener means
that the bottom experiences no pain upon entry. Looseners last one
hour per Quality.
Sensitivity boosters enhance the sense of touch and hone
sexual desires to a cutting edge. These potions make it easier for
their subject to become aroused and feel pleasure, decreasing their
inhibition. Sensitivity boosters increase Pleasure gained from all
appropraite sexual actions by one, and last for their Quality in
hours.
Lubricants are undoubtedly the most common variety of
alchemy. They are used to lubricate genitalia during intercourse,
enhancing pleasure and reducing any possible discomfort. Higher quality lubricants contain substances that tingle or cause other
pleasurable sensations. Lubricants are always salves, and are applied to a penis or fingers. They then add their Quality roll’s bonus
to the next sexual action that region makes. They also remove the
possibility of pain from anal intercourse.
Moderate Sensitivity Booster Draught
This potion is used by courtesans whose clients wish an
especially intense, if short-lived, experience.
Nature’s Bounty
Weak Lubricant Salve
A popular form of lubricant made in a variety of fruit flavours. Everyone has a favourite, as well as one they can’t stand.
Bliss Gel
Strong Lubricant Salve
A high-end lubricant that causes strong sensations in the
region it is applied to, often likened to having one’s body gently
caressed by many hands.
Mutagens
Mutagens are a class of potion that change their target’s
biology. They grant their consumer a single Trait, be it Cosmetic,
Internal or External. Once consumed, a mutagen takes a minute to
take effect. During this time, the subject’s body rapidly shifts and
rearranges, taking on a new shape. After the period of transformation is over, the potion remains in effect for one hour per Quality
rating.
Draught of the Sky
Moderate Mutagen Draught
This potion gives its drinker a pair of feathered wings,
which are perfectly capable of holding them aloft in flight.
Sea-Breath
Moderate Mutagen Draught
Sea-breath temporarily grants its consumer functional
gills, which allow them to breathe underwater as easily as they do
on land.
Potion of the Other Side
Strong Mutagen Draught
This potion is designed for those who want to see how the
other side lives. There are two varieties of this potion, one for men
and one for women. The male version grants its consumer breasts
and a vagina, while the female version grants a penis and testicles.
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Running the Game
Heart and Fur is a game that runs differently than many
other roleplaying games, and so this chapter is designed to give
advice to a GM running the game. The game is perhaps best described as a social sandbox game. While long, intricate plot lines
are certainly possible, most games of Heart and Fur are going to be
driven by the player characters. They are going to pursue their loves
and goals, and they will steer the story in the direction they want
it to go. The job of the GM isn’t so much to create a narrative, but
to provide bits and pieces of narrative to the players and let them
forge them into their own stories.
Preparing to Play
Before play has even begun, the players need to make
their characters, and the GM needs to decide on the main premise
of the setting they are in. If you’re using one of the pre-made settings in this book then a lot of the work will be done for you, but
you still need to select a core premise for the campaign and what
part of the setting it will happen in.
When making player characters, its often a good idea to
have the characters all know each other before play begins, as this
can explain why they are all working together throughout the story.
It also allows them to set one another as their Bonds, which will
provide a source of Heart once play begins.
Pay special attention to the character’s Motives and Preferences. Motives will provide excellent hooks later on for introducing plot threads and goals, and can be turned into goals in and of
themselves. Preferences are also a clear indicator of what kind of
experiences the player wants their character to have. This will be
important when it comes to making NPCs. Also ask each player
what their comfort level is when it comes to sex, and especially
what kinks are a no-go for them. Do your best to make sure that
these don’t come up in the game, to ensure that all of the players are
comfortable.
Non-Player Characters
As most of Heart and Fur’s focus is on social interaction,
making interesting non-player characters is of vital importance.
Thankfully, by listening to what the players and their characters
want, this can become a lot easier. The main character’s Preferences
are often a source of many potential non-player characters. If one of
the player characters likes bondage, then making a few non-player
characters who are also into bondage will provide both a reason for
those characters to interact and a reason for the players to become
invested in them.
When first making characters, its generally not necessary
to make a full stat writeup. Instead, give each character a physical
description, including their race, gender and body type, and then
come up with a few quirks and one or two problems for the character. Quirks are memorable features that will make the character stand out to the players. They might have an accent, frequently
forget to wear clothing or be extremely talkative. If your group is
playing Heart and Fur using text, it’s a good idea to give some of the
character vocal quirks that will come across well in text. Problems
are potential goals that the character might want pursued, and can
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serve as the seeds of future plot lines. One or two problems per
character is plenty.
For example, if the GM is creating characters for a game
set in an office building in Lamina, they might first look to their
player’s preferences for inspiration. If they know one character is
into people who crossdress, they might make one of their coworkers a crossdresser as one of their quirks. As their other quirk, the
GM decides that they have a sweet tooth, and are always eating
candy. For a problem, the GM decides that the character is in love
with one of the other non-player characters, but is too shy to ask
their paramour out. If the player characters take a liking to this
character, their love interest could provide the seed of a goal later
on.
It’s a good idea to create a dozen or so characters before
play begins, and then look for opportunities to introduce them to
the players. The key here is to see which characters the players find
interesting and want to see more of, and which ones they don’t care
for much. The characters the players like should then be given full
stat writeups, while the ones they don’t can be safely ignored. Be
prepared, however, for characters you put a lot of effort into to be
ignored completely, and for characters you made up on the fly to be
beloved by the players. Such is the work of a GM.
Its also a good idea to make a few characters that have no
pre-set profession or role in the story, to be dropped into the game
when the players do something unexpected. If the players decide to
go shopping, and you never detailed a shopkeeper, it can be helpful
to have a spare character or two on hand. Also consider selecting a
few key locations where the players can meet new characters, such
as a local tavern, a café, or the office cafeteria.
When playing a NPC, its best to decide in advance how
many Heart points they are willing to spend on the current Scene.
If the Scene isn’t really important to the NPC, they shouldn’t spend
any. If it ties into one of their problems or Preferences, they should
be willing to spend one or two. Only if the Scene is of tremendous
importance to them should they be willing to spend more than
three.
Goals
A lot of the gameplay in Heart and Fur revolves around
the player characters pursuing goals. These goals can and sometimes should arise organically from the character’s personalities,
but others will need to be provided by the GM. Its usually best to
link each goal to something that matters to the player characters.
Making the goal part of pursuing one character’s Motives, or making it significant to one of their Bonds, is a good way to get the
players and their characters invested in it. If you have come up with
problems for your NPCs, then it should be fairly easy to generate
goals that have meaning to those characters, and by extension the
players as well.
When pursuing goals, it’s the GM’s job to ensure that they
player characters always have some meaningful action they can
take toward the goal. This doesn’t mean to solutions need to be
spoon fed to the players, but its best not to completely stump them
either. Provide leads and possible venues of action, and let the play-
ers decide how they will use them to their advantage.
There are many different ways of structuring a goal in
terms of the steps needed to accomplish it, and a few patterns are
outlined here to make creating and running goals easier.
The Chain
In a chain goal each step leads to the next step after it.
These goals are linear storylines, there accomplishing one step directly informs the player characters of what the next step is. The
players likely won’t know more than one step ahead of where they
are, and won’t know how many steps total are needed for the goal.
This variety of goal is very versatile, but it works particularly well
for mysteries, where each clue leads to another clue, and then finally to a solution.
The Web
In a web goal, the players are given a few main tasks to
complete, but they can pick the order in which they complete them.
The players know at least a few of the steps necessary to complete a
web goal, but each step may lead to others they don’t know about,
so they don’t necessarily know how long the goal will take. Web
goals work best for more social tasks, where there are various people involved, and each one needs to be dealt with seperately.
The Field
A field goal is the most open-ended of goals. In it, the
players are given one or two large objectives, and are given complete latitude as to how they pursue them. These goals work best
with more experienced groups who are good at thinking on their
feet, or with groups that enjoy more open-ended narratives. Field
goals normally have fewer steps, but each step can take longer than
for other goal types.
Conclusion
Heart and Fur presents a unique challenge to its players
and GM. It’s a game almost entirely based around social interaction, and while this may seem difficult to pull off at first, it can be
very rewarding. There is a certain magic that happens when the
players all know each other, and have a group of NPCs they like,
and the game simply grows organically from their actions and desires. If your group can get there, you’re golden. Until then, happy
hunting.
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Part Two
Setting
54
The rules presented in the previous section are designed
for a certain kind of roleplaying. They’re made for stories that center on character interactions and relationships, with risks and dangers that are of a personal, social nature. Failure in these stories
might jeopardise a relationship or a night’s fun, but don’t have far
reaching consequences for the world as a whole.
The following settings are designed with this kind of roleplaying in mind, although each one puts a different twist on it. The
City of Lamina takes the modern world and turns the sex up to
eleven. It’s designed for groups wanting as much eroticism and sex
as possible in their stories. The Strain offers a dark future to our
own world, where the world has been ravaged by an alien disease
that transforms people into anthropomorphic animals. It’s designed for stories of survival and ingenuity, with sex hanging over
it all like a brooding storm cloud. Glimmer focuses on the lives
and studies of students at a university for wizards. It is designed
for more character-driven roleplay, where sex is still present but
takes a backseat to stories of self-discovery and friendship. Should
none of these settings appeal to your group, they are perfectly free
to make up their own. In time, more settings will be released by
Sheath Studios that can be used with the core rules presented here.
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Lamina
The city of Lamina sits along the eastern coast of a vast
continent known as Turth. The city is vast and sprawling, housing close to seven million people. Its streets are full of cars and
skyscrapers, and its vast western stretch is a continuous stretch of
beaches and luxury homes. Surrounding Lamina on all other sides
is a vast stretch of farmland responsible for supplying the city’s
population with food.
Lamina is among the only place in the world that has
reached the level of technology it currently possesses. The rest of
the continent is mostly feudal lords and small kingdoms. These
lords employ knights armed with rifles who ride motorcycles. Battles between these knights are furious but brief, as each side guns
down their opponents. Only the wealthiest among the kingdoms
can afford to buy such devices from Lamina and the other nations,
and so knighthood is reserved exclusively for the nobility. As a sign
of their noble ancestry, these knights still employ finely crafted
metal armour covered with heraldic symbols.
There are only two other places in the world as advanced
as Lamina. The city-state of Veil sits far to the north, and is ruled by
a union of powerful priests. Its culture prizes religion and spiritual
pursuits, and often melds them with the sexual in strange erotic
rituals. Its leadership is also its priesthood, who lead the people in
their collective worship
Placidandy
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The sprawling nation of Westerth sits to the far west of the continent. This nation is far larger than Lamina and its surrounding
lands, with a dozen or so major cities, but it is ruled by a powerful
conglomerate of large corporations. These corporations manipulate
and experiment on their citizens frequently, spreading propaganda
and controlling the media to influence people’s minds. Almost every TV program is sexual in nature, and news shows are completely
unheard of. Their goal is to create a society so addicted to pleasure
and sexuality that it doesn’t care what its leadership is doing. So far,
it seems to be working. Air and sea travel are the preferred method
of travelling between these disparate regions, as there are no major
roads connecting them. A trip to Veil takes a day by sea and four
hours by air, while Westerth takes a week by sea, going around the
bottom of the continent, and a day by air.
Climate
Lamina sits near the equator of its world, and has a warm
climate. Summers are hot, although rarely humid, and winters are
cool. Snow is rare, although when it happens it is a cause of considerable disruption. The predominant wind is from the sea to the
east, and the city is occasionally buffeted by strong sea-born storms
from the ocean.
Regions of Lamina
sexual pleasures.
When a child reaches a certain age, they undergo a
change. Their body begins to shift, growing rapidly and developing
secondary sexual characteristics. They quickly shift from a child’s
body to that of an adult, over the course of only two or three yeas.
The first blush of sexual feelings happen during this time, often
completely overwhelming the individual. Many people can tell of
their first sexual feelings, when they jumped on the nearest person
available or jerked off in front of their peers. These moments are
often looked back on with laughter rather than remorse, signalling
the beginning of the good things to come.
Despite reaching physical maturity so quickly, the youth
is not a true adult. Mental maturation doesn’t happen for several
more years, leaving the individual lacking in emotional judgement
and reasoning. Still, anyone who has undergone physical maturation is legally able to consent to sex. These years are a time of exploration for most people, as they try out many different things and
see what suits them and what does not. Among the most important
experimentation is sexual, as the youth explores their new body
and its capabilities. Most people experiment with partners of different genders and characteristics in order to find out their sexual
preferences. Where they had little to no interest in sex before their
maturation, they now find that a whole new field of possibilities has
opened up to them. Most people dive into their first sexual years
with abandon, eager to experience and feel everything they can.
Youth lasts for between five and eight years, depending
on the species and individual. At its end, the individual enters into
adult society. Whereas youth is a time of exploration, adulthood is
a time to build on what they have discovered. Knowing their preferences, the adult can build lasting relationships and connections,
and can function as a productive member of society at the same
time. Adults typically remain in peak physical condition for fifty
to sixty years, after which there is a slow decline into old age. Most
people live another twenty to thirty years after entering old age,
and keep most of their physical capabilities until the very end of
their lives.
Lamina is a sprawling city, and contains many regions and
unique neighbourhoods.
The Seaboard
Stretching along the city’s eastern edge is the seaboard.
This is a continuous strip of beaches bounded by surf shops and
luxury homes. A bit in from the beaches themselves are vast market
streets full of foot traffic and food vendors. The seaboard is home to
a thriving surf culture, with its own unique views on the world. To
the surfers, life shouldn’t be taken too seriously, relaxation and fun
are the only goals worth pursuing, and sex can easily be traded for
other goods and services. There are many movies and other stories
about newcomers to the seaboard being taken in by surf culture
and taught how to relax and enjoy life, often with many sex scenes
on the city’s beaches.
Lower Side
The city’s southern tip, past the Overpass, is the region
formally called Rockpass, but commonly known as Lower Side.
The houses here are small and poorly maintained, and crime is
rampant. At least two crime syndicates operate out of the region,
running illegal prostitution and gambling dens. Despite the harsh
circumstances, some of the city’s most famous artists and performers have come from Lower Side, and the region has a thriving artistic culture that struggles to make a name for itself in the broader
city.
High Side
In the city’s northern end, the land slopes up and becomes a high ridge. Along this ridge are built the mansions of the
extremely wealthy. The region is full of tree-shaded parks and luxurious private estates. The people here rarely interact with those who
live in the city below, preferring to form their own close-knit community. There, amid lavish splendour, the rich throw their private
orgies and sorties. The families that own property here have owned
it for decades, and outsiders have little hope of breaking into their
insular society.
Education
The Clusters
Education is of paramount importance to the people of
Lamina. All citizens are entitled to a free, government-sponsored
education that lasts until the end of youth. Some wealthy citizens
instead send their children to various private schools, but most
people attend conventional government-run schools.
From a young age, children attend Basic Schools, also
known as First School. First School does not segregate children
based on age. Rather, it groups them into broad bands of maturity
known as grades. Children of many different ages occupy the same
grade, grouped together based on intellectual and social maturity. Education becomes progressively more serious in each higher
grade level. At the lowest grades, children play games and perform
artistic tasks. These games teach children how to follow rules and
interact as groups, along with basics of letters and numbers. At
middle and higher grades, children learn basic language and mathematics, along with singing, dancing and hunting.
Stretching out from the north and west sides of the city
are vast residential neighbourhoods known as the Clusters. This
region houses fifty percent of the city’s population, who must commute to and from work each day via the city’s many internal highways. There is something of a cultural split between residents of
the Clusters and people from the city’s core. The core-dwellers view
Cluster folk as complacent and overly conservative, while Cluster
people view inner city residents as rebellious and uncouth.
Life in Lamina
The people of this world recognize three stages to life:
childhood, youth and adulthood. Childhood is the first stage of
life, during which the individual grows and learns the basics of living. People remain children for ten to fifteen years, depending on
their species. Most people of the city regard children with a certain
amount of pity, as they are too young to engage in or appreciate
57
Children remain in First School until they undergo maturation, which is at a different age for each individual. Once the
teachers notice maturation beginning, they will arrange for the
student to be transferred over to the next level of education. These
transfers can only happen at designated points in the year, in the
spring or fall, resulting in some students having to wait several
month from their first blush of sexuality until they can enter into
an institution suitable to them.
Youth go to Advanced Schools, known colloquially as Second School. In them, classes on mathematics, language and history
are interspersed with ones on sexual practices. These courses instruct students on various sexual techniques and positions, as well
as how to properly please a partner using all of them. This knowledge is considered essential by society at large, and is a requirement
for anyone to be taken seriously on the job market. Many of these
courses use hands-on demonstrations, usually with volunteers
from the audience, and then break into group work where the students practice what they have learned on one another.
Classes are divided along lines of sexual orientation. Homosexual students are grouped with the same gender, while heterosexual students have mixed classes. Students who are unsure
of their orientation are encouraged to attend multiple classes until
they find one that suits them.
Students are guided by these institutions through the process of maturity, taking courses on managing desires and dealing
with sexual urges. Most importantly, a student’s studies show them
how to hone and control their instincts. Without this education, all
pretense of civilized society would be impossible, as people would
follow their instincts blindly and mate in the middle of the streets.
Discipline in these institutions is important. There are
some rules that always must be followed. No sex with a non-consenting partner is the most important, although rarely needs to be
enforced, as most youth are eager for new experiences. Far more
often, students are brought before the principal for jerking off in
class or having sex in the middle of a non-sexual lecture. The principal of an institution has full discretion when punishing offenders,
and most are willing to show leniency for first offences, especially
if the offender gives them a blow job in their office. Common penalties are being barred from sexual courses and public humiliation,
normally through nude spanking.
There are no rules stating that teachers cannot have romantic relationships with students, although it is generally considered in bad taste Most students are not mature enough for a truly
adult relationship, and romance between student and faculty typically ends poorly. Still, many teachers are known to have flings with
students. Some are even rumoured to award better grades to those
who please them sexually
Students are not allowed to have sex in the hallways of
Second Schools, for safety reasons. The students have found many
creative ways around this. Bathrooms are a favourite place to fuck,
along with little-used stairwells and the occasional supply closet
(although this typically takes getting on the caretakers’ good side
somehow). Some students arrange orgies in the changing rooms
58
or disused classrooms, with invitations only given to their group
of friends. The sports teams are notorious for arranging gatherings
like these, and getting an invitation to one is considered a sign of
one’s popularity and status within the school.
There is no set length a youth spends in Second School.
Some spend only two or three years there, while others spend a decade. Leaving requires two things. First, the student must have five
teachers sign a letter of maturity. Getting a teacher to sign a letter
requires demonstrating to them sexual skill and prowess, as well as
the ability to resist one’s urges. Second, the student must pass an
exit exam, which tests them on the knowledge they have gained in
their academic career. Upon meeting both of these requirements,
the student can attend the annual graduation ceremony and is eligible to attend the next level of schooling.
Not all students go onto the next level of education. Some
take on an apprenticeship or go into their family’s business. For
those with the funds to afford it, the next state of education is Third
School. With the entry into these schools, everything becomes
more complex. No longer can one simply proposition another
student and make love. No longer are there classes solely devoted to having sex. Now, there are complex games of courtship and
romance to be played. Lovemaking comes with an assumption of
relationship, of commitment of some kind, and there are always
strings attached to even the most simple of flings.
Sex is no longer taught in classrooms, so the students
must find ways to satisfy themselves out of class. This leads to many
students forming small societies and groups, where the members’
specific tastes can be satisfied. Entry into these groups is difficult,
normally requiring knowing one of the members personally, along
side a string of sexual favours to the group’s founders. Most new
members of these groups are expected to bow to the desires of the
more senior members, fulfilling their betters’ desires before their
own will be filled.
Students at Third School often live in dormitories with
many other students. There is a hidden language used within these
dorms. Closing one’s door shows that one wants privacy, and it’s
considered extremely rude to burst into another student’s room
without knocking first. Leaving one’s door open a crack indicates
that one is open to people dropping in for sex or to talk. Leaving
one’s door wide open indicates that one wants observers, not participants.
Most dormitories have one or two dorm sluts, people who
offer their bodies freely to everyone in their dorm. People become
dorm sluts due to an uncontrollable love of sex, and are often values quite highly values by their peers. No one wants to see their
dorm’s slut have a hard time and be unable to put out, so most
people are willing to help their slut if they ever need it. Most dorms
hold parties on a regular basis, and the dorms’ slut is often the centerpiece of the event.
The education at these institutions is of a more academic
nature. Sex only comes up in class rarely, and mostly as an academic subject.
College of Community Studies
around their neck. Participating in Nude Day is not mandatory, but
is viewed highly by the faculty and is likely to improve one’s marks.
The school also places a great deal of pride in its athletic prowess.
Athletes from CoCS are among the best in the city, and are often
chosen to become professional competitors. The school doesn’t
advertise this, but it has a secret formula for fostering comradery
among its athletes. Starting a few weeks into training season, the
school starts keeping its athletes late after practices. The coach
gives all of the players potent aphrodisiacs and then leads them
to make love to one another in the changing room. These orgies
continue until playoffs begin, as which point they become rewards
for good play. Should the team perform well, even if they don’t win,
they’ll be treated to a post-game orgy by the coach. Should they
not hold together or turn on one another, the orgy will be cancelled
and everyone goes home.
The school also offers a matchmaking service for its students. Applicants can place request for a night, a date or a relationship, along with any special interests or preferences they have, and
a team of matchmakers try to connect them with other students (or
occasionally faculty) who meet their needs and desires.
One of the city’s two Third Schools, CoCS is geared to
practical and hands-on learning. Its most popular programs include construction, nursing, engineering and professional courtesan training. Unlike its rival Verpa, the College still offers courses
on sex. It used to be that only students in its courtesan program
could take these courses, but they school has since found that student morale is boosted considerably by allowing everyone to take
them.
The college is known for its inclusiveness. Students here
are welcoming and open, a rare trait in a Third School, and are
expected to look after one another. Newcomers are quickly taken
under the wing of older students, and are often introduced to their
group of friends. The College is also remarkably open about sexuality. Students are explicitly permitted to make love in side hallways
and unused rooms, and teachers are more than welcome to sleep
with students so long as it doesn’t interfere with their job.
The College is a single vast, sprawling building with many
additions and branching hallways. It has three dormitories for its
students: shale, clay and granite. Students are matched with roommates based on their sexual preferences, with the hope that they
will become lovers and help one another through the often difficult
years of study that lie ahead of them. Granite is the smallest and
oldest building, and is steeped in history and prestige. Only upper
year students can stay there, and most get to select their roommates
ahead of time.
Shale is the largest dorm and includes its own dining
chambers. It’s not widely known, but the building has a hidden
basement that can be accessed through one of the supply closets.
The current dorm representative has a deal with the janitorial staff
where she exchanges sexual favours in exchange for a spare key
to the closet. She offers the key in exchange for a favour she can
call in later. The same representative also runs her own sex-service
business on the side, trading sexual favours among students and
setting up couples she things will work together. Students often use
the basement room for orgies and parties.
Clay dorm is middle sized and has a large common room
on each floor. People can be found making love in the common
rooms at almost all hours of the day and night. Clay is notorious
as the party dorm. Most nights sees it full of music and aphrodisiac-chugging students. These parties inevitably descend into massive orgies in the common rooms. Clay has the most open doors
of any dorm, and its students are renowned for their willingness to
experiment sexually, although the large doses of aphrodisiacs they
consume regularly probably contribute to this reputation.
The College values community very highly and arranges
many large gathering and events to foster collective spirit. Nude
Day is one famous example. In order to make the new students
feel at home, each one is assigned an upper year student for a day,
of a gender and orientation of their choosing. The older student is
expected to follow the younger one’s instructions for the day, taking notes while in class and performing sexual acts while not. The
catch is, they must spend the whole day nude, save for a bell worn
Verpa University
The most prestigious school in Lamina is Verpa. It is an
ancient institution with a long history, and has played host to some
of the greatest minds the city has ever known. Most major scientific and academic advances of recent years have been the product
of the school. Verpa is well aware of this, and expects each new
generation of student to live up to the standards set by their predecessors. Students here are under constant pressure to succeed, but
at the same time, have access to resources the likes of which others
can only imagine.
Unlike CoCS, Verpa focuses on pure academics and abstract subjects. It holds courses on philosophy, history, advanced
math, classic literature and the sciences. Students at Verpa normally take a wide range of classes in their first two years before selecting a focus and spending the next three years pursuing it.
The University has strict rules about romance between
students. If it exists, it is to be kept out of public view. The university tries to maintain the appearance of a conservative institution,
where old values still hold sway. The truth is far more interesting,
however.
All that the rules against public sex have done is force students, and faculty, to get creative. They make love in empty lecture
halls, locker rooms and dorms. Some buildings are known to have
clandestine rooms seemingly built for secret lovemaking, but the
entrances to these are closely guarded secrets. Students often sneak
out into the forests beyond the city for clandestine lovemaking.
Students in the University often join exclusive groups
known as fraternities. Joining one requires undergoing a strenuous initiation ritual. The ritual’s specifics are different from one
fraternity, but normally require some sexual act on the part of the
initiate. From then on, they are a member of the fraternity, and are
normally expected to be sexually subservient to the older members.
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Adult Life
When an individual leaves school and enters into the
adult world, the enter into a society with subtle rules and customs.
There are many more rules regarding sex in the adult world. Nudity
is not allowed in public, save in designated parks and recreation
centers. People are expected to keep their sexual desires to themselves while in mixed company, and jumping someone is completely out of the question.
This does not mean, however, that adults have less sex
than youth do. If anything, they have more. They simply have more
hoops to jump through before they can make love. Relationships
become of paramount importance in adult life, and most adults
have networks of friends and partners they can call on to satisfy
their sexual needs.
Also important in adult life is the notion of a life partner.
At some point, most adults start to desire something more than just
sex. They want someone they can share their life with, someone
who they love. The pursuit of romantic love is a central theme of
the city’s art, music and cinema, and factors heavily into its philosophies and core ideals.
Most relationships adults have are non-exclusive. In a society so focused on sex, it’s difficult to only sleep with one person
for the rest of one’s life. Most life partners expect that their significant other will have flings with friends, co-workers and others.
Most people expect that their partner will keep them informed of
their other sexual activities, and keeping a relationship from one’s
partner is viewed as a significant breech of trust.
Most partners develop groups of friends who they sleep
with on a regular basis. These groups become very close-knit, becoming something in between friends and lovers. For the most
part, these groups are fairly stable with people rarely joining or
leaving. Adding a new member to one’s circle of acquaintances
is considered to be quite an event, often celebrated with a party
and an orgy afterwards. Losing someone from one’s circle can be
a traumatic event and is rarer than adding people. Mostly, people
only leave friend groups because of intense differences of opinion
or death.
People often look outside of their ring of acquaintances
when searching for a romantic partner. It’s considered unwise to
go out with someone from one’s circle of friends, as it risks ruining
the friendship by transforming it into something else. The city has
many matchmaking services available to its residents, including
dating websites and in person programs.
Some people don’t maintain a consistent friend group, instead drifting from one group to the next. These people are known
as wanderers, and are often viewed as mysterious and romantic, if
also aloof and hard to communicate with. The movies and plays of
the city are full of stories where people take a wanderer into their
circle for a night, pushing the group out of their comfort zone both
sexually and emotionally. Wanderers are known to frequent certain
bars in the city’s downtown core, and a few establishments even
maintain a board where wanderers can advertise their presence to
other groups.
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A rare few people maintain no group of friends but do
not wander. These loners as they are known either prefer their own
company or cannot get along well with others. Either way, loners
are looked at with mistrust and suspicion. Most people assume that
there must be something wrong with a person for them to not have
a friend group, and sometimes they are right. Being a loner can
negatively impact other facets of a person’s life, such as their likelihood of getting a job.
Business
The world of business is not divorced from the world of
sex. Rather, the one is contained within the other. Professionals at
work must balance their responsibilities with their lusts, getting
things done while still being true to what they desire. Work life
presents a minefield of potential conflicts, but also a cornucopia
of potential opportunities. If an individual can navigate the risks
of inter-employee lovemaking, stay on the good side of their boss
and still manage to get something done, they can reap tremendous
rewards from the world of business, both sexually and financially.
The job application process often involves the exchange
of sex. Interviewers frequently ask their prospective employees
to strip and demonstrate their sexual skills, frequently with blow
jobs but sometimes with full on intercourse. Good sexual skills are
thought to come with general competence and a likable personality, and most employers are loathe to miss an opportunity to get
to know their new employee better. Members of a company often
compete to work as interviewers.
Romantic feelings between coworkers are relatively common. Most people go into a new job knowing that they will make
new friends. These relations frequently don’t go beyond the workplace, with the participants staying after closing for made-up reasons and then making love next to the water cooler. Staying for
‘after-hours business’ is a common euphemism for having sex in
the office after it closes.
It’s never outright advertised, but bosses frequently have
sex with their workers. In some companies, employees are expected to service their bosses as part of their work. More commonly,
bosses have sex with employees on the side, picking one or two
favourites among their employees to invite to their office for ‘private discussions.’ Employees looking for a raise often try to seduce
their bosses, and as a result most managers look for resistance to
seduction in employees they promote. Some bosses use these sexual trysts as rewards for hard work, aiming to satisfy their employees
and encourage loyalty to the company. Others see these liaisons as
a means of asserting their dominance over their employees, and select from potential employees based on their willingness to submit.
Some bosses offer sexual incentives to their employees.
Sometimes, those who exceed productivity goals are treated to an
afternoon with a courtesan, or a group of them. Other times, whole
departments are granted sexual parties, with cake, erotic dancers
and lovemaking.
Common Professions
Therapists
Life in Lamina is not without its pressures. Be it the demand to perform at work, problems with a member of one’s inner
circle or feelings of spiritual doubt or alienation, city life has many
difficulties. To help citizens deal with these and other personal issues, many offices and private clinics employ trained therapists.
These therapists make use of a combination of talk and
sexual therapy. Most sessions start with the therapist and client
talking about the client’s troubles and emotional state. Then, the
client and therapist undress and move into a designated sex chamber. There, therapists use techniques borrowed from the bondage
arts to aid their clients. Through roleplay, submission and restraint,
they are able to get at deep seeded emotion blocks within their clients, which are then released through bouts of laughter or tears.
These roleplay sessions often borrow from the issues
brought up earlier by the client and factor them into the characters and scenarios presented. For example, if the client brings up
how they feel inadequate at work, the therapist may take on the roll
of their boss and run them through a variety of sexual situations
involving their workplace, with the goal of accessing deep-seeded emotions in their client. These sessions normally end with the
client and therapist having sex, both to provide a catharsis and to
release any sexual tensions brought up by their roleplay.
Despite its effectiveness, therapists in Lamina have something of a negative reputation. They are rumoured to employ
strange techniques like humiliation and masochism in their treatments. Going to see one is often seen as a sign of weakness, even
if it is desperately needed. At the same time, there are some vocal
supporters of therapy, particularly from people whose lives have
been changed by therapeutic techniques.
Courtesans
Unlike in many other parts of the world, professional
prostitutes in Lamina are held in high regard. The erotic arts are
viewed as a legitimate and essential role in society. Many other
professionals offer sex to their clients, including dancers and entertainers, but courtesans offer something more than others do. They
know how to read what their clientele really want, even if their clients never come out and say it. They know how to create feelings
of intimacy and urgency, creating an emotional landscape for their
clients beyond simply appealing to their lusts. But most of all, they
know how to give vast quantities of pleasure, an act often likened to
magic by the city’s inhabitants. There are several high-priced escort
services in the city, and countless brothels and strip clubs.
Construction Workers
Construction workers perform a physically demanding
job. They work hard, lifting construction materials into place and
operating heavy machinery. All of this labour only serves to build
up their desires, as the testosterone coursing through their veins
slowly strips away rational thought. After a long day of work, construction workers who don’t have a spouse to come home to often
retire to a bathhouse for a night of fun. Even those who do have a
spouse often join their coworkers anyway. As most construction
workers are male, newcomers to the field are expected to be at least
bisexual, if not outright homosexual, in order to fit in. The construction worker who only likes women is going to have a hard
time indeed.
Most construction workers sleep with their colleagues on
a regular basis, to the point that their circle of friends and their
coworkers are the same. This makes groups of construction workers quite insular, as they both work and sleep with the same people. Construction companies have long since realized that keeping
groups of workers together vastly improves morale and productivity, even if the overseers do occasionally have to break up orgies.
Lifers
While not technically a profession, a number of people
in Lamina live as what are called lifers. These are people who have
turned their fetishes and preferences into a way of life, living as the
permanent dom or sub of someone else. This arrangement can take
all manner of forms, from someone being someone else’s live-in
pet, toy, slave, or master. Crucial to these arrangements is the fact
that one member of the partnership has a job and financially supports the pair, while the other exists solely to satisfy the sexual and
romantic needs of the other. Some lifers are shared between groups
of people, who pool their resources together to support their collective partner, but most are the slaves or masters of one person in
particular.
The Police
The police of Lamina face a difficult task. They must
maintain order among a rowdy population of many species that
prizes sex and has a healthy sense of entitlement. In response, the
police are close-knit and authoritarian. The hold themselves to be
the sole force of justice keeping the city from dissolving into animalistic chaos. They’re not entirely wrong. The people of Lamina
believe in a concept called sexual discipline. The idea is that sex
has the power to reform wrongdoers, especially rough sex with a
dominant partner. Police are trained in sexual discipline, and have
license to administer it as they see fit. When someone commits a
minor offence, such as shoplifting or graffiti, police often demand
a sexual contrition from them in leu of writing them up. This normally takes the form of oral sex, with anal being reserved for repeat
offenders. Female police officers often carry strap-one for just such
purposes. Weather sexual discipline has any actual reformative effect is hotly debated by researchers at Verpa, but it remains a core
part of the city’s culture nonetheless.
Travel
There are three main means of travel between Lamina
and the other main cities: train, boat and plane. All three of these
methods are seen as something of a luxury, as travel to other cities
is almost always on vacation. The only people who travel regularly
are businesspeople. They often have special deals with travel companies, who provide them with personalized service and better accommodations.
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All three of these travel methods employ attendants
trained in the sexual arts to service passengers mid-journey. Airlines in particular are known to employ specialized attendants to
see to their passengers sexual needs. As air travel is the most boring
of the three means of travel, airlines compete to provide the most
engaging in-flight entertainment.
Airlines can be grouped by what kind of sexual taste and
orientation they cater to. Red Rouge is notoriously male homosexual, and is known for its flamboyant attendants and outrageous
in-flight sex shows. Some straight people fly Rouge simply for the
spectacle. North Wind airlines cater to a wide range of tastes by
keeping their airlines stocked with attendants of all genders and
persuasions. They are also known for their spacious lounge rooms,
which passengers have free access to during the flight. Gold Cross
is a luxury airline known to cater to the rich and influential. Rather
than have a group of attendants to see to all its passengers, Cross
asks each passenger for their sexual preferences and pairs them
with an attendant just for themselves. These attendants are rigorously trained and are drawn from the ranks of the city’s top courtesans.
Culture and Recreation
The people of Lamina enjoy a wide array of leisure activities. The city produces many luxury goods, and has a highly developed and complex culture.
Aphrodisiacs
Alongside alcohol, the people of Lamina love to consume aphrodisiacs. These are often taken as mixed beverages or
in flavoured drinks. There are entire industries devoted to making
good-tasting beverages laced with lust-inducing compounds. Aphrodisiacs are rated by potency, on a scale from one to one hundred
percent. A ‘hard’ drink contains fifty percent or more aphrodisiac
content. Drinks rarely run higher than seventy percent, as it’s difficult to make them taste appealing at that high of an aphrodisiac
content.
Sex Parks
The city maintains a number of vast parks both within its
boundaries and out in the wilderness. Some of these parks are designated as sex parks. They are separated from the rest of the city by
high walls. Access to the park is through locker rooms located at
regular intervals. There, people can leave their clothes and other
belongings and enter into the park nude. Once within the park,
all rules and social conventions are forgotten. Sex with complete
strangers is common, as are impromptu orgies.
These parks contain many cushioned benches and tables.
In general, sitting down on a bench is an open invitation for someone else to join them and make love. Sitting on the left side of a
bench indicates the individual is looking for a woman, the right
side indicates they are looking for a man, while sitting in the middle shows that they can go both ways.
These parks are patrolled by park rangers armed with
whistles and flares. Should someone cause trouble, the ranger has
complete discretion to deal with them. This often involves escort-
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ing the trouble maker to the nearest exit, along with a fine. Like
with police, a sexual favour can often stay a ranger’s hand, although
rangers are known to be quire eccentric, and often require strange
actions from their captives. Rangers normally wear nothing but
their utility belt and a vest, to suit the atmosphere of the park.
Beaches
The city’s eastern boundary is composed almost exclusively of beaches. These are popular hangouts for the city’s people, who enjoy swimming, surfing and sunbathing. Some of these
beaches are clothing optional, where people can wear as much or
as little as they like. These beaches are frequent sites of orgies and
sexual parties, and are generally off limits to children.
Clubs
The city’s unofficial pastime is attending raves and dance
parties. These events are full of loud music, bright lights and glowsticks, which the venue often provides for its clients. The city’s
downtown core is packed with block after block of dance club,
with more opening on a regular basis. Some of these clubs are exclusive venues, with lists of guests to be allowed entry. There are
many ways around these lists, however. Most bouncers are willing
to let someone in exchange for a quick blowjob, provided it’s good
enough.
More upscale clubs distance themselves from the roaring
music and frenetic energy of other venues. They offer a relaxed atmosphere for businesspeople and the well-off to relax in, with just
enough music and light to set the venue apart from the outer world.
These venues often employ skilled dancers to put on performances,
and most also offer them as escorts to well-paying clientele.
In all of these clubs, drinks are served spiked with aphrodisiacs. More upscale clubs offer private booths or rooms to
clients looking for a night of fun, while most simply allow people
to have sex wherever they can find room, often in corners or the
bathrooms. A few infamous clubs have floors lined with cushions,
where people can drop down anywhere and fuck.
A few clubs go even further, enforcing a no clothing policy. These are places of raucous sex and music-filled orgies every
night. Other clubs, known as fetish clubs, take sexual expression to
its utmost extreme. These are places where even the most unusual
and unique taste can be expressed, and everyone is expected to be
accepting of everyone else’s kinks. These clubs are looked at with a
combination of curiosity and trepidation by most people. People
frequently go to them simply for the stories they can bring back to
their friend group.
Sex Ranches
The vast stretch of plains that surround Lamina are normally used for farmland, in order to feed the city’s vast population.
There are some tracts of land, however, that are used for an altogether different purpose. These are the city’s famous sex ranches,
where people can go for weekends of raw lust and passion. The
ranches are full of people who are trained to offer any sort of sexual
service that their clients can imagine. What’s more, the ranch’s clients have unlimited access to the ranch’s workers for the duration
of their stay.
These ranch workers, or stock as they are commonly
called, have a unique reason for being where they are. All the various races of the world have their own set of instincts, including
most notably the instincts to mate. The city’s education teaches
people how to regulate and control their instincts, so that they can
go on to become functioning members of society. Some people,
however, find that they just can’t control their drives, no matter
how hard they try. These people never move past First School, as
there is no way they could cope with the pressures of a more advanced institution.
Were they to be released into the general population,
these people would cause no end of problems. They would try to
have sex with anyone who caught their fancy. What’s worse, with
their lack of education would prevent them from ever attaining
anything but the most menial of jobs. That is assuming, of course,
that they could ever ignore their lusts for long enough to apply for
one.
Rather than let these people pass into the general population, they are instead offered employment at a ranch. Most gladly
accept, trading a normal life for one that suits their instincts perfectly. At a ranch, they don’t need to restrain their instincts at all,
and in fact are encouraged not to. The people who visit ranches
typically prefer the sex to be wild and untamed.
When they arrive at a ranch, the new stock are given extensive training in all manner of sexual positions and techniques.
The ranch’s employees train them non-stop for several months, before releasing them into the ranch’s general population. Once there,
the stock have free roam of the ranch’s property and can sleep with
whoever they want, whenever they want. Beds and food are provided for them, and all of their material needs are taken care of.
Most have days off where they can go into town and spend the
money they make, but few ever leave the ranch to do so. When not
having sex with visitors, and on days when the ranch is closed, the
stock spend most of their time sleeping with one another, and the
ranch’s owners, when they feel in the mood.
lovemaking, and some people consider themselves to be connoisseurs of the genre, never making love without a soundtrack.
The Military
The city is not without its enemies. Bands of bandits raid
the western fringes of the city, rebels brew secret plots in camps
within the wilderness, and the feudal kingdoms sometimes think
that they can attack outlying areas and get away with it. To combat
all these threats, Lamina employs a formidable military. The soldiers of Lamina are one part military, one part knight and one part
lover. All of these skills are necessary to succeed in the battles that
they will find themselves in.
Soldiers go through several years of training before they
are allowed into the field. They are given a diverse education, including training in physical strength and endurance, seduction and
sexual skill, and all-important willpower. They will need all of these
traits to succeed in the field.
Among the most important things soldiers learn is obedience. Loyalty and rule-following are reinforced from the beginning to the end of basic training, and are expected in the field at all
times. The primary means of teaching obedience is sexual. During
training, soldiers are frequently dominated by their superiors,
required to perform all manner of sexual acts and services. This
continues, alongside training in chain of command and obedience,
until the soldier doesn’t even think to question or hesitate. Only
then can they graduate to the field.
Despite the prevalence of guns and other advanced weapons, the military of Lamina still makes use of swords and spears
alongside rifles. This is for two reasons. The first is tradition. The
soldiers of Lamina have always been trained in the use of closeranged weapons, and no one wants to change a time-honoured
method. The second is practical. Most of the enemies the city faces, particularly the wilderness kningdoms, fight with old weapons
like bows and blades. The kingdom’s favourite tactic is close-range
ambush, which renders long-ranged weaponry less useful. Only by
fighting in close quarters can soldiers hope to win.
Once they graduate from basic training, soldiers are assigned to fighting units known as bands. Each band has between
five and ten people, and are expected to function together as a cohesive unit. Bands are selected based on mutual sexual attraction
and personal compatibility.
The bonds between band members are extremely strong,
held together by frequent sex and other intimate activities. Military supply lines carefully ration aphrodisiacs to bands, ensuring
they have nights of abundant pleasure and that their bonds are kept
strong.
Some bands become known for a particular combat style
or expertise they employ, and are promoted to the position of specialist. Specialists are employed on more difficult missions or are
put in the field alongside regular bands as advanced support.
The famous movie, Tale of the 45th, depicts the struggles, relationships and sexual encounters of one famous band who was stranded
in the wilderness and had to find its way back to civilization.
The Arts
There is a thriving artistic community in Lamina. Movies
are popular among the people of the city. Many movies have strong
sexual themes. Sex on screen is viewed as a perfectly valid form of
artistic expression, and is given the same respect as a well-choreographed action sequence or well played humour.
Pornography is a popular genre, although it has many
subtle variations that fans are quick to point out and debate. Porn
actors often enjoy the same level of fame and renown that actors
in other genres do. In fact, most of the city’s major celebrities are
known for their sexual works. The streets of the Seaboard are crawling with wannabee actors looking for their big break, and willing to
show off their sexual talents to anyone involved in the business.
Music is extremely popular among the people of Lamina.
Bands tour the city’s various districts and play large concerts in
parks and public squares. One of the more popular genres is bedroom music. This is music specifically designed to be played during
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Religions
There are three major religions in Lamina: Unitism, Technicarum and the Fetish Collective.
Unitism teaches that all things are ultimately one thing,
and that all separation is an illusion. They are the most popular
religion in the city, and their services are widely attended. A few
times each year, during the church’s holy days, the various churches hold sacred orgies for long-time members. In these events, the
church tries to recreate divine union through union of flesh. These
events are invitation only, and normally require making frequent
donations to a church to be invited.
The Technicarum is a new religion, having sprung from
the city’s rapidly advancing technology. The Technicarum, also
known as the Church of Machines, teaches that the future is sacred
and that technology is the path salvation. Meetings of the church
are typically small and close-knit, with members all holding equal
status to one another. Members of the Technicarum often heavily
modify their bodies with piercings, additions and dyes, trying to
make themselves more like the machines they revere.
One religion that remains relatively unknown is the Fetish
Collective. It’s an insular cult that teaches that, through extremes
of fetish, bondage and sensation, people can attain divine states.
More mainstream religions claim that the religion is dangerously
extreme, but its adherents are doubly devout in their defence of its
teachings.
Sample Characters
Below are a few sample characters from Lamina that can
be used in your games.
Scaramouche
It’s always late at night when he shows up – after most
places have already shut down and only most seedy of dive bars
are still burning the midnight oil. The smell precedes him, a vaguely dank, pungent odor that tends to confuse and intrigue those
who’ve never come into contact with it before – and frighten away
many who’ve had such misfortune before.
In he comes like low tide, washing away the refuse and
riffraff alike. Anything that’s leftover is fair game – a half-eaten
sandwich, a glass left on the bar that’s mostly backwash by now, a
smoldering cigar left by someone that knows better, he comes and
consumes them all without a second glance, often downing things
that aren’t even remotely food as he goes.
But his hunger for all the worlds vices does not end with
mere consumables. That’s when his gaze turns upon whoever’s
left – those poor unfortunate souls not savvy or sober enough to
vacate. They’re fair game. The musk-drenched gnoll does not discriminate. He’ll take any gender, any size, any shape. All it takes
is a warm body to get his rocks off – and even that much seems
optional.
His flirtations are both blunt and brief. He’s here to fuck,
and if you linger, you’re in luck. The ragged-looking beast offers a
toothy grin to any foolish enough to abide by his machinations.
Most are in for a surprise – not judging from such a flat chest just
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what they’re in for. Oh how he delights in surprising them with
that moist, hairy mound his sports downstairs, though the fragrant
aphrodisiac it allows him to produce is often the lure that pushes folks over the edge towards him in the first place, often able to
reach individuals who wouldn’t otherwise give him the time of day.
Top or bottom, here or there, he doesn’t seem to care – as long as
sex commences rapidly and repeatedly, exhausting every last bit of
stamina from anyone he can ensnare, using that thick tongue to
work wonders, and using every last hole on his body (even those
not meant for such a task) to harvest as much pleasure as possible
– that nasty prince of hedonism never satisfied even after the last
drop.
Beyond that foul fragrance that adorns him and lures in
his nightly couplings, many are soon surprised to learn of the other
strange property his body possesses – any masculine member that
does penetrate his pussy, with each and every thrust loses a small
amount of girth and length, yet is paradoxically driven to continue
thrusting further with more intense sensations each time, until at
the apex of their release, they’re left with a plump and juicy set
of netherlips of their own where those bits once stood. Thankfully
such exchanges are temporary, but can be quite shocking to those
unprepared for their emergence.
While the gnoll drowns himself in what seems an endless
ocean of decadent decay and bliss, night in and night out, his existence is not a fulfilling one. He never seems to connect on more
than a primal level with any he couples with, save for a select few
– instead moving from place to place, only seeking the basest of
pleasures to sustain him for a little while longer. He seems to be
utterly without limitations to his depravity, but thus cannot grow,
cannot experience new things.
If you were to ask him about his sorry state, he’d laugh it
off, claiming he couldn’t care less about his predicament. He wants
to experience as much pleasure as he can in this life, and finds this
particular lifestyle to be the best way to fulfill his quest, and to
spread pleasure to others while he’s at it. Even if he himself never
seems to connect or grow with those he encounters, often he will
awaken something within them – his propensity for pushing people beyond their normal limitations serving as a dynamic catalyst
capable of awakening new kinds and outlooks in a startlingly high
number of those he encounters. So, what will he awaken in you?
Female Gnoll, Male Identifying
Personalities: Rowdy, Eager, Reckless
Skills: Athletics +1, Grapple +2, Lick +2, Thrust +2
Assets: Speed +2, Muscle +2, Ass+1, Vagina +2
Traits: Anal Control, Natural Alchemy (Weak Aphrodisiac Musk),
Natural Alchemy: Vaginal Contact Mutagen (Replaces Cock &
Balls with Vagina), Swift Pregnancy, Vaginal Control.
Flaws: Creed (Hedonism), Lustful, Rut (All Seasons)
Bonds: Opa (Rank 2) - Biological father and fellow gnoll that raised
him, a pervy old man who’s constantly amazed that his son’s managed to surpass him in even that regard.
Scar (Rank One) - Other biological father (long story), aloof lon-
er gnoll with a chip on his shoulder, has trouble connecting in a
meaningful way with the son named after him.
Magnus (Rank One) - Overweight DILF schoolteacher maintaining a budding romance with the gnoll, curious about what makes
him tick.
Preferences: Strong Intersex: Extremely attracted to bodies that fall
somewhere in-between on the gender scale, much like his own.
Weak Masculine: Has a distinct preference for boys to break, especially more masculine builds who have more to prove.
Weak Hypertrophy: Enjoys ‘em big as they can get, but not all the
time - variety is key.
Strong Corruption: Absolutely loves pushing boundaries - finding
peoples limits and gently nudging to push them over into enjoying
something they’d normally consider off-limits.
Strong Aberration: Fixation on folks with multiple parts and/or
bits where they don’t belong.
Strong Depravity: Hedonistic glee towards indulging in the most
foul and filthy behaviour possible. He always delights in finding
new taboos to shatter.
Limits: None
Notes: The Gnoll race has the following characteristics. Traits:
Claws, Tail, Fur, Acute Scent. Personality: Rowdy. 2 Bonus Points.
Myu
Myu likes to travel and to see the world. Her goal is it to
see as many places as possible and as many people as possible
Lithe Female Fox
Personalities: Loyal , Shy , Submissive , Sly
Skills: Touch +1, Perception +1, Knowledge +1, Fighting +1, Crime
+2, Athletics +2, Lick +2
Assets: Paws +2, Speed +3, Tongue +2
Flaws: Hypnosis
Traits: Claws, Tail, Fur (Blue White)
Bonds:
Nui (Rank One) - Biological Brother
Preferences:
Vaginal (Weak)
Large Things (Strong)
Oral (Weak)
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The Strain
The Impact
It’s the day after tomorrow. For all intents and purposes,
it’s an ordinary day. People go to work, shop, eat. Global warming,
poverty and armed conflict continue to grip the world. The world’s
leaders continue to debate, make deals and perpetuate the status
quo. No one predicts what will happen next.
It starts small. A light is visible in the night, somewhere
above Russia. It grows brighter as dawn nears the region, until a
star remains visible in the early morning light. NASA and other
organizations investigate, and find that an asteroid is heading on
a collision course for Earth. The world’s governments scramble for
a solution. Some propose hitting it with nuclear missiles, but the
world’s scientists claim that doing so wouldn’t stop it. Mass evacuations are suggested, but no one knows where it will land, and so
they are scrapped. Finally, the world realizes that it’s too late to do
anything. It watches with held breath as the inevitable nears.
The Asteroid enters the atmosphere at 6:15 Coordinated
Universal Time, and the whole sky lights up. In a matter of minutes
it breaks apart, careening toward the ground. The majority of the
asteroid hits the Pacific Ocean. Within hours, tsunamis hit both
the west coast of North America and the east coast of Asia. Massive
casualties ensue. A large chunk hits the middle east, turning vast
stretches of desert into glass and wiping out entire cities. Another,
much smaller, piece hits Australia.
SandraMJ - Twitter @TheHunkBunker
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Emergency and aid forces are mobilized to help the affected regions, but the damage is simply too extensive. Major cities
receive some aid, but there are too many casualties across too wide
a region. Millions die in the first 24 hours. Fires, famine and disease
claim untold thousands more over the following weeks. Despite
the damage, the world lets out a collective sigh of relief. It’s over.
They’ve survived.
But this is only the beginning. The asteroid was carrying
something within it, an alien lifeform unlike anything known to
science. During the asteroid’s descent through the atmosphere, the
virus was spread far and wide. High altitude jetstreams spread it
further, until it covered the entire planet.
The first reported cases came from aid workers in the west
coast of the USA. They claimed people there were coming down
with some unknown disease that mutated its host in strange and
unpredictable ways. However, with so few resources spread so
thinly, no one paid much attention to them. Then came the first reported case outside of an impact region. It came from a hospital in
Amsterdam, where an entire wing was stricken with a disease that
accelerated hair growth and caused bone protrusions on the fingertips and toes. Within hours, similar reports were coming in from
across the globe. Quarantine measures were established swiftly, but
it was far too late.
In the following days, the virus began to settle out of the
upper atmosphere, and more people were infected. Cases started
flooding in from around the world of strange mutations. The symp-
toms came on swiftly and without warning. People would be fine
one minute, then start transforming. Within an hour their body
was altered completely. There seemed to be little rhyme or reason
to the mutations the disease caused. Some people gained fur, others
tails, some gills and other still claws and fangs.
What was worse, the disease had effects on the mind as
well. People transformed by it gained instincts and urges, some extremely powerful. Most of these were of a sexual nature, driving
them to mate and reproduce almost non-stop. Unprepared, many
people lost themselves to their new drives, resorting to animal behaviour and losing all of their higher mental functioning. Some
people were able to resist the urges and retain themselves, but they
were in the minority.
Society began to fall apart. Hospitals couldn’t begin to deal
with the sheer numbers of infected, not that any known medication had an effect on the disease. Social structures and institutions
broke down quickly, as the people who were supposed to run them
went wild and abandoned their jobs. Feral mutants prowled the
streets, jumping and mating with anyone they could find. Within
a few months, most of society had collapsed. Governments shut
down, and economies ground to a halt. A few places managed to
maintain some semblance of order and stability, but they were few
and far between. The rest of the world went dark, and remains so to
this day.
nation-states have begin looking to their neighbours with thoughts
of conquest. No major wars have been fought since the Impact, but
border skirmishes are becoming increasingly common, as states
look to test one another’s strengths and look for weaknesses.
The Phage
In the years since the Impact, what remains of the world’s
scientists have studied the Phage extensively. They have learned a
few things about how it functions, but not how to cure it, if such a
thing is even possible.
What they have figured out is how the virus works. Most
viruses have a genetic code that they inject into the nucleus of cells.
The cell then reproduces the virus’ genetic code, producing more
viruses and destroying the cell. The Phage is different. It is a form of
retrovirus, which injects its genes into host cells, not to destroy the
cell, but to change its genetics. The virus then releases hormones
that trigger rapid cell reproduction, causing wide-scale changes in
the host’s body.
The interesting part of the process is where the virus gets
its genetic material from. Rather than having its own set of genetic
coding, the Phage borrows genes from its hosts. As a result, the
virus takes genetics from animals and then injects it into the cells
of human hosts, causing them to gain animal traits. This is why
people infected with the virus display such a wide variety of mutations. The Phage borrows genes from one species and then jumps
to another, injecting them with the new genes and giving them the
first species’ traits.
Scientists have identified a number of distinct strains of
the virus, each one deriving its genetic material from a different
species or combination of species. For example, fox-strain contains fox genes and gives its hosts fur, a snout, pointed ears, claws
and a tail. Bull-strain is derived from bovine genes and gives its
hosts horns, hooves, extra breasts and a tail. There are hundreds of
strains in existence, each one granting its host different mutations.
Some rare strains give their hosts traits with no equivalent in the
natural world, like metallic armour or rubber skin. Scientists are
still trying to understand how these strains work.
Although the Phage was airborne initially, most of the
viruses have settled out of the air. There are still a few hot spots
around the world where strains of the virus can be contracted from
the atmosphere, but now most infection is through physical contact. The most common means of infection is through sexual contact. Contracting a strain that the individual already possesses has
no effect on them, but contracting a new strain will quickly mutate
the infected’s body to add the new virus’ traits. People can take on
new strains throughout their life, adding new traits in addition to
the ones they already possess. Children born to mutants bear the
strain or strains their parents have, and are typically born already
mutated.
Present Day
Ten years have passed since then. Now, the event has come
to be known as the Impact. Although the cataclysm it brought is
long over, the effects are still keenly felt. Everyone on Earth has
been infected by the alien virus, now known as the Phage. No one
has escaped mutation by it. Now, most people are hybrids of one of
more animal species and human. People have gained fur, snouts,
pointed ears, claws, hooves, horns, tails and any other animal characteristic imaginable. A rare few people have been infected but
remain mostly un-mutated. These few have some sort of natural
resistance to the Phage, although even they typically have at least
one animal trait.
There are a few areas that have managed to retain some
degree of their civilization, although none have remained unchanged by the Impact and the Phage. Cultures and society have
been completely transformed by the mutations and the instincts
they bring. Every society that still exists has had to adapt to the
new way of things, or it will tear itself apart from within. What this
means is that most people have become increasingly open to their
sexuality. While in the world before people could ignore their sex
drive and be fine, now doing so is simply not an option. People
need to express their instincts and urges on a regular basis, or they
risk losing control of themselves and going feral.
Now, ten years later, things have begun to reach a new
equilibrium. The few societies that remain have had time to firmly
establish themselves. Most people are cautiously optimistic about
the future. They’ve survived the worst, and even if their lives have
been completely transformed by the Phage, things are looking up.
However, this peace might not last long. Some of the remaining
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The New World
A number of societies still exist in the modern age. Although most governments and economies collapsed during the
months after the Impact, a few survived in some way. Most of
these are simple tribal societies, where people live off the land and
don’t try to restrain their instincts at all. These places bear little
resemblance to the societies of old, looking more like ancient hunter-gatherer tribes. A rare minority, however, have managed to keep
their old systems and infrastructure intact, and live lives much like
the ones they had before the Impact, with the obvious exception
that everyone is now a furred or scaled mutant.
New Avalon
Stretching across the easter coasts of what was the United
States, from what was Washington to the ruins of Miami, is a singular nation known as New Avalon. Far from the tribal savagery of
the surrounding wilderness, New Avalon is a thriving society rivalling the best of the old world. It is the world’s best hope for a bright
future, or any future at all. Avalon is a shining beacon of civilization
amid a world gone mad.
Leadership
New Avalon is, as far as most people are concerned, a
democracy, carrying on in the tradition of the old United States.
Every four years, the people of the nation vote on a new president,
who then becomes the nation’s new ruler. The people of Avalon
are proud of maintaining elections in such a turbulent world. But
despite all appearances, the nation it not a true democracy. The
president is in charge of all matters pertaining civilian lift, including taxation, infrastructure and legislature, but he does not have
complete control.
The real power in New Avalon is in the hands of the Avalon Defence Corps. This is a military body responsible for protecting the people of Avalon from all threats, both internal and external. During the years after the Impact, it was the Defence Corps
who split off from the US military and stockpiled weapons and
military vehicles. They were the ones who protected what is now
Avalon from outside threats, and they were the ones who declared
it a new sovereign nation when the dust began to settle.
The Defence Corps hold the real power over events in
Avalon. Their ruler, the Grand General, has the power to supersede
any decision made by the president, and has complete authority to
enforce or ignore laws as he deems fit. If they wished to, the Corps
could declare martial law and take complete control over New Avalon. But the Corps know that the people will never accept them as
rulers. And so, they so their best to allow the people their illusion
of democracy. The General only supercedes the president when she
deems it absolutely necessary for public defence, and does her best
to make it look like it was the president’s decision all along. This
has resulted in the ‘president’ making some unpopular moves, but
the people generally assume that he’s simply being a politician. For
their part, the people are mostly aware that the Defence Corps are
powerful, but few realize exactly how powerful they are.
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The current president is a male grey fox name Alexander
Kennith. He’s serving his second term, of a maximum of three. He’s
a soft spoken and bookish individual, and no one thought he could
ever win an election. But he did, and he has proven himself to be a
capable and intelligent leader. The current Grand General is Maxine Gajos, a tiger of intimidating height and build. She has held
the position for five years, ever since the previous Grand General
stepped down and appointed her. She has proved herself to be a
brilliant tactician, and her troops are extremely loyal to her, but
most people in the public have no idea who she is. She dislikes this,
and wishes there were some way she could claim credit for all that
she does for the nation, but she knows this would call the Defence
Corps’ power into question, and so it could never happen.
Life in Avalon
Avalon is an island of light and stability in a sea of darkness and chaos. Both the president’s cabinet and the Defence Corps
work hard to ensure that the nation remains safe and strong, but
most of this work goes unseen by the ordinary people. For the
common people, life goes on much as it did before the Impact. People go to school, commute, work, play and relax, all surrounded by
many of the luxuries of the old world. New Avalon has a functioning economy rivalling anything found elsewhere in the world. Its
citizens have access to almost everything that the old world had.
They watch TV, follow sports teams and celebrities, dine at exotic
restaurants and generally go about their lives as normal.
One notable change is the variety and quality of sexual
products and services available. Sex toys are widely available, and
nude clubs can be found in most cities. Asking someone to sleep
with you is as common as asking them out for a drink, and most
people have sex with a group of people on a fairly regular basis.
Talking about sex is no longer taboo, and even friends casually
sleep with one another on a regular basis.
New Avalon is one of the only places that still has access
to the internet. Over 80% of websites that existed before the Impact have been lost, but many new ones have been created in the
time since. International communication is no longer possible, and
most major social media sites have gone offline, but what remains
is enough for the people of New Avalon the occupy themselves.
It is also one of the only societies in America that still engages in
international trade, frequently sending cargo ships to Europe and
Asia for exotic goods and other luxuries.
Law and Punishment
For all its love of freedom and old world values, the criminal justice system in Avalon is far harsher than anything in the
old world. Most crimes are met with severe punishments. Large
fines are common, but imprisonment is relatively rare. Despite its
luxury and stability, New Avalon is not a wealthy nation. It simply
doesn’t have the resources to house and feed hundreds of offenders for long periods of time. Short jail terms are still used, but any
criminal who gains more than ten years of jail time is instead exiled. Exile has become the most common punishment for severe
crimes. The criminal is banished from New Avalon, sometimes for
a period of years and sometimes for their life. Some particularly
notorious criminals are also branded with an X on their wrist, to
show to everyone who sees them that they are an exile. Exile is far
from a death sentence, but it does mean that the individual must
spend the rest of their life on guard for attacks by the ferals who
prowl the wilderness.
One crime that needs special attention is failure to regulate instincts. In order to maintain order, the government of New
Avalon has instituted punishments for acting on instinct in inappropriate ways. Children and teenagers are exempt from these
laws, as they are assumed to be in the process of learning how to
control their urges. Adults, however, are expected to maintain control at all times, or they face severe fines.
If the loss of control is more permanent, the penalties are
more severe. Someone who has lost control of themselves is first
imprisoned for a time. Most people hope that the isolation and
time will give them a chance to regain their human side, and in
most cases this does happen. However, when the individual doesn’t
regain their intelligence after a period of weeks or months, they are
exiled to go live with the other ferals. This is viewed by most people
as a harsh necessity, as ferals need to be kept separate from the rest
of the population.
my quickly replaced the old currency system, and people took up
old-fashioned trades like woodworking and blacksmithing.
Over time, these settlements began to learn of one another’s existence. Travelling scavengers and traders told them about
the others, and the more adventurous communities sent emissaries
to their neighbours. Soon, networks of trade were established, and
alliances were made. Feral mutants were a constant threat, and so
the communities agreed to come to one another’s defence should
one town be attacked. Over the years, these informal deals became
solidified arrangements, and the farming towns linked themselves
together into a fledgling nation.
Now, the Republic, as it calls itself, contains more than
thirty towns and is adding more on a regular basis. With their military might pooled together, they have been able to flush out most
of the ferals from their territory. A few feral hives still resist them,
but the roads are once again clear for horses and carriages to travel.
By combining their economies together, each community has some
degree of safety, as one bad crop isn’t going to inflict famine on
them.
Leadership
The Republic is mostly democratic, although it lacks a
singular ruler. Each community elects two people every few years.
One is a mayor who will see to the community’s needs for the next
term, and one is a representative who will be sent to the Council.
At the Council, one representative from each community meet to
discuss matters of importance to the Republic as a whole, and to
vote on important matters. Despite the presence of the Council,
each township remains relatively independent. They survived the
Impact on their own, and if they wanted to, they could leave the
union at any time and become an independent community again.
Childhood
It’s been ten years since the Impact. In that time, a new
generation of children have been born, and are just beginning to
enter into school. Also, children just entering into school at the
time of the Impact are now starting high school. This is the first
generation who has grown up as mutants. Children who are infected from a young age seem to have a much easier time controlling
their instincts than people who were infected as adults. Children’s
full instincts, especially the sexual ones, don’t come on in full until
the onset of puberty, by which time they are used to being part animal. Many teenagers have moments where they lose control and
resort to animal-like behaviour for a short time, but they normally
regain control soon after.
The education system has been redesigned with the goal
of helping children to control their instincts. Sexual education is
started as soon as children enter school, as are lessons in regulating
instincts. Children are taught to never repress their instincts, as
that will likely lead to a loss of control, but are also helped to develop strategies to deal with them should they become overwhelming.
Sample Communities
The High-rise Commune
After the Impact, a number of people took refuge in
a block of high-rise apartments. When the Phage hit, the city’s
downtown region was mostly abandoned, leaving them to fend for
themselves. The virus transformed the group into red foxes, and
gave them a potent animal cunning. In the months that followed,
they leaned to set traps for the pigeons that roosted in the buildings’ rooves and air conditioners. With a stable supply of food, the
foxes went on to form their own community, gradually expanding
into more skyscrapers. Now, the High-rise Commune covers twenty buildings, and the foxes have created pigeon coops from old wire
and wood. They have perfected their trapping and breeding methods, and the surplus of food they produce is traded with the other
communities for clothing, bread and tools.
But the foxes’ strain of the Phage has a unique quirk. In
addition to vastly increasing its subject’s libido, it gives them an instinctual understanding of non-verbal communication. The people
of the fox commune now mostly communicate in yelps, growls,
barks and ear movements. Newcomers to the Commune are at a
complete loss as to how the people around them understand one
another, until they contract the strain and gain its instincts. Most
The Republic
In the years following the Impact, several farming communities in the centre of the USA and southern Canada were cut
off from the rest of the world. When the Internet and phone networks collapsed, and the roads became choked with cars, they lost
all contact with the outside world. Faced with no other options, the
people of these communities turned inward and did their best to
ride out the Phage on their own.
Some collapsed into ferality and became beast-states, but
a few managed to retain themselves and remain safe. Civilian militias replaced police forces, and the local farmers made just enough
to keep the people of their local community fed. A barter econo-
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of the foxes are more than happy to infect them with their strain.
Westbridge
Westbridge is a town divided. Sitting along the eastern
bank of a small river, the town seems normal enough. As far as
anyone visiting the town can tell, it’s an idyllic farming village. The
houses are small and clustered around the city’s bridge. There are
fields of corn and wheat as far as the eye can see. There is a general
store with a hanging sign and a grocer that long since went out of
business. Most traders passing through have no idea of the conflict
that simmers below the picturesque surface.
The conflict that grips the seemingly peaceful Westbridge
goes back to the early days of the Phage. Somehow, the town was
infected with two strains of the virus simultaneously. One transformed people into lions, the other grey wolves. Each strain carries
with it strong instincts to form a pack or pride with people of the
same species, and to defend that group’s territory fiercely. This has
resulted in the town being split between two tribes. The wolves and
the lions hate one another, and each want to claim total control
over the town. Every time the town votes for a mayor or a representative, the vote is split down the middle, and the winner is decided
by one or two ballots. The current mayor is a lion, while the current
representative is a wolf, and they outright refuse to cooperate with
one another.
Hearthway
Hearthway sits on the southern edge of the Republic. It is
a member of the Republic in name only, being too far away for the
united military to protect or most traders to bother reaching. The
town sits in a precarious location. There are at least three major
feral hives within a day’s ride from it, and everything south of it is
untamed wilderness. Attacks by ferals are commonplace, and aid
is scarce. The Hearthway representative has tried for years to get
more military presence in his town, but so far none of the other
representatives have voted in his favour. As a result of this, the people of Hearthway have become increasingly self-reliant. The people
all know how to defend themselves, but even that isn’t enough to
stop their food from being stolen. If someone could root even one
of the hives, the people of Hearthway would be incredibly grateful.
But as things stand, they don’t have the resources to do anything on
their own.
The Herbivore Union
The Union, as it is commonly known among the people of
the Republic, is not one town but seven. These seven communities
exist within a day’s ride of one another, and have formed a closeknit relationship even by the standards of the Republic. During the
days after the Impact, each one of these towns was infected by a
strain derived from a species of herbivore. Rabbits, cows, squirrels,
deer, mice, all of the towns became peaceful, plant-eating species.
In the early days of the Republic, these towns quickly found one
another, and joined together. In the years since, their bond has become even stronger.
Now, the Union has become a major player in the Republic’s politics. Their representatives always consult with one another
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before voting on important subjects, ensuring that they vote the
same way. With seven representatives all working together, the vote
on any subject can be easily swayed in their favour. Some people
have begun to reset the Union’s power, and attempt to either undermine their unity or form their own voting block. Others are
trying to curry favour with the Union, through bribes or promises
of future aid. So far, the Union hasn’t taken up any their offers, but
if it is ever
in need of help, it just might.
The Horse Nomads
Not technically a community or nation, but important all
the same, are the horse nomads. These are small bands of wandering horse people, who serve as travelling traders to the more settled
nations. They typically wander the region between the Republic
and New Avalon, trading pelts, salt, tools, clothing and other luxury goods. Their natural speed and stamina grant them the ability to
cover more ground on foot than most other traders could travel on
horseback.
During the early days of the Phage, a number of ranchhands were infected with a horse-strain. They went into town seeking treatment, and soon the whole town was infected. This particular strain carries with it instincts to run and roam freely. The
people of the town quickly abandoned their dwellings and took up
a nomadic existence.
The horse nomads have a strong culture of freedom and
independence. They have fully embraced the new bodies and urges that the Phage has given them, having left their old lives years
ago and never looked back. The nomads view the people of other
nations, especially other horse people, with pity. As far as the nomads are concerned, sedentary people are trapped and unwilling to
break free. Only the nomads know true freedom, the freedom the
Phage has given them.
The West
When the Impact hit, most of the world was reduced to
ferality and chaos. Cities and towns suffered from mass looting and
societal collapse. Some people tried to flee, but most had nowhere
to go. The American West was different. Even as the rest of society
fell apart, the isolated desert towns and cities of the desert persevered. Harkening back to the old ways of cowboys and sheriffs, the
people of the West clung to what little they had and fought back the
encroaching darkness.
Now, the deserts of North America look much like they
did when the early settlers were living there. Communities are connected by old railway lines and horse-drawn wagons. People make
and enforce their own laws, and each community is responsible for
ensuring its own safety, with no overarching government to keep
people in line. Sheriffs and deputes keep order as best they can,
with rifle and revolver if necessary. Folk make a living herding cattle and hunting outlaws, trading their hard earned money for water
and whiskey at the local saloons.
The region is plagued by both bandits and, more commonly, ferals, but still the people persevere. They have already
survived the apocalypse. Whatever else the world throws at them
couldn’t possibly be worse. But worse may yet be on the horizon.
Feral attacks have grown more frequent in recent years, to the point
that many people are reluctant to travel more than a few hours from
their home town. There are rumours among the traders and outlaws that something is happening out in the depths of the desert.
They say, normally after a shot or two of whisky, that the ferals are
building something, and that they’re preparing to attack en mass.
Few believe these tales, but if there is truth to them, then hard years
are coming in the near future.
monarchy stepped forward and took up the reigns of government.
They declared that the nation would be returning to a traditional
monarchy, and that they would take control of both the military
and the government. In the chaos, no one objected. What followed
was a series of swift military action. Ferals were flushed from the
cities and into the wilderness, and order was reestablished. Propaganda began to circulate urging people to accept the new bodies
they had and then go about their normal business. The miraculous
thing was, it actually worked. England managed to remain mostly
intact, and is one of the few world powers rivalling New Avalon for
stability and prosperity.
Now, the nation’s traditional class structure is further reinforced by the Phage. People of each class are assumed to only
sleep with people of the same class, and so each strata of society
has its own set of stains common to it. The working class are mostly
lizards, mice and squirrels. The middle class are wolves, foxes and
bears. The upper class are commonly sharks, tigers and deer. Due
to some strange quirk of their bloodline, the nobility are all lions,
occasionally with hints of other races. In order to maintain their
unique strain, the leadership have decreed that royals can only
mate with royals, lest their lion status be spread to the rest of the
nation.
The Toronto Tribes
When the Phage hit, Canada’s social and economic systems shut down practically overnight. With such a large nation,
and so much wilderness between cities, the government was unable to do anything to keep the society together. And, with so much
wild space, there were dozens of strains circulating within weeks
of the Impact. In a short span of time, the entire nation shut down
completely.
Now, however, a new people have risen up to replace the
old world. They live in the ruins of what was Toronto, farming
crops in what were people’s backyards and claiming abandoned
skyscrapers as their own. After the Phage hit, most people who
could left Toronto trying to find shelter away from the big city and
its prowling ferals. A few decided to stay there, however, quickly
found that they had the city to themselves. They raided grocery
stores and gas stations for food, but quickly turned to farming as a
means of sustaining themselves. In time, the ferals left for the wilderness, and the city was left to those who chose to remain in it.
Now, the city centre is divided up between a dozen tribes,
each one a unique blend of animal species. A few of them are outlined here.
The glasswalkers are part fox and part mouse. They are
crafty, small and known for their quick fingers.
The swiftseers are half horse and half owl, with equine legs
and hooves, owl wings, and large, piercing eyes.
The nighthowlers are mostly wolf, with the claws of a
great cat and the tail of a bovine.
The glowpaws are large bears with rare bioluminescent
genes from fireflies. At night, their ears, paws and feet can be seen
glowing softly.
The goldrunners are lions from the chest up and tigers
from the waist down, with human skin in the middle.
Russia
During the early days of the Phage, when society was
starting to crumble, the government of Russia declared military law
and enacted supreme control over the nation. The nation quickly
descended into a police state, where the ruler’s edicts were law, and
the law was harshly enforced. While this did severely limit the people’s freedom, it also stopped the society from collapsing entirely.
In response to the ferals, the government of Russia decided to build a wall. The wall encircles a thirty mile radius around
Moscow, and took several years to erect. Ferals were rounded up
during several mass purges and forced onto the outside, where they
couldn’t threaten the city. Now, the wall is almost built, and no one
is allowed to go in or out. At least, that’s the way it’s supposed to be.
In reality, there are several weak points in the wall, and many criminal organizations who will take people through them for a price.
Now that relative safety has been restored, and the feral menace dealt with, the people of Russia are hopeful that regular government will be restored. Unfortunately, this is unlikely.
The current leader has grown accustomed to absolute power, and
doesn’t want to give it up.
As for the rest of Russia, outside of the wall the people
have long since realized that the government has abandoned them.
They are a hardy people, and for the most part they have survived.
Many small farming villages have managed to endure the Impact
and the Phage, and now live a hard, if relatively peaceful existence.
Certain strains of the virus have become prized among the people
of Russia for their fur coats. Reindeer, hares and polar bears are
especially valuable, and many people make their living travelling
from town to town spreading these strains.
England
When the Phage hit, most societies erupted into chaos.
Ferals stalked the streets, and governments shut down. Not so in
England. For the people of the island nation, the months after the
Impact were their finest hours. When the Phage started to infect
people en mass, rather than panic and cause chaos, the people of
England demonstrated their famous composure decorum, and
managed to maintain some semblance of society as it was.
But this alone would not have been enough to save the
nation. Something more was needed. Recognizing this, the old
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New Zealand
When the Phage began to spread, a dichotomy quickly
emerged. Some people retained control and remained themselves,
only with ears and a tail, and others lost control and went feral.
Most societies that still exist spend most of their time and effort
fighting against the ferals. The people of New Zealand look at
things differently. To them, ferals are people too, and they might
not be wrong in giving into their instincts. Now, the cities of New
Zealand are abandoned and overgrown, with people preferring to
live in the wilderness alongside their feral cousins.
The people of New Zealand live strange lives, from the
perspective of most other civilized nations. They live with ferals, in
hives, and support themselves by hunting and foraging. Whenever
possible, they listen to and give into their instincts, leading lives
that are mostly animal and a little bit human. When a feral wants
to have sex with them, they normally agree. And when they want
to have sex with a feral, they do so as well. Most explorers who visit
New Zealand assume that it has been completely lost to the Phage,
not realizing that its society has simply transformed, not ended.
The European Union
After the Impact, when the Phage began to spread far and
wide, people quickly realized there was a problem. Many nations
instituted quarantine measures or declared martial law, but they
all acted. One group, however, did not. The European Union held
a meeting of its member nations in the early days of the Phage,
where they decided that the reports coming in from other nations,
of mass transformation and chaos, were vastly overblown. They
went back to their home nations assured that the threat would pass
and all would be well. By the time they realized that was going on,
and the depth of the danger posed by the Phage, it was too late.
The Union did its best to come to the aid of its constituent nations,
but it wasn’t nearly enough. Close to half of the Union’s nations
were lost, and most of the ones that remain were severely damaged.
However, the Union has pooled its resources in recent years, and
has begun a massive rebuilding effort. The nations that remain are
slowly recovering from the Impact, and beginning to thrive once
more.
Now, the Union is a major competitor of England. Not
only are they competing for the same oversees trade with New
Avalon, but they resent one another’s very existence. The Union
sees England’s new monarchy as a slide back to the barbarism of
the medieval period. Across the pond, England wishes that is had
enough power to conquer the Union and make it into colonies,
restarting the British Empire and paving the way to reunifying the
world. But as things stand, neither has the power to overcome the
other, and so their mutual animosity remains.
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Jobs in the New World
Scavenger
Most people in the new world avoid the wilderness at
all costs, but not everyone. Some willingly venture into the wilds,
looking for remnants of the old world. These people are known as
scavengers, and they make their living hunting for useful things
left behind in the wake of the Phage. The risks of being a scavenger are high. Ferals prowl the wilderness, looking for anything or
anyone they can prey on. Bandits are also common, hiding in old
cities or towns. Scavengers need to be skilled at both surviving in
the wild and fighting off these threats. But the rewards of being a
scavenger are great. Old technology, rare spices and other luxury
goods all sell for extremely high prices. But it’s not just food and
gadgets that scavengers look for. It’s anything that is reminiscent of
the old world. Stamps, coins, movies, books. All of these things are
priceless in the new world, and one good find could set a scavenger
up with money enough to last for years.
Sleepers
It’s a strange world that exists now. Not only have people
become like animals, but most of the taboos around sex and sexuality have crumbled along with the old world. One of the strangest
results of these changing priorities are the individuals known as
sleepers. Sleepers are people who go from town to town collecting
rare and interesting strains, usually by paying their current host to
sleep with them. They then go to major cities and sell people the
strains, again by sleeping with them. There are a large number of
people who are dissatisfied with the body they currently have, and
want to add new traits to it. These people want to have the confidence of a lion, or the guile of a fox, or simply the cock of a horse.
Sleepers make this possible. Sleepers often carry a wide variety of
strains within themselves, and often need to sleep with their client
multiple times in order to give them the strain they are looking
for. Not that anyone minds the arrangement. Sleepers can be quite
expensive, depending on the rarity of the strains they have, and the
rich in some places make a point of acquiring new strains every few
months.
Mercenaries
The new world is a dangerous place. Ferals prowl the
wilderness, bandits prey on the innocent, and most people have
no means of protection beyond their own claws and fangs. This
is where the mercenaries come in. These are people who sell their
services as guardians, warriors and protectors. They fight off ferals and bandits, and sometimes other bands off mercenaries, for a
price. Most town and small communities can’t afford to hire mercenaries permanently, and so employ them for a time to deal with
a specific problem, such as a feral hive or a bandit gang. Some mercenaries wander the world, taking jobs wherever they go, staying
with a trading caravan for a while and then moving on. Many of
these wandering warriors have horse or deer traits, urging them to
remain forever on the move. Others remain with a single trading
caravan for their entire career, protecting it and living off the ample
income such caravans produce.
Traders
future for themselves. Many Futurists are scientists, who see the
possibility presented by the Phage for human advancement. Others
are simply optimists. People have survived one apocalypse already,
they say, what else could possibly stop humanity from progressing
even further?
Many parts of the world have devolved into a simple barter
economy. Even so, there is much money to be made trading goods
from one place to another. As trading normally requires passing
through the wilderness, most traders employ some form of protection. They travel in large caravans, with many traders grouped
together, and often pay mercenaries to protect them on their travels. The more ambitious traders don’t just travel from town to town,
however, but from continent to continent. They man ships left over
from the old world and sail from New Avalon to Europe, to trade
with England and the remnants of the European Union. Some even
make it as far as India, although most of the culture of that nation
has been lost to the Phage.
Ferals
The Phage brings with it new instincts, drives and urges. While most people who live in the new world have long since
learned to manage their instinctual, animal side, the people alive
when the Phage first hit weren’t so lucky. Faced with new desires
they had no ability to control, and an animal self that demanded to
be heard, they broke or gave in, and never regained control. These
people are known as the feral, and are a constant threat to civilized
society.
There are a few reasons why someone would go feral.
Often, it’s a lack of willpower. Some people are better at restraining themselves than others. The weak willed had little chance at
controlling their urges, and were inevitably overwhelmed. But the
opposite can also be true. People with too much restraint, who refused to accept their new instincts as part of themselves, almost
always went feral. The desires the Phage brings need to be accepted
and released, or else the build and eventually take control. Resisting the new instincts is a sure fire way of making sure they gain
control.
Additionally, some strains are more difficult to manage
than others. Their instincts are stronger, their sexual drives more
constant and difficult to ignore. Most people infected by these
strains inevitably lose themselves, while the rare few who don’t
are viewed with suspicion by others. Most people won’t sleep with
them, as they don’t want to risk being infected by something they
can’t control.
Finally, some people go feral because they want to. There
is a certain freedom in being an animal, in losing all need for human mores and conventions. There is a gratification in giving in
to desire. While everyone alive now has learned how to give into
their instincts without losing control, some people take it further.
They give in with no intention of ever pulling back out again. These
people often make the most cunning ferals, often leading others on
raids of civilization.
In the wild ferals live as animals. They hunt or forage as
their instincts tell them to, and spend what time the don’t spent
looking for food looking for something to mate with. But ferals are
not completely animal-like. They still possess a degree of human
ingenuity. They are more than capable of setting traps and ambushed, and of using rudimentary tools.
While most ferals roam the wilderness on their own or in
small groups, some and together in groups known as hives. These
are typically located in some defensible location, like a cave, skyscraper or subway tunnel. These ferals typically roam the territory
around their hive, when they’re not engaging in primal orgies with
the other members of the hive.
When a feral sees another person, be they feral or civilized, their first instinct is to mate with them. If this is another feral,
Social Movements
In the wake of the Phage, most old political ideologies
and organizations have become relics of the past. People are far too
concerned with their survival and management of their instincts to
care about old world politics. However, new movements and ideologies have sprung up in the wake of the Phage. These ideas are
most commonly found in New Avalon and Europe, but there are
adherents found across the world, even if most of them don’t know
about one another’s existence.
The Keepers
The Keepers believe that the old world is precious, and
should be preserved at all costs. They lobby governments to protect
old world establishments and customs. Most Keepers are appalled
at the changes that have been made in social structures since the
Phage hit. They want to return the world to the way it was, to bring
back the nations and ideologies that existed before the Impact.
Keepers often own large collections of memorabilia from the old
world, some even opening their collections to the public as museums.
The Embracers
The Embracers see the new world as a good thing. They
look at the Phage, at the changes it has brought, and see it as an improvement over the old way of things. They believe that the animal
urges and forms inflicted on people are an expression of nature,
and that the mutation should be encouraged, not avoided. They
actively seek out new mutations, always looking for upgrade their
bodies with new traits.
Most people view the Embracers as harmless instinct-lovers, but the movement has a darker side. A small group of embracers in New Avalon have begun planning a coup. They want to overthrow the government and reduce the nation to chaos and ferality,
which they view as the natural state of things.
The Futurists
Many people in the world care deeply about the past. They
collect old world goods, or even espouse Keeper philosophy. Some,
though, look the opposite direction. They look to the future, and
the believe that future is bright. These people call themselves the
Futurists. They believe that humanity can build a new, brighter
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the feeling is mutual. As a result of this, most ferals are infected
by many different strains at the same time. If it is a non-feral, the
person has several options. They can attempt to run away, although
most ferals love to chase things. They could fight, and possibly subdue the feral enough to get away. Or they can go with it, have sex
and then move on. Most people recommend the last option, as the
worst that could happen is the individual gets infected by a new
strain and gains a physical reminder of their encounter.
Sample Hives
Las Vegas
When the Phage began to spread, many cities managed to
hold out for weeks or even months before they devolved into anarchy and fell apart. Not so in Las Vegas. When the Phage first appeared, the city fell in a matter of hours. Some combination of the
city’s placement and environment caused a Phage hot spot to form
over it, rapidly mutating anyone who sets foot inside of it. Within a
day of the Phage’s first appearance there, the entire population went
feral or fled.
Now, the city is among the largest feral hives ever reported. Travellers and traders in Nevada take great pains to avoid the
region, giving the city as wide a berth as possible. Within the city,
however, there is a strange semblance of order. A few individuals
within the city were infected with a rare strain known to scientists
as the Lord Strain. This strain causes its host to grow to nearly twice
their normal size, and grow extremely muscular. Stranger still, other ferals seem instinctually driven to obey them. The Lord Strain
doesn’t seem to be passed on by sexual contact, and so there are a
limited number of people infected by it.
Due to this, the city is currently divided up between five
clans of ferals, each one showing deference to one of the Lord
Strain bearers. These clans fight a constant battle for territory, battling with claw and fang. All of the other ferals they capture are
brought to have sex with the clan’s Lord, to be infected by their other strains and brought over to their clan. In addition to their other
traits, the Lord Strains have an extremely high libido and a drive to
bring others into their clan.
The Horned Hound clan is lead by a great mongrel dog
with large horns. The members of the clan are a wide variety of canines, from wild dogs to wolves, but they all have horns. The ferals
of the clan seem to take some sort of pride in their horns, stroking
them and adorning them with stolen jewellery. The members of
this clan are extremely loyal, sometimes retaining their allegiance
despite being infected by the strains of other clan Lords. The clan
currently has the most land of any clan, but this could change swiftly if any of the other clans teamed up on them.
The Mother Cow clan are led by a large hermaphroditic
bovine. The clan are known to be extremely lustful, doing almost
nothing but having sex with other clan members, and are all hermaphrodites. Other clans frequently try to invade their territory,
only to get caught up in their orgies and transformed into more
bovines and bulls.
The Bird Clan occupy the tops of the city’s tallest build-
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ings. There, they make roosts from stolen bedding, branches and
shiny objects. Rather than fight outright to claim territory, the Bird
Clan does the opposite. Whenever a clan attempts to attack one of
their towers, they simply fly to another one, taking only their most
treasured baubles with them. In this way, they are always on the
move, but never caught or captured. Rather than one Lord, the Bird
Clan has three. One is a female blue jay with two sets of wings, one
is a male hawk with the legs, tail and genitals of a horse, while the
last is an eagle, who is giant even by the standards of the Lords.
The Winged Lizard clan is composed of a variety of lizards
and is led by a musclebound salamander with a pair of bat wings.
Due to being infected by their leader, most of the clan has bat wings
as well. Unlike the winged Bird Clan, the Lizards are highly aggressive. They use their wings to mount ambushes on clusters of
the other clans, taking some captives, but mostly claiming territory.
Their Lord often joins them on these raids, infecting their rivals
then and there.
The smallest, but by no means least powerful, clan is the
Cat Clan. This clan is composed of a variety of cat species, all united by their speed and cunning. Although they are currently the
smallest clan, they are among the most successful in their raids.
They enact complex strategies that defy the fact that they are ferals,
striking quickly and claiming whatever piece of land was their goal.
The clan hides a secret, however. Their leader, a massive tiger with
an even larger penis, is not a feral. He has managed to retain his full
intelligence, despite being infected by the Lord Stain. He has grown
drunk on the power of being a Lord, and wants nothing more than
to expand his territory. He is the source of the clan’s ingenious tactics, and is currently preparing a massive assault on the Horned
Hound clan, to try and claim their vast territory as his own.
There are rumours among those who were near the city
at the time of the Impact that strange lights were visible in the city
skyline. Some propose that they could have been from a meteor
fragment, while the paranoid insist that it was an alien spacecraft.
Anyone who could find evidence of either would be greatly rewarded by scientists the world over, assuming of course they could
survive a trip into the city.
The Ants
In a small city in what was the eastern United States, a
strange thing occurred during the early days of the Phage. For the
most part, people infected by the virus gained traits from mammals
or the occasional bird or lizard. But for some reason, the people of
this town were infected by a strain carrying the genes of the common field ant. They gained hard carapace shells, pheromone-sensing antennae, abdomens and an extra set of arms. What’s more,
they gained the instincts to organize themselves into a hive, like
insects do.
The colony, as it now calls itself, has become a vast underground metropolis. Tunnels connect living blocks lined with
stone beds, all leading into a vast central chamber dozens of stories
tall. Underground farms grow fungus of all species, while workers
hunt and forage through the nearby wilderness for game and edible
plants.
The people of the colony are divided into a number of
ranks. Worker ants are the most common, are relatively small in
stature, and are predominantly female. They perform all of the
building, gathering and farming that the colony needs. Warriors
are muscular and tall, and are mostly male. They patrol the colony’s borders and keep other ferals at bay. Drones are lithe and have
wings, and are exclusively male. Their sole role is to mate with the
Queen to produce more offspring. The Queen is plump, yet strong,
and has a large abdomen. She spends most of her time having
sex with drones, but also oversees the activities of the colony as a
whole. She can command the other ants of the hive through releasing pheromones, which the other ands instinctively obey. Unlike
the other members of the colony, the Queen has retained most of
her intelligence, although has changed from a meek farmer into a
regal and self-righteous ruler.
Unlike regular ants, all members of the colony have a sex
drive, and mate with one another, and captured outsiders, on a
regular basis. In recent years, the Queen has begun experimenting
with adding the genes of other insect species to the colony. So far,
she has tried adding termite and firefly genes to the her children,
with some success. The termites make fantastic builders, while the
fireflies have abdomens that provide wonderful light, but there is a
problem. The addition of new genes weakens the hold her pheromones have on the ant’s actions. She can’t fully control the actions
of the new insect strains, and is currently looking for a solution to
this.
Rather than disorganized and aggressive like most ferals,
the inhabitants of the colony are relatively peaceful. When outsiders are encountered, they are brought before the Queen. There,
they are given a choice. Allow her to infect them and make them
part of the colony, or leave peacefully. In recent years, the Queen
has begin to look out beyond the borders of her small colony and
toward the rest of the world. She contemplates how she could make
other nearby communities part of the colony, bringing to them
the peacefulness and order that her own ants enjoy. Of course,
she would be their undisputed ruler, but they wouldn’t complain.
Should she decide to launch an attack on the nearby town, she
would meet little resistance, and could possibly create a force of
ants large enough to threaten the Republic or New Avalon.
houses and pooling their limited resources. But the water wasn’t
the only threat. Carried within it was a particularly strain of the
Phage, which transformed those infected by it into sharks.
Now, the people of New Orleans live on makeshift islands, made by placing wooden walkways between submerged
houses and other rooftops. The islands are small, rarely housing
more than a few dozen people. The people eat fish and seaweed,
resorting to their animal hunting instincts for survival. The aquatic
species among the survivors are greatly valued, as they can go into
the submerged buildings and hunt for supplies and food. They use
old boats left over from before the Impact to sail or row between
islands and exchange what little they have.
However, the sharks pose a constant threat to the people.
They have claimed many regions of the city as their own, trapping
some islands within their territory. Anyone who swims in these regions is likely to be captured and made part of their harems. What’s
worse, they often make raids into the rest of the city, stealing food
and supplies and sleeping with anyone they can find.
Unknown to the rest of the city, the sharks attacks are not
completely at random. There are three groups of sharks, the killer
sharks, the tiger sharks and the great white sharks, who are fighting for control of the city’s waterways. They have each staked out a
portion of the city for themselves, and fight constantly for control
of the rest. If some force could come by and unify them, they could
easily pose threat to the waterside cities of New Avalon.
There are rumors among the land-dwellers that someone
or something purposely broke down the levees during the days after the Impact. Some say that one of the now shark-people did it,
either driven by instinct to submerge the city or following some
plan known only to them. Others claim that one of the meteor fragments hit just off the coast of the city, and that the levees broke
because of the force of the impact. No one knows for sure, but one
thing is certain: the levees should have held.
Hostile Strains
Macro
Traits: Massive, Hyper
The macro strain causes its host to grow extremely large,
and all of their sexual traits are extremely enhanced. Penises become up to a foot long and six inches wide, breasts swell to triple
Z cups and testicles become the size of melons. Along with this
increase in physical size is a decrease in mental capability. Most
macro strains are dim witted, caring only about fondling their
oversized bodies and finding someone to sleep with. While not all
macros are feral, they do lose a great deal of intellect, and often
leave civilization to find a place where they can masturbate all day
without anyone caring.
The Reef
When the Impact hit, the west coast of North America
was devastated. Tsunamis swept across the region and destroyed
entire cities, with millions dead and countless more displaced. But
at the same time, a much smaller disaster struck a city on the other
side of the continent, a disaster that’s cause is still unknown. When
the Impact struck, the levees that keep water out of the city of New
Orleans all failed, flooding the city with water and reducing most
of it to a swamp.
The people of the city were forced to take refuge on rooftops or on the few points of high ground. They hoped that help
would arrive swiftly, but with the Phage beginning to spread and
mass casualties along the western seaboard, none came. In time,
the people of the city banded together, bridging the gaps between
Dragons
Traits: Large, Horns, Claws, Tail, Wings, Scales
There are rumours among scavengers and mercenaries
who venture into the wilderness of a mythical creature that hunts
lone travellers, but is more than capable of taking down an entire
caravan. These massive beasts, if they indeed are real, have mus-
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cular bodies covered in scales, horns, claws, long tails and wings.
They are said to swoop down out of the sky and attack without
warning, and are impervious to most weaponry. These mysterious
beings have come to be known as dragons among the traders of the
world. Most people hope they are just a myth.
Tentacle Strain
Traits: Phallic Tentacles (x2)
These rare mutants are infected by strain that grants them
four thick tentacles growing from their backs. Along with these
physical traits, the strain also confers an overwhelming desire to
infect others with the strain, granting them tentacles as well. Unlike most ferals, the tentacle strain is highly intelligent. Most tentacle strains wear clothing to hide their mutations and walk unnoticed among the cities of the world. There, they hunt for loners and
outcasts, to bring back to their lairs to infect.
Latex Fox
Traits: Skin (latex), Tail, Large Ears, Claws
These rare mutants have the features of a fox, but skin
made of a slick, rubbery substance. They are easily recognizable by
their unnatural colouration. Most are black, but other are purple,
blue or pink. Latex foxes are usually skittish and shy, hiding whenever others come near. However, when two or more of them are
together, they can become highly aggressive. Scientists are still at a
loss as to how such a strain can exist, as it seemingly goes against
the laws of nature, but there are enough reports of latex foxes from
travellers that it seems they are truly real.
The Others
Some people look at everything that has happened, at the
asteroid and the Phage, and see a pattern. What are the chances
that a virus like that could survive both a trip through space and
entry into a planet’s atmosphere, they ask. Furthermore, what are
the chances that it would spread through the planet’s entire population so quickly? No, they say, this can’t be a coincidence. Someone,
or something, wanted to infect Earth with the Phage. This mysterious external force they call the Others.
Some propose that the Others are an alien race, who purposely seeded Earth with a virus they created. What is unclear is
why they wanted to infect Earth in the first place. It could be the
first stage in a full-scale invasion, but considering how non-lethal
the Phage is, that seems unlikely. It could simply be an experiment,
a test run of some vast bioengineering project, with the Others observing events on Earth from afar like scientists.
Some, perhaps the most paranoid among those who believe in the Others, have a different theory. They think that the
Others are not aliens, but rather a force on Earth. The Phage was
created by one of the world’s governments or corporations. The Impact didn’t release the Phage, but provided the virus’ true creators
with an opportunity to release it themselves. Most people consider
this theory to be nothing but paranoid conjecture, but still, many
people believe it. If proof of any of these theories could be found,
it would change everything people know about the events of the
Impact and the mass infection that followed.
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Halcyon Tech
Based out of New Avalon, the biotech giant Halcyon
seems to have come from nowhere. There are few, if any, records
of its existence prior to the Phage, but now it is among the largest
corporations in the world. They specialize in studying the Phage
and the mutations it brings, and were among the first ones to isolate individual strains of the virus. They frequently capture ferals
and bring them back to their laboratories to experiment with their
strains. They are currently looking to unlock the secrets of the
Phage, with the hopes that they can find a cure. That’s what they
say, at least. In reality, they hope to use the virus to make a race of
super soldiers, who they can then sell to the highest bidder. They
have already developed a serum that prevents the contraction of
new stains for a short period of time, and have begun selling it to
traders and mercenaries who venture into the wilderness.
Halcyon has recently announced that is it looking to acquire fragments of the asteroid that caused the Impact, in the hopes
of finding a pure sample of the Phage. They are offering a ludicrous
sum of money for such a sample, and many scavengers and treasure hunters have set off to try and find one.
Gameplay
The Strain offers a radically different kind of gaming experience than the other two settings included in this book. Rather
than focus on character interaction and relationships, the Strain
offers a world of danger and adventure, lending itself to more traditional RPG gameplay. Exploration and conflict are core elements
of the setting, rather than the more social elements found in the
other settings. Stories focussing on relationships can still be told, of
course, but so can ones about fighting ferals or scavenging for old
world technology. If you’re looking for inspiration about the kind
story that can be told in this setting, look at the Fallout series of
video games, the Mad Max movies and Flexible Survival, an adult
text-based adventure game set in a world much like the one the
Strain is set in.
Starting Out
Everyone on the world of the Strain has been infected
with the Phage. As a result, all of them have Traits that are not native to their species. Every character in the Strain gains three additional Traits upon being created. These Traits must not be ones that
are native to the character’s race. Most people in the new world are
animal hybrids of some sort, but a rare few still look mostly human.
These humans simply have a natural resistance to the Phage. What
this means is that you can still play as any race, albeit with a few
Traits from another one.
Conflict With Ferals
Ferals are the ever-present threat that makes the world of
the Strain what it is. Without them, the old world would never have
fallen and the new one would never exist. Unless you’re telling a
story completely within a nation like New Avalon, ferals are bound
to come up in your stories.
Most often, ferals want sex. As a result, they present the
players with two options. The main characters can sleep with the
ferals and likely gain new Traits, or they can fight. Should they take
the second option, the resulting conflict follows the same rules as it
does for regular conflict, with a few exceptions.
Ferals are driven by lust, and so social attacks based on
lust and arousal always work on them. Physical attacks also always
work, as ferals are no more resilient than anyone else. The skills
that function differently are Deception and Knowledge. Ferals lack
higher mental functioning, and so can’t be reasoned with. As a result, all Deception and Knowledge rolls made to attack a feral take
a -2 penalty. Ferals might pick up on some of the knowledge being
presented, and might have enough brain power left to recognize
what it means, but they likely don’t.
Wealth
Most societies in the new world rely on a barter system,
and even more civilized ones like New Avalon place a great deal of
value on certain kinds of goods. Mostly these are relics of the old
world, but also rare foodstuffs like spices and functioning technology. As a result, Wealth can mean a variety of things, from food
to old gadgets. These are things that can then be traded in order
to get other goods. If your players are scavengers, the easiest way
to keep track of their finds is through Wealth. Whenever they find
something of particular note or value, give each player a number
of Wealth points. This way, they don’t have to track everything they
find and how much it’s worth. When the characters then go to buy
something, it can be assumed that they either already sold the loot
they found or are using it to barter with.
Mutation
The Phage started airborne, but now it mostly passed on
through sexual contact. What this means is that, every time a character has sex with someone, they are infected with another strain
of the Phage. Provided that their partner has at least one Trait they
don’t, the character gains one of their partner’s Traits. These new
Traits appear almost instantly after climax, as the person’s body
rapidly mutates into their new form. If both partners have the exact same Traits, no new Traits are added. It’s not necessary to keep
track of every strain that a character has. Simply note their Traits
and assume that they possess one strain per Trait, and one for their
race.
There are some places, however, where the Phage is still
airborne. These are known as hot spots. When in these areas, characters gain one Transformation per hour of exposure. A day or two
spent in a hot spot can completely alter a character’s appearance.
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Glimmer
Magic is real.
It’s no great secret, really. Everyone knows it. It’s only the
crazy who would think to deny it. Magic has always been real, from
the earliest recorded history up to modern day. Magic has existed,
and so have those who wield it.
Called a dozen things by a dozen cultures: witches, warlocks, shamans, those with the talent for magic have always stood
out from those around them. Modern day sees them called magicians, but it’s really just another term for the same thing.
Why am I telling you all this? Because you are one of
them, and I suspect you’ve always known it. You’ve always been
able to do things that other people can’t. Little things, but impossible ones all the same. You’ve made things float or a bad meal taste
like candy. You probably didn’t know it at the time, but what you
were doing was magic.
I’m here to offer you an invitation. No, more a golden opportunity. Come back with me, leave this place behind and embrace your true destiny. Come study magic. Become one of the
great magicians of this age, and make the world shake with your
footsteps. Okay, so maybe that’s thinking a bit too big. But even so,
there’s so much potential within you, and you’ll be wasting it if you
stay in this backward town. Come with me to greatest school in the
world. Come with me to Glimmer.
Why am I making you this deal? Simple. When I was your
age, and in about the same situation as you, someone came and
made it to me. And it changed my life. So now, I’m asking you the
SandraMJ - Twitter @TheHunkBunker
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same question they asked me. Do you want to stay here and pretend for the rest of your life that you’re normal, or do you want to
come with me and embrace your magic.
You’ll come? Good. In that case, we’ve got to hurry. We
have a train to catch.
A Little History
Comfortable? Good. The trains heading to the capital are
really quite nice. Ever been there before? No? Well, you’re in for
a treat. The city has everything. Stores, exotic restaurants, bars.
There’s this great place down on McLough street that I …
Well, that’s not important right now. I see that look in
your eye. You want to hear about where we’re going. About Glimmer. It’s a fantastic place, really. But before I can tell you about it,
I think a little bit of a history lesson is in order. I know, history is
boring. I’ll try to make it brief, I promise.
As you probably know, the world is composed of one vast
landmass, called Mundus. Around it are a few islands, and beyond
them an endless ocean. Well, we call it endless. The truth is no one
has ever found the end, and so we just assume that it doesn’t have
one.
Anyway, Mundus is home to every landscape and climate
imaginable. It’s a vast place, and the people who live on it are varied
to an extreme. There are the wolves of the Junhar forests. The great
horse cities of the Seven Plains. The coral palaces of the sharks
along the southern coasts. If you can imagine it, it probably exists
out there somewhere. Maybe, if you play your cards right, you’ll
get to visit some of these places one day. What does this have to do
with Glimmer? Be patient, I’ll get to that.
Anyway, these different people have always gone about
their own business. They traded and occasionally made war, but for
the most part each region had its native rulers, and people accepted
that. Until the Empire came along.
Around fifty years ago, a group of races along the western coast banded together and formed a single nation. They called
themselves the Empire, and declared that they were the rightful
rulers of the whole world. Then they launched a series of coordinated attacks against their neighbours. They quickly conquered
them, and turned their attention toward the rest of the world.
Within a year, the world was plunged into the most brutal
war ever fought. No one had ever imagined fighting on this scale
before. Pretty soon, whole nations were covered in trenches and
their landscape was torn apart by artillery. What’s worse, the Empire used magic to fight their war, charging their bombs and artillery with arcane properties and decimating everything that stood
in their way.
One by one, the nations who fought against the Empire
fell. Alone, they simple didn’t stand a chance against its military
might. Within five years, the Empire controlled a quarter of the
continent, and it looked like it would quickly conquer the rest. That
was when the remaining free nations got the idea to band together. Alone, they would fall like all the others had, but together they
might have a shot at victory.
Most of the world’s remaining nations came together and
formed the United Federation, and with their combined strength,
they finally had a fighting chance against the Empire. The battles
that ensued were the worse the world has ever seen. Millions died.
Whole nations were wiped out. But the Federation held its own,
and eventually beat the Empire into a stalemate. That stalemate has
continued to this day. Mundus is divided down the middle by a
line of military fortifications and barricades, separating the Empire
from the Federation.
You’ve heard most of this before, I hope. Good. Your home
town isn’t quite as backwards as some. But what you probably haven’t heard is this. In the aftermath of the stalemate, the government
of the Federation launched a plan to gather and educate as many
magic users as it could. It reasoned that, if the stalemate ends and
the war resumes in full, it will need as many magicians as it can get
in order to stand a change against the Empire.
See, as the Empire grew, it poured vast amounts of resources into collecting and training magicians. It’s still doing so to
this day. It hopes that magic will prove to be the decisive element
that wins the war for it. The only way to counter this is for the Federation to have its own army full of magic users, and so it created
Glimmer.
I know what you’re about to ask, and the answer is no.
I haven’t recruited you to join a military academy. We don’t live
in the Empire, and you’re not going to be pressed into military
service. The Federation leaves Glimmer to run itself, but don’t be
surprised to see army recruiters coming to talk to your upper year
classes. The real reason that Glimmer exists is so that, if the war
ever starts again, the Federation will have a large pool of magicians
to recruit from.
Here’s our stop. Get your things, we’ll be disembarking
soon. Are you hungry? Good. I know this great sandwich shop
down the street from the train station. If we hurry, we can get there
before the lunch rush starts.
Magic
What did you get? Ruben? Good choice. Me, I prefer the
classic BLT. Can’t go wrong with bacon.
I can see you’re still confused. It’s a lot to take in all at
once. I know, I’ve been there. Why don’t you tell me what you’re not
getting and I’ll elaborate.
You want to know how magic works? Well, I’m not the
best person to ask that. There’s a reason I hunt down magicians
for a living instead of teaching courses on the stuff. I’ll do my best
though.
Ever heard of a Quality? No, I don’t mean video quality. I
mean the philosophical notion of a Quality. Never heard of it? Not
surprised. Most people haven’t. A Quality is a trait that something
possesses that sets it apart from other things. Magic works by pulling Qualities out of things and rearranging them.
Let me give you an example. Can I see your sandwich for
a second? Thanks.
Here, take a bite. It tastes different, doesn’t it? The meat
now tastes like lettuce. See, taste is a Quality, and tastes-like-lettuce
is a Quality that my sandwich possesses. Using magic, I’ve given
your ruben the taste Quality of lettuce. Make sense? Sort of? Well,
that’s the basics at least.
You see, everything around us has Qualities. The air, the
earth, the objects we touch and interact with. Even people. If you
can touch it, it has Qualities you can alter. Magic works by taking
the a Quality out of one thing and putting it into another thing. In
order to do this, you need to have a sample of that Quality on hand.
I couldn’t have made your sandwich taste like cheese, for example,
because there’s no cheese nearby to use as a source. Magicians call
these Quality donators sources. The First Law of Magic states that
all Qualities must have a source. That’s why I had to use my own
sandwich as a source of the lettuce Quality.
What are the other laws? Let me see.
The Second Law of Magic states that part of something is
as good as all of it. So if I wanted to make your sandwich taste like
bacon, I’d just need a tiny piece of bacon to use as a source, not a
whole pig. This is useful when giving Qualities to living things. If
you want to give something cat fur, you just need a sample of cat
fur, not an entire cat.
You can typically tell if someone is a magician because
they’ll carry a pouch of sources. I’ve got one in my cloak right now.
What’s that? Can I change your sandwich back now? Sure. Let me
just touch it. There. It should taste normal now.
The Third Law of Magic states that feelings and thoughts
aren’t Qualities. You can manipulate abstract traits like growth and
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hardness, but you can’t alter someone’s thoughts or mind. It’s just
not possible.
Finally, the Fourth Law of Magic states that all changes
made with magic are permanent. Think twice before using magic
on yourself or a treasured object, because once done, it will never
wear off.
Can anyone do magic? Well, technically yes. Anyone can
learn to draw out and manipulate Qualities. But that doesn’t mean
that everyone will be good at it. Why do you think the Federation
puts so much money into finding and training young magicians?
It’s because some people have a talent for the stuff. Some people
are innately able to grasp and apply Qualities, and these people
make better magicians than people who have no talent for it. It’s
like learning an instrument. In theory, anyone can do it, but some
people have an ear for it and others are tone-deaf.
Magicians have also subdivided magic into a number of
different types. I’m sure you’ll learn all about them in your classes,
but I want to give you a basic overview while I have the chance.
Transfiguration is the art of applying Qualities to inanimate objects, like I did with your sandwich. It’s a very useful practice, but often overlooked in favour of more flashy magic.
Transformation is applying Qualities to living things. It
can make fish fly like a bird, or give a human fur or claws. This one
seems to be very popular among the students, and I’m not quite
sure why.
Nullification is the art of removing Qualities from objects.
It is useful for undoing changes made by other magic.
Last is evocation. It’s the art of conjuring new things using
magic. It essentially takes empty space and gives it all of the qualities of an object. It can be used to make something from nothing,
and is one of the most powerful uses of magic.
You’re done eating? Good. Here, I’ve been talking so
much I’ve barely started. I’ll eat as we walk. The university’s only a
few blocks from here, and I don’t want you to be late.
Glimmer
What’s the university like? Well, its large, for one. There
are thousands of students there. It also looks very old. The whole
place is made of magically bleached stone. It’s gleaming white,
hence the name Glimmer. In the summer the whole place lights up
like a shaft of light.
The campus is divided into seven buildings. At the centre
is a large tower. It’s the university proper. All of the classes, libraries
and offices are in there. All told, it’s one hundred floors. The first
ten are for administration and record keeping. Don’t expect to be
spending much time there. The next fifty are all lecture halls, usually two per floor. They’re numbered for ease of access. If you ever
have a class in Hall 38B, it’s going to be on floor 38.
The next twenty floors are large practice rooms. Upper
year classes on practical applications of magic usually happen in
there, but some are always reserved for students looking to try out
their magic. They have a host of objects in storage there to use as
sources. Just be nice to the storemaster, and he’ll let you use them
whenever you need to.
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The next twenty are all library. Yes, I know, that’s a lot of
books. Most of these floors are actually one giant room, with walls
ten stories tall and covered in books. The librarians work to keep
the place ordered and clean, but there’s only so much they can do
in such a large space. Do try to not make a mess in there. The top
of this region is a massive skylight, which lets in light to the whole
library.
Then, on the tops of the tower are smaller spires, where
the faculty live. Sometimes they invite students up there for tutoring or the occasional dinner party, but for the most part they’re off
limits to students. I have a room up there, although I’m never at the
university long enough to use it.
Are there elevators? No. Don’t let that intimidate you,
though. You won’t have to climb one hundred flights of stairs every
day. Running down the centre of the tower is an open channel. It’s
under a constant magical effect that allows anyone who sets foot
in it to fly. You can simply float up to your desires floor and touch
down on its balcony, and there you are. Just a warning, but a set of
informal rules have developed for use in the chamber. If you’re going up, keep to the front, and if you’re going down, stay to the back.
Also, no horsing around. Obstructing the passage for other people
is always frowned on.
Outside of the main tower is a large courtyard. It’s here
that the sports teams and clubs meet, and where large ceremonies
are held. If it’s raining, the faculty can create a magical shell around
the top of the tower to block it out.
Beyond the courtyard is a high stone wall that rings the
campus. Set into it are six smaller towers, each 25 floors high. This
is where the students dorms and cafeterias are. The towers are essentially all the same, so it doesn’t really matter which one you’re in.
That doesn’t stop the students from competing among themselves
to see which one is the best, however. Also, each cafeteria serves
different food, and as a student you’re free to go to any of them, so
if your home Tower isn’t serving something you like you can just
walk over to another and eat there. Back when I was a student, my
home Tower would make this horrible meatloaf on Fridays, so I
would walk over to the next tower and have whatever they were
having. I met some interesting people that way, some of which I
still talk to today.
Magical Jobs
I should also mention the kind of jobs available to magicians, once they graduate. First and foremost, you could get a job
with the military. Now I know I said Glimmer wasn’t a military
school, and it’s not, but a lot of its graduates do end up serving
there for a time. As a military magician, you’ll be applying Qualities to armaments and using magic to destroy enemy equipment
and fortifications. It’s dangerous work, but also very well paid.
On a more domestic note, you could become an enforcer.
They’re magicians who work with the police to lend them additional firepower. Like military wizards, they mostly use magic to
destroy things, but this time it’s within cities and towns, not on a
battlefield.
That’s it for the dangerous jobs. If you have an artistic
streak, you could become a cosmeticist. These people use magic to
create changes in the way things look. They can make artwork out
of anything, and most make their living painting magical murals or
altering mundane objects for rich clients.
Speaking of money, perhaps the most lucrative use of
magic is being a spell surgeon. These people use magic to add or
remove features from other people’s bodies. They give people fur,
wings, breasts and so on. Their services are expensive, and most of
them live in luxury mansions and drive sports cars.
If you aren’t interested in all that, you could become a currier. Most magicians learn to fly, and some make a living transporting goods across cities or small stretches of countryside. Curriers
aren’t as well paid as some jobs, but they do get to spend most of
their time in flight, which is a bonus.
On a more fun note, you could be a party magician. These
people perform magical tricks for people, either on a stage or at a
private function. Some people look down on the profession as a
waste of magical potential, but I know several party magicians who
are quite happy with what they do.
Finally, if you find you like Glimmer too much to leave,
you could become a professor there. Or you could do what I do,
travel around the world looking for people with magical potential,
and asking them to come to the university. It’s a good job, but you
can never really settle down anywhere because you’re always on the
move.
And would you look at that, here we are. On the doorstep
of the university. And would you look at that, there’s Kyle, your
mentor. He’s volunteered to show you around the place and help
you settle in.
I’m afraid this is where I leave you. I know, we’ve only just
met, but I have another recruit to track down this afternoon. I’m
sure I’ll see you around campus later on in the year, but for now this
is goodbye. I’m sure Kyle will be more than capable of showing you
around the university.
they’ve grown into very different places. As your mentor, it’s my
responsibility to ensure that you get into a Tower that suits you, and
that requires telling you how they really work.
Starting at the north end of the campus, and going clockwise, there’s Vinum Tower. It’s known across the campus for its parties. There normally one or two happening every night, and there’s
always a big one that covers the entire building during the weekends. You don’t want to stay there if your grades are important to
you. Although, in my humble opinion, there are more important
things than grades. Like having something tight to stick your dick
in, but I digress. At the parties, the students typically drink water
that’s been magically altered to act like beer or wine. Sometimes
they throw aphrodisiacs into the mix for a really fun time. If you
end up getting invited to one of these, and you probably will, definitely go. You’ll be missing out massively if you don’t. This is where
I stay, and I can probably get you an invite to the one happening
next weekend, if you’re interested.
Next up, in the northeast, is Adagio Tower. It’s here you’ll
want to go if you’re the scholarly type. The residents of Adagio
spend most of their time studying in their rooms or the library.
Personally, I’ve always found the Tower to be kind of boring, but
if you really care about your marks, it’s a good environment to be
in. I have noticed, though, that when the residents of the Tower let
go, they really let go. No one can get as rowdy or wild as an Adagio
when he puts his books away.
In the southeast is Exter. This Tower is unusual, I’ve got
to say. It’s residents are an eclectic group, known throughout the
campus for their strange behaviour. They dress strangely, have odd
conversations and generally are a little off beat. Not that there’s
anything wrong with them per se, they can just be a little hard to
understand is all. Besides that, there isn’t really any one thing I can
say about the group. They’re pretty individualistic that way. Some
are scholarly while others are party animals. Some are secretive and
others are popular. You just never know what you’re going to get
with them.
Celatum is the southmost Tower. It’s … well, it’s a strange
place. The people there are highly insular. They don’t like to talk to
outsiders, and they never eat outside of their Tower. If you go to
their cafeteria for a meal, be prepared to be completely ignored. I
had a girlfriend once who stayed in the Tower for a year and then
moved to Adagio. She said that the people there practised secret
magic rituals, which usually ended in magically-enhanced orgies.
She didn’t like how secretive the whole thing was and so she applied for a transfer, and personally I don’t blame her, but some of
the stuff she told me about their parties sounds extremely interesting.
In the southeast is Risum. Every year, the Tower seems
to attract all of the competitive sports-types. The best jocks and
atheletes are always from this Tower. I don’t know why this is, if
they’re selected for the Tower or just gravitate to it, but that’s the
way things work. It’s residents are renowned for two things. First,
they are spectacularly fit. They’re just gorgeous to look at, men and
women. And this is coming from someone who’s straight, mind
The Towers
Welcome. Is this your first time in the capital? It was mine
to when I was first shown around Glimmer. Don’t worry, I’m sure
you’ll feel right at home here in no time.
So what did the old man tell you about? Boring history I’ll
bet. Well, there won’t be any of that with me. I’m here to tell you the
things you really need to know in order to succeed here.
First and foremost, are you a virgin? Don’t look so taken aback. It’s just a question. Yes? Well, you won’t be one for long.
The students here are very inviting, and I’m sure they’ll show you a
good time pretty soon. You seem uncomfortable. Trust me, you’ll
get used to this stuff pretty quickly.
Most importantly, did the old man tell you about the Towers? A little bit. Well forget everything he told you. He’s faculty,
and he has no idea how things really work in the residences. He
probably told you that the six of them were interchangeable. Well,
they aren’t. Each one caters to very different kinds of people. Maybe
what he said was true when he went here, but in the years since
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you. The second is their huge libido. They’re literally always horny.
I don’t know what it is about that Tower, maybe it’s something in
the water, but its residents are just insatiable. Risum parties are almost as good as Vinum ones, but they have a lot more sex.
Last up is Accipit, the northwest Tower. Most people
generally ignore the Tower. It’s residents don’t really seem to have
much unique about them, or so most people think. I’ve found,
though, that’s they’re among the nicest and most accepting people
on campus. If you have a problem and need someone to talk to who
isn’t a guidance councillor, or you want to try something new in
bed, they’re the people you want to talk to. No matter what or how
strange your request is, there someone in Accipit who’ll do it for
you. My best friend stays in the Tower, and we’ve tried some pretty
crazy things. Just last week we … well, I’ll leave that up to your
imagination.
Now that you’ve got the rundown, which one do you
think you’ll like best? Exter? Well, that wasn’t what I expected. But
to each their own, I suppose. Here, I’ll walk you there.
The Secrets
So, how much did the old man tell you about the campus?
The basic layout and all? Well, I bet he didn’t tell you about the
missing floor, or the catacombs, did he? No? Not surprised. We
students aren’t supposed to know about this kind of stuff. But as
your mentor, I’d be leaving you in the dark if I didn’t tell you about
them.
First is the hidden floor. You know how they say that the
main building is one hundred stories tall? Well, it’s not. People have
counted the number of floors visible from the outside, and there
are one hundred and one. But on the inside, you can only get to
one hundred of them. One of the floors is cut off from the rest
somehow. Where exactly it is, no one knows, but it’s in the building
somewhere.
How about the library’s forbidden wing? I’m sure he
wouldn’t have told you about that. Here’s the deal. In the back
portion of the library, away from the skylight and the librarians’
desks, is a door. Behind that door are books detailing all the ways
of using magic that students aren’t supposed to know about. Forbidden stuff, but also fun stuff. Ways of using magic in sex, stuff like
that. The faculty assume that just putting the stuff behind a door is
enough to keep people away from it, but it isn’t. I know of at least
three people who have snuck in there and read some of the books.
The stuff the staff don’t want us to know is circulating around the
campus as we speak. If you want to see it, you just need to know the
right person to ask, and be willing to do them a favour in return.
There’s also another secret hidden in one of the faculty
spires. At the top of the northeast tower is a room that can only be
described as a spa. There are hot tubs, massage tables and a pool
laced with magically-enhanced oils and perfumes. The room is
usually reserved for faculty, but sometimes they grant upper year
students permission to go into it. Clothing is completely optional
there, and I’ve heard rumours about the parties and events that the
staff get up to in the place. Risque stuff, I have to say.
Finally, there are the catacombs. Underneath the main
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buildings of the campus are a network of unlit tunnels stretching
far into the earth. No one knows where they came from or why
they’re there. Some people think they predate the campus, while
others think they’re there to house things too dangerous to let out
into the light of day. I know of a few people who have broken into
them and almost got caught, and they didn’t find anything unusual, but then again, they didn’t get particularly deep. What’s really
down there, no one knows for sure.
Here we are, at your Tower. I’ll show you to your new
dorm room and then I’ll be off. I’m sure your bunk mates can answer any other questions you might have. Each tower floor has two
rooms around a central common area. Each room has six beds in it,
along with closets and some other storage space. They can get cold
in the winter, but warming a room up is an easy magical trick once
you learn it.
This is your room. I hope I’ve been helpful to you, and
if you ever need anything, please come find me. I’m in room 21B
in Vinum, and you’re always welcome there. Good luck with your
studies, and don’t forget to let loose and have some fun every once
in a while.
Campus Life
Hey there. So you’re my new roommate. Nice to meet you,
I’m Ken. Short for Kennith, but most people here just call me red,
on account of my fur. No, it’s not naturally that colour. I use magic
on it. I’m a third year student here, so if you ever need a hand with
something, just ask.
Why am I naked? Why not? You’re going to have to get
used to nudity if you’re going to live here. Most people in the Tower
don’t bother with clothing. I just got back from a very nice shower,
if you know what I mean.
You seem a little uncomfortable. That’s okay. I was too my
first year. All this takes some getting used to. Why don’t I give you
some tips, to help make the process easier.
First of all, every Tower is overseen by a don, who is elected each year by that Tower’s students. They’re supposed to make
sure we don’t get too wild, but since the students elect them, they
pretty much let us do whatever we want, so long as we don’t trash
the place. This year’s don is a fox named Sasha. She’s hardworking,
but she has a wicked sense of humour. Make sure to get on her
good side, although with a face like yours, I doubt that would be a
problem. She’s a sucker for a cute face.
Also, you’ll probably want to get used to people having
sex. It happens a lot here, and there will be times when you come
back from a class to find your roommates sleeping with someone.
If you want some peace and quiet, go to the library. That’s really the
only place you’ll really find any.
On a similar note, people here are pretty open. If you’re
ever feeling horny, or just want a good time, ask around. You’re
sure to find someone willing to have some fun. Or just do what I
do. Start masturbating in the common room and see who comes to
join you. Sometimes people just watch, but others they jump right
in and you’ve got a party on your hands. I’ve spent some good evenings that way.
Anyway. The Towers technically have separate floors for
men and women, but no one really cares. People sleep wherever
they are when they’re done having sex, be that in someone else’s
room or someone else’s Tower. The beds here are pretty large, so
you’ll never run out of places to sleep. I can’t help but wonder if the
people who designed this place knew what it would be used for.
Also, birthdays area big deal here. When yours comes
around, expect the whole floor to go crazy for a few days. Any excuse to celebrate is good one, right?
You’re probably wondering about your classes too. Study
here is divided up into four years. First and second year classes
are mostly lectures and theory. There are a few demonstrations of
magic, but not much. They’re kind of boring, but they do teach you
things like what a Quality is, how to pull one out of an object and
what you can do with it once you have it. Third and fourth year
classes are more hands on. They typically happen in the practice
rooms in the upper floors, and teach you specific applications of
magic.
In your fourth year you’re expected to do a thesis on some
facet of magical practice. You can either write a paper on magical theory, or invent a new use for a Quality that no one has ever
thought of before. I’ve got a friend who’s doing some really interesting things with using colour Qualities to help monitor cell division.
Don’t worry though, you’ll have plenty of time to figure out what
you want to do yours on.
For now, though, just try to settle in. Get your things in
your chest and get used to your new bed. If you want some help
breaking it in, just let me know. That reminds me. Sometime, we’ll
have to put together a proper welcome for you. Don’t worry, it
won’t be too crazy. Just the people from the floor and maybe a few
friends. John, who sleeps in the bed next to yours, has this recipe he
uses to make this drink using magic. It’s just fantastic. You’ll have to
try it sometime.
the school’s superstars, and for the last few years we’ve won the national championships. If you’re thinking of trying out, be prepared
for practices almost every night. I’ve heard rumours that the team
hosts private, invite-only parties to celebrate its victories. I’ve been
trying to get into one for years, but so far no luck.
The other main sport on campus is tennis, but it’s unlikely
you’ll ever get involved in it. The tennis team makes the theatre club
look downright inviting to outsiders. It’s extremely close-knit, only
accepting new members if they’re related to the old ones somehow.
The tennis players normally only associate with other tennis players, so there’s practically no chance of getting on the team. I have
heard, however, that the student council is trying to force them to
take on new members, so we’ll see how that goes.
While it’s not a sport per se, a lot of people here enjoy
playing skytag. It’s a fun game, where you chase one another around
through the air, trying not to get tagged. Me and a few friends of
mine play it most weekends, and anyone who wants to is welcome
to join. You have to be able to fly, of course, so it’s mostly for upper
year students.
There’s one more group I should mention, even though
they aren’t really a club or team. Technically they don’t even exist.
They’re called the Blacklight Society. They’re a secret fraternity that
operates within the campus. No one is entirely sure where or when
they meet, but its probably somewhere in the catacombs beneath
the main tower. No one knows what they do at their meetings, but
its probably something magical.
I’ve heard rumours about some of their rituals. Some people say that they use magic to all transform into monstrous forms
and them sleep with one another, while others claim that they
are really the ones who run the university, and that their society
predates Glimmer’s founding. I’ve also heard that they haze their
initiates by forcing them to wear vibrators under their clothing,
which the higher ups turn on and off at will. I’ve also heard that
they maintain a strict hierarchy, with new members having to serve
older members for the first year or so.
The strange thing is that, if you ask any of the faculty
about it, they’ll deny completely that any such group could even
exist. They won’t even accept that it’s possible. Some people think
that the staff are in on it. I personally think it’s all just a bunch of
rumours, but I’ll leave you to make your own conclusions.
The Clubs
Classes don’t start for another week or so, so now’s a good
time to get to know everyone. Make some new friends, if you know
what I mean. There are some clubs and teams you might be interested in joining, while you have the time to check them all out.
There’s the astronomy club. They meet once a week on top
of one of the Towers and look at the stars. I’ve heard that rather
than use telescopes, they use magic to give their eyes the magnification properties of one, and just look up. I personally don’t find
the idea of spending all night looking at the sky that exciting, but if
you do, more power to you.
The theatre club meets in one of the unused practice
rooms, where they rehearse and write scripts. Every few months,
they put on a performance in a lecture hall, and they’re always pretty good. They’re pretty insular, do it’s difficult to get involved with
them, but I’ve got a friend in the club, so I might be able to put in a
good word for you.
As for sports, there are a few options. The most popular
sport on campus is hardball. It’s a highly competitive sport usually
played in the courtyard between two teams. The top players are
Other Students
You may want to sit down for this part. It may take a
while. You comfortable? Good. Now, I’ve been here for two years
now, and I’ve met a lot of people. I’m going to do you a massive favour and give you a run down of who’s who around campus. I wish
someone would have done this for me when I first got here. I had to
figure all this out for myself, so count yourself lucky that you don’t.
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Joffrey
Species: Deer
Sex: Male
Orientation: Gay
Joffrey is one of the most popular people on campus.
Everyone knows him, and it’s easy to see why. In addition to be
absolutely gorgeous, he comes from a long line of nobility in his
home nation. He dresses only in the finest cloth and jewellery, and
he carries himself like a prince. Did I mention he’s gay, because
he is. Not like I’m likely to ever get with him. He has a constant
stream of people lining up to be his lover. He is known to be very
selective about who he sleeps with, only allowing people he deems
sufficiently cultured into his bed.
There are rumours though that the guy is lonely. They say
that all his noble background and regal bearing just push people
away from him. I’ve hears that, on occasion, he breaks down after
sex and tells his partner how alone he really is. It seems he wishes
he had more real friends, as most of the people he knows just want
to get with him to get in good with his family. I feel kind of sorry
for the guy, and if he ever lets me fuck him, I’ll tell him as much.
Theon
Species: Otter
Sex: Male
Orientation: Bi
Theon is an interesting fellow. He’s extremely muscular
for an otter, and is one of the best hardball players the campus has.
He stays in Vinum, and has a reputation for being quite the party
animal. He has a wide friend group, and is known for throwing
some of the best orgies the campus has ever seen. How he gets any
school work done in the midst of all this is anyone’s guess.
Here’s the interesting thing. Half of the guy’s friends are in
love with him. I’ve heard from some very reputable sources that his
best friend, a wolf named Jay, has been trying to get with him since
they met. He also has a new friend, a tiger named Markus, who he’s
gotten close with over the last year. They’re both jocks, and it seems
like Markus might succeed in winning Theon’s heart. Jay isn’t too
happy about this, but he’s scared to tell the otter how he feels, for
fear of ruining their relationship.
Ramsey
Species: Wolf
Sex: Male
Orientation: Straight
Speaking of jocks, I should tell you about Ramsey. He’s a
new face around here, only in his second year now, but he’s quickly
risen through the ranks to become one of Glimmer’s top athletes.
He’s gotten a top spot on our hardball team, and scored the winning goal in last year’s final game. He’s handsome, quick witted and
surprisingly kind. In short, everyone loves him.
He also seems to have made it his mission to sleep with
the entire student body. In his first semester here he worked his
way through his Tower, and then moved on to the others when he
ran out of new people there. He tells people that he’s straight, but
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I’ve known at least ten men who have slept with him.
Here’s the interesting thing though. He doesn’t think of
himself as a player. According to him, he’s looking for the right person. Supposedly, when he finds them, he’ll settle down and form a
lasting relationship. This could all just be a cover for him liking to
sleep around, but if he ever finds this magical person, he might just
stop.
Vanessa
Species: Lion
Sex: Female
Orientation: Straight
Vanessa is one of my best friends, and I’m sure you’ll hit
it off with her when you meet her. She’s one of the nicest people I
know. She’s attentive, supportive and an excellent listener. Whenever I’ve needed something, she’s always there with exactly the right
thing. She’s also very gentle in bed, should it ever come up.
Here’s the thing though, she’s one of the most competitive
people I’ve ever met. She simply cannot let a competition go once
she’s gotten involved in it. A year ago, she tried out for the tennis
team and was turned down. She still hasn’t gotten over it, and she
has a grudge against them to this day. Whenever we play skytag,
she always needs to win, or she’s in a foul mood all night. And don’t
ever bring up the time she tried to play hardball.
Len
Species: Dog
Sex: Male
Orientation: Bi
What can I say about Len that you won’t learn on your
own? He’s really nice when you get to know him. He’ll talk about
whatever you want to talk about, for as long as you want to talk
about it. He’s small, but kind of in an adorable way. He also likes
to experiment with different hair colours every now and then. But
that’s not what he’s known for.
He’ll sleep with anyone. Just ask him and he’ll drop whatever he’s doing and sleep with you, then and there. He’s known as
the dorm slut by some, but that’s not quite the truth. I’ve slept with
him several times, and I’ve learned why he’s so generous. It’s because he’s such a caring guy. He just wants everyone he knows to be
happy, and he figures the best way to do that is to sleep with them
a lot. He knows that he has a reputation as a slut, and he finds the
whole thing kind of amusing. He also has no intentions of stopping
because of it.
Jess
Species: Blue Jay
Sex: Female
Orientation: Bi
I can’t say I know Jess very well. We’ve met on occasion,
and she seems quite nice, but you get the feeling that she’s keeping
something from you. She’s a little standoffish. But more than that,
she seems to have an aversion to talking about herself. She’s mostly
kept to herself the two years she’s been here, and as far as I know
she hasn’t made any friends, or attended a single party. She isn’t
antisocial, she just seems to like keeping to herself. She also stays in
Adagio, which doesn’t help.
It wasn’t until part way through last year that someone
figured out why she’s such a loner. A friend of mine was going
through some old newspaper clippings for a research project when
he found one about a car accident. It seems her parents were killed
the year before the started coming here. Most people don’t know
this, but use few who do are trying to see if we can’t comfort her in
some way. It’s a long shot, but maybe if we get her to open up about
her past, we might just help her to become more comfortable here
and maybe make some new friends.
Harold is a good friend of mine, despite being from Adagio and spending most of his time in the library. He’s got something
of a reputation around campus, and I can’t say that it’s undeserved.
See, he’s a mouse, but you’d never know it from looking at him. He
loves to try out new traits and body alterations. It seems like every
time I see him he’s got some new appendage somewhere.
What most people don’t know about him is how he likes
to test out his new body parts. Every once in a while, he’ll break
away from his studies and magic use and come over to my dorm
room. There, we put together a little party, nothing big, just a few
of my roommates and some of their friends. Then we all get a turn
testing out his new body parts. It’s a lot of fun. If you’re interested,
I’m sure I could get you in one of these times. I hear this week
he’s looking to give himself something ‘horse-like.’ Can’t wait to see
what that means.
Alex
Species: Bear
Sex: Female
Orientation: Straight
Now here is someone near and dear to my heart. She is the
don of Vinum, and boy is she ever good at her job. What I mean
by that is that she throws the best parties anywhere on campus. She
doesn’t do it very frequently, maybe once a month, but when she
does, they are spectacular. Being the don, she gets the entire tower
to take part. She has some floors designated for drinking, others for
sex and others for recreational magic use. It’s like twenty awesome
parties all going on at the same time.
She herself is quite the party animal. She’s known to jump
from one party to the next, wearing nothing but a bow tie and slippers, using magic on people and sleeping with anyone she finds
particularly attractive. Strangely, she never seems to drink anything
at these parties, although there’s plenty available to drink there. If
she ever throws a party, go. You’ll miss out on something amazing
if you don’t.
Hugh
Species: Tiger
Sex: Male
Orientation: Gay
This guy is tons of fun. He’s a master at partying. I don’t
just mean he’s good at drinking, but this guy has turned parties into
an art form. He is a master at finding the right party and showing
up just as it gets good. Once there, he seems to brighten up whatever everyone else was doing. Parties are simply more fun with him
there. Everyone who meets him wants to be his friend, and I’m
lucky enough to be counted as one of his closest companions.
He’s also pretty promiscuous. He never leaves a party
without a date. I’m proud to report that I’ve been the one on his
arm a few times. He’s as good in bed as he is at a get together. Despite all of his sleeping around, I heard recently that he’s got himself
a boyfriend. Me and the others who know him want to meet the
lucky guy, but no one has yet. Apparently the boy’s quite shy, but I’ll
get to him in a moment. For now, Eric comes to parties by himself,
and he still sleeps around. Apparently his new friend isn’t the jealous type.
Celena
Species: Fox
Sex: Female
Orientation: Unknown
Celena is a relatively unknown member of Celatum
Tower. She generally keeps to herself, which is a shame, because
she’s adorable. She’s got this petite librarian thing going on, with
black fur and little glasses and everything. But I digress. That’s not
what’s important. What’s important is that she’s curious. She came
to Glimmer to learn magical secrets, and apparently the standard
curriculum isn’t enough for her. She’s taken to spending most of
her time in the library, researching obscure magical ideas and practising with little-used Qualities.
There are rumours that she’s even broken into the forbidden wing of the library a few times. Some rumours go on to say
that she used to go there on a regular basis, but that recently she’s
stopped going to the library altogether. Some people think that,
whatever it is she was looking for, she’s found it.
Eric
Species: Rabbit
Sex: Male
Orientation: Gay
Eric is Hugh’s new boyfriend. He’s apparently a soft-spoken rabbit who’s rather timid around people and hates crowds.
From what Hugh tells me, he’s really bright. Like, genius level
bright. But his shyness makes it difficult for him to be around other
people.
He’s apparently a member of the astronomy club, and its
members are the few people he actually talks to. Apparently with
them he’s witty, if still somewhat quiet. Thanks to his boyfriend,
he’s apparently started to open up a bit more and become more
comfortable around people. It’s only a matter of time before he goes
to his first party, and we’re all hoping to be there when he does.
Harold
Species: Mouse
Sex: Male
Orientation: Gay
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Benjamin
Species: Wolf
Sex: Male
Orientation: Bi
Benjamin comes from a well-respected family in the Federation military. Apparently both his father and grandfather were
high-ranking commanders or something like that. He’s here because he’s training to be a military magician. Everyone knows that
he’s going to become one after he graduates. He’s apparently quite
talented as a magician, but that’s not what he’s known for.
The guy’s a massive submissive. He really gets off being
ordered around. He doesn’t come to parties all that much, but I’ve
heard that’s because his roommates keep him really busy. It must
be nice having your own personal fuck servant around. There’s one
story I heard where a group of guys found him in a bathroom. They
ordered him to suck them off and he dropped to his knees on the
spot. He not only sucked off every one of them, twice, but he saluted them afterwards and thanked them for it. I’d love to get the guy
for a night and see what he’s willing to do, but so far I haven’t had
any luck.
Erica
Species: Cow
Sex: Female
Orientation: Bi
Erica is our current student council president. She’s held
the role for a year now, and she’ll likely be elected again next year.
She’s an extremely driven and ambitious person, setting her sights
on high office from the moment she set foot in the school. She’s
also extremely intense. The rest of her staff are intimidated by her,
and I think she knows it. Some part of me suspects she gets off on
it somehow.
She doesn’t come to parties as far as I know, but that isn’t
to say she doesn’t occasionally have a good time. She’s known to
select people and let them into an exclusive inner ring of people
she sleeps with. According to one of her fuck buddies I know, she
claims that having sex on a regular basis lets her concentrate better
on her work. That could just be an excuse for having what is essentially a harem, but if it works for her, more power to her.
Lau
Species: Otter
Sex: Male
Orientation: Straight
Lau is our student council vice president. He is in all ways
the opposite of the president. He’s quiet and meek, to the point
of being a bit shy, but apparently he’s really bright. He keeps the
student council in operation, and is probably the hardest working
person on campus. The rest of the council rarely credit the work he
does, but he doesn’t seem to mind. In fact, I think he prefers it that
way.
There’s a rumour going around campus that he’s secretly
in love with the president. I don’t know how true it is personally,
but if it is, it wouldn’t surprise me. It explains why he’s always at her
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beck and call, and why he works so hard to carry out her plans and
projects. He wants to be noticed by her, although I doubt he ever
will be.
Jake
Species: Lion
Sex: Male
Orientation: Bi
Jake’s a favourite of mine. Although, come to think of
it, he’s a favourite of half the campus. He’s known around here as
guitar guy, and for good reason. The guy can to amazing things
with one. I think he knows every some ever made or something
like that. More than that, he likes to incorporate magic into his act.
He’ll conjure up sounds from thin air or make random objects into
musical instruments. The guy’s a genius when it comes to putting
on a show.
Everyone wants him to come to their parties. Unfortunately, there’s only so much of him to go around. He typically goes
to a party every night and plays there, and in exchange he gets his
pick of the guests to take back to his dorm. I can’t say I’ve ever had
the good fortune to be his pick, but I’ve heard that the guy is amazing in bed. Unfortunately, all his partying seem to affect his marks
some. I’ve heard he’s struggling to keep them up, and he’s been put
on academic probation. If his marks drop any more, he won’t be
able to continue to attend Glimmer. That would be a shame for
everyone involved, although I’m sure he could make a good living
as a musician if he really tried.
Demetri
Species: Horse
Sex: Male
Orientation: Bi
Cemetri has a nickname around campus. People here call
him the Dom. From the name, I’m assuming you can guess why.
The guy’s has a massive domination fetish. He loves ordering other
people around and being in control. Lucky for him, he stays in Accipit, and those people are generally up for anything.
I’ve heard recently that he’s trying to put together a stable
roster of subs that he can rely on to always obey him. So far, I think
he has one or two people, but he wants more. He’s been attending
parties recently in the hopes of finding more people, so expect to
see him around campus in the future.
Felix
Species: Fox
Sex: Male
Orientation: Gay
I’m going to let you in on a little secret. It’s about Felix, a
fox who stays in Adagio. He doesn’t really want anyone to know
this, but I figure I can trust you with it. See, when he came here, he
was pretty inexperienced with sex. I think he might even have been
a virgin. Anyway, so he starts putting himself out there, and soon
enough he’s getting laid, but he starts to notice a pattern. He seems
to like it best when someone else takes control. Soon enough, he’s
discovered that he can only get off by being dominated.
Now, for some reason, he doesn’t want this to become
common knowledge. I’ve tried to convince him that it would be
much easier to find a dom if he’s open about being a sub, but so
far no luck. He seems to be kind of embarrassed about the whole
thing. Why, I can’t imagine. There are people with plenty of more
unusual preferences around here who are completely open about it.
For now, though, it seems he’s going to remain in the closet.
it’s that important now, but trust me, it’s going to be useful in the
future.
First is the library. I know it might not seem like the most
private of locations, but you just need to know when to visit it. The
librarians typically stay near the main part of the library until dusk,
when the do their re-shelving. The library is normally pretty full
all day, but most people leave it come dinner time. If you hit it between when dinner starts and the sun sets, you’ll have the entire
place to yourself. Just find a nice back corner and fuck away. And
don’t worry, there’s usually plenty of food left in the cafeterias later
on in the evening.
My personal favourite place is a bit of a secret. Don’t let
anyone know about this one, okay? There’s a number of storage
rooms on the first floor with sports equipment in them. They store
hardball balls and tennis rackets and stuff. There are three of them,
but no one ever uses the third. It’s small and doesn’t have anything
of use in it, so people just ignore it. So long as you don’t make too
much noise, you can stay in there all day and no one will bother
you. I know I have.
Finally, if all else fails, you can always just use one of the
lecture halls. Make sure you check the schedule posted out front to
be sure it’s unoccupied for a while. If it’s a weekend, you’re golden.
There is one thing I should mention though. There’s an unspoken
rule that, if you’re using a lecture hall and someone else comes in,
you let them join you. It’s just polite. I know I’ve had some wild
afternoons that way, with people just coming in right after one another.
Well, that’s all I had to tell you. If you have any other questions, just ask. Oh, and I forgot to mention. I’m throwing a little get
together tomorrow, so if you want to get your feet wet, so to speak,
you’re more than welcome to join in. I can guarantee you it will be
a lot of fun.
Rodger
Species: Human
Sex: Male
Orientation: Bi
Rodger is a second year student in this Tower. He started
out his first year like most people do, exploring his sexuality and
trying new things. Most new students do that for a while and then
settle down into a pattern of what they like, but he never did. In
fact, the longer he was here, the more adventurous he got. Now he
has a reputation as the man without boundaries, and this has only
attracted more new experiences to him.
He’s willing to try just about anything, and from what I’ve
heard the guy really doesn’t have any limits. It doesn’t matter if it’s
submission, domination, masochism or voyeurism, he’s up for it.
My guess it that he gets off on the thrill of the unknown, but maybe
he really just loves every fetish that much. Maybe, if you ever sleep
with him, you’ll be able to find out.
Mal
Species: Human
Sex: Female
Orientation: Straight
Mal is our resident newspaper. She doesn’t write a newspaper, she is one. She’s up on everything going on here. When people what to hear about what’s happening on around campus, they
go to her. She can fill them in on everything from hardball scores
to parties to which staff member forgot to wear pants to their class.
She’s only in her second year, but most people honestly can’t imagine the school without her. She has this cool trick she does with
magic. She carries a disposable camera around, but she never takes
pictures with it. Instead, the gives herself the Quality of recording
images, and then gains a perfect memory. Then, the uses evocation
to create copies of the images she keeps in her mind. Pretty clever.
She’ll probably write about the trick for her thesis, when the time
comes for her to do one.
Recently though, I’ve heard she’s taken on a new project.
She wants to crack the Blacklight Society. She’s been trying interview people who have some connection to the group, but as the Society is extremely secretive, she hasn’t gotten anywhere yet. Knowing her though, she won’t give up until she knows everything there
is to know about them.
Magic
All things in the world possess Qualities, mystical properties that set one object and creature apart from others. Through
skill and training, these Qualities can be taken, rearranged and removed, making one object behave like another. The ability to do
this is called magic. Anyone can use magic, but like most skills,
those with a talent for it are far more likely to succeed at it.
Magic is governed by four laws:
Law One: All Qualities must have a source.
Law Two: Part of something is as good as all of it.
Law Three: Feelings and thoughts aren’t Qualities.
Law Four: Magic is permanent.
Within these laws, a skilled magician has virtually unlimited control over the traits of everything around them. They can
make ice hot, a breeze cut like knives, or plain water as nutritious
as a multivitamin.
Places to Have Sex
You seem tired. I suppose it’s probably been a long day for
you. I’ll let you get some rest, but before I do, there’s one more thing
I should mention. I’d be remiss if I didn’t let you know about some
of my favourite places on campus to have sex. You might not think
Magical Skills
Magicians recognize four distinct uses of magic. Each one
of these is its own Skill, and like other Skills they are rated as +1,
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+2, or +3. What a magician can do with their magic depends on the
rating they have in the appropriate magical Skill. These Skills are as
follows.
•
Transformation deals with giving Qualities to living
things.
•
Transfiguration deals with giving Qualities to inanimate
objects.
•
Evocation deals with making new objects out of existing
Qualities.
•
Nullification deals with removing Qualities from living
or non-living things.
Casting a Spell
In order to cast a spell on something, the magician must
touch the source of the Quality they are imbuing and then touch
the target of the spell. They then must succeed on a simple roll of
the Skill most appropriate to the magic in question, plus Intellect.
Transformation is used if the target is a living thing, including the
caster. Transfiguration is used if the target is non-living. More than
one Quality can be imbued at once, provided the magician has a
source of all of them on hand.
When using Evocation, the target object can be created
anywhere within ten yards. Only inanimate objects, plants and energy can be created using this Skill, not animals or people. Each
Quality used adds to the final object, which becomes the sum total
of all Qualities applied to it. These objects have no substance unless Material Qualities are used in their creation, and are normally obviously magical in nature, only possessing the Qualities they
were given. When using an Evocation on a Conceptual Quality, the
Quality can be made to affect a region of up to ten square yards,
rather than a created object. When using Nullification, a source of
the Quality being removed must be present, and it must not be the
object that the Quality is being removed from.
Kinds of Qualities
There are three tires of Qualities that magicians can work
with. Using Qualities from a tier requires having the appropriate
Skill at that tier’s rating.
Cosmetic Qualities govern the sensory traits an object
has, like colour and taste. Using Cosmetic Qualities requires a Skill
of +1.
Material Qualities govern all of the physical traits that
an object has, like hardness, shape and flammability. All External
Traits that creatures possess are Material Qualities. Using Material
Qualities requires the appropriate Skill be at rating +2.
Conceptual Qualities govern all the capabilities of an object that can’t be touched, including the ability to grow, heal or fly.
Using magic on Conceptual Qualities requires having the appropriate Skill at +3.
Magical Attacks
None of the four magical Skills are designed to harm others or cause magical damage. But a clever magician could easily
use them to cause harm, especially Evocation. If a player can give a
decent explanation of how they use magic to make an attack, they
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can roll their most appropriate magical Skill as an attack roll. The
attack can be defended against normally, and deals Wounds like
any other attack does.
Sample Qualities
The best way to understand how magic functions is to see
examples of it. This section outlines several commonly used Qualities and how they can be applied through the four Skills of magic.
The Qualities are sorted by tier, and sample sources are provided
for each one.
Feel free to invent new Qualities during play. If an object
can reasonably be said to possess a Quality, then it can be used as a
source and that Quality manipulated using magic. Be creative, and
have fun.
Colour
Tier: Cosmetic
Sample Sources: Any colourful object, dyes, clothing.
•
Transfiguration- Any inanimate object can be dyed.
•
Transformation - Skin, fur or hair can be coloured. Skin
will remain the new colour permanently, while fur and hair will
regrow as its natural colour, requiring repeated use of magic to
maintain. This Quality can also be used to create magical tattoos
by only colouring part of the skin.
•
Evocation - A conjured object has the selected colour. If
used on its own, an illusion can be created of an object that is that
colour.
•
Nullification - The target is returned to its natural colour,
or made colourless.
Taste
Tier: Cosmetic
Sample Sources: Food, salt, seasonings, flavour packets.
•
Transfiguration - An object can be made to taste differently. This is often used to flavour bland food or make water taste
like soda or candy.
•
Transformation - Part of all of a person can be made to
taste a certain way. Their skin could be affected, making kissing or
giving them oral sex tasty. Alternatively, some of their fluids could
be changed, making their saliva, milk, semen or vaginal juices
taste appealing.
•
Evocation - A created object can be made to taste a
certain way.
•
Nullification - The target is returned to its natural taste,
or made tasteless.
Texture
Tier: Cosmetic
Sample Sources: Stone, bubblewrap, glass.
•
Transfiguration - An object can be given a new texture.
•
Transformation - Part or all of a person can be given
a new texture. This is often used on the tongue or genitalia for
added pleasure in sex. This grants a +1 to all pleasuring rolls made
with the affected region.
•
Evocation - A created object can be given a desired
texture. If used on its own, an object can be created that has no
substance, but feels a certain way when touched.
•
Nullification - The target is returned to its natural texture, or made completely smooth.
clean
•
Transformation - A person’s body can be cleaned from
all dirt and residue.
•
Evocation - An object that cleans everything it touches
can be made. Essentially magical soap.
Hard
Weightless
Tier: Material
Sample Sources: Stone, metal, hardwood.
•
Transfiguration - An object can be made rock hard and
difficult to break.
•
Transformation - Part of all of a person can be made
hard. This is often used on the penis, for a permanent erection, or
on the whole body, to make the target’s skin hard as stone.
•
Evocation - A physical object can be created that is rock
hard.
•
Nullification - An object can be made softer.
Tier: Material
Sample Sources: Helium, air, feathers.
•
Transfiguration - An object can have all of its weight
removed.
•
Transformation - A person can be made to float. Having
wings is recommended before using this Quality on someone, as
otherwise they will have no way of manoeuvring once in midair.
•
Evocation - A created object can be made weightless.
•
Nullification - An object can be made to have weight, or
no longer be weightless.
Trait
Hot
Tier: Material
Sample Sources: Fur, hair, nail clippings, blood, semen from a creature with the desired Trait.
Any external Trait that a creature possesses is a Quality.
So long as the magician possesses a part of that creature, they can
grant objects and people any Trait that the source creature possesses. A magician can use their own body as a source as well.
•
Transfiguration - An object’s shape can be changed to
possess the Trait. Useful for making dildos or fake vaginas out of
everyday objects.
•
Transformation - The target person can be given any
Trait the source creature possesses.
•
Evocation - Physical objects can be created shaped like
the chosen Trait or Traits. These objects are tangible and permanent.
•
Nullification - Traits can be removed from the target
object or creature.
Tier: Material
Sample Sources: Hot soup, fire, a radiator.
•
Transfiguration - An object can be made permanently
hotter.
•
Transformation - A person’s body can be made to heat
up. This can be dangerous, as it essentially creates a magical fever.
•
Evocation - Fire can be created. This can constitute a
magical attack. Alternatively, an area can be made warmer, removing the need for heaters or mundane fire.
•
Nullification - The target can be cooled down. Magically
created heat or fire can be removed.
Electric
Tier: Material
Sample Sources: Batteries, statically charged clothing, a wall socket.
•
Transfiguration - An object can be given a permanent
electric charge. This can be used to make an electronic device’s
batteries never run out.
•
Evocation - Lightning can be created. This constitutes a
magical attack.
•
Nullification - An electric charge can be removed from
an object.
Vibrating
Tier: Material
Sample Sources: Vibrator, cell phone.
•
Transfiguration - An object can be made to vibrate constantly. Great for making toys.
•
Transformation - A part or all of the target’s body can be
made to vibrate. Using it on their genitalia provides an additional
one Pleasure a turn to them and anyone they’re having sex with.
Applying it to their hands or tongue adds one Pleasure to any
pleasuring action using that location. Applying it to their whole
body does all of the above.
•
Evocation - A created object can be made to vibrate
constantly.
•
Nullification - An object can be made to stop vibrating,
or lose the ability to vibrate.
Sharp
Tier: Material
Sample Sources: Claws, knives, toothpicks.
•
Transfiguration - An object can be made to cut like a
knife, even if it’s a rock
•
Transformation - Part of a person’s body can be given
blade-like qualities. This grants them the Weapon Trait. They need
to be careful, however, not to harm themselves with it.
•
Evocation - Magical blades can be created. This can constitute a magical attack.
•
Nullification - Magical or mundane blades can be dulled
and made completely safe.
Clean
Tier: Material
Sample Sources: Water, clean clothes, white cloth.
•
Transfiguration - An object can be made completely
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Radiant
stop healing naturally.
Flight
Tier: Material
Sample Sources: Fire, light bulb, LED, flashlight, phone screen.
•
Transfiguration - An object can be made to give off light
of any intensity or colour.
•
Transformation - Part or all of a person’s body can be
made to glow. This can make them into a living light bulb, or just
grant them the Subtle Glow Trait.
•
Evocation - A magical light source can be made, usually
a point of glowing light. Created objects can be made to glow.
•
Nullification - An object or person can be made to no
longer give off light.
Tier: Conceptual
Sample Sources: Feather, part of an airplane.
•
Transfiguration - An object be made to fly through the
air like a plane. If it is large enough, it can be ridden on.
•
Transformation - An individual gains the ability to fly.
•
Evocation - Everything in ten yards of the Evocation can
fly.
•
Nullification - Remove the ability to fly from an object or
person.
Nutritious
Large
Tier: Material
Sample Sources: Hair from someone with the Large or Massive
Trait, part of a large statue.
•
Transfiguration - An object can be made larger.
•
Transformation - Part or all of a person’s body can be
enlarged. This includes their breasts or genitals.
•
Nullification - An object or person can be made smaller,
or returned to their normal size.
Sensitive
Tier: Conceptual
Sample Sources: Multivitamins, plants, bread, flour.
•
Transfiguration - An object can be made to provide
nutrients to anyone who consumes it.
•
Transformation - One or more of a person’s fluids can be
made nutritious.
•
Evocation - Everyone who enters the affected region is
satiated as though they ate a full meal.
•
Nullification - An object’s nutritive properties can be
removed.
Alcoholic
Tier: Conceptual
Sample Sources: Hands, lips, a penis.
•
Transformation - Part of all of a person’s body can be
made sensitive like their genitalia are. This can add new sexual
Regions, which can be pleasured as though they were genitalia.
•
Evocation - Everyone in selected region has their whole
body become as sensitive as their genitalia.
•
Nullification - A body part can be made less sensitive.
Tier: Conceptual
Sample Sources: Run, beer, wine.
•
Transfiguration - Any material, even water, can be made
to act like alcohol. Most people who use this trick also make their
drinks taste like something nice.
•
Transformation - Some or all of a person’s fluids can be
made to act like alcohol.
•
Evocation - Everyone who enters the affected area acts as
though they had a few drinks.
•
Nullification - Alcoholic properties can be removes from
a substance. Alternatively, a person can be sobered up instantly by
using magic on their blood.
Growing
Tier: Conceptual
Sample Sources: A leaf, stem, bark.
•
Transfiguration - An object can be made to get larger
over time.
•
Transformation - A person or part of a person can be
made to get larger over time.
•
Evocation - Everything in an affected region grows larger
over time.
•
Nullification - An object, plant or person can be made to
stop growing.
Aphrodisiac
Tier: Conceptual
Sample Sources: Aphrodisiac potions.
•
Transfiguration - Any substance can be made to act like a
moderate aphrodisiac when consumed.
•
Transformation - Some or all of a person’s fluids can be
made to act like a moderate aphrodisiac when consumed.
•
Evocation - Everyone who enters the affected region
gains one Arousal per minute or sexual turn.
•
Nullification - Aphrodisiac qualities can be removed
from an object or fluid. Alternatively, one Arousal can be removed
from the target’s sex track.
Healing
Tier: Conceptual
Sample Sources: Blood, a leaf, hair.
•
Transfiguration - An object can be made to repair itself
gradually.
•
Transformation - Wounds can be magically healed at a
rate of one per turn of magic use.
•
Evocation - Everything in the affected region repairs
itself over time. Living things are unaffected, as they already do
this.
•
Nullification - An object or living thing can be made to
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