Gurps Banestorm

by Masters, Phil

• ISBN13: 9781556347443
• ISBN10: 1556347448
• Edition: 4th
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2005-05-06
• Publisher: Psi

Summary

Welcome to the land of Yrth, a realm of incredibly varied races and monsters - including people snatched from our Earth and other worlds by the cataclysmic Banestorm! Now humans struggle with dwarves, elves, and each other. The Crusades aren't ancient history here - they're current events. And on this world, magic works!

Table of Contents

History	p. 5
Pre-Human Yrth	p. 6
Yrth Astronomy and Geography	p. 6
The Banestorm	p. 7
Gaming the Banestorm	p. 7
Civilizations Emerge	p. 8
Timeline (200 B.C. to 1550 A.D.)	p. 9
The Spread of Humanity	p. 10
The Rise of Megalos	p. 10
The Crusades	p. 10
The Unified Church	p. 10
Simon Menelaus	p. 10
Timeline (1550 A.D. to 1900 A.D.)	p. 11
New Challenges	p. 12
Jihad	p. 12
The Banestorm Resurgent	p. 12
Megalos Reduced	p. 13
An Yrthian Reformation?	p. 13
The Last Hundred Years	p. 14
The Mages' War	p. 14
More Orc Aggression	p. 14
A World Seen in Dreams	p. 14
Timeline (1900 A.D. to 2005 A.D.)	p. 15
The Blackwoods Spread	p. 16
The Frontier Wars	p. 16
Civil War in Caithness	p. 16
Now	p. 16
Life in Ytarria	p. 17
The People of Yrth	p. 18
The Elder Folk	p. 18
The Dark Elves	p. 18
The Newcomers	p. 20
Interracial Relations	p. 21
Gabrook: World of Sands	p. 21
Loren'dil: The Green World	p. 22
Olokun: World of Water	p. 22
Other Races	p. 23
Magic	p. 23
Spell-Based Magic	p. 23
Magic Items	p. 23
Magery in Nonhumans	p. 24
Banestorm Spells	p. 25
Some Legendary Artifacts	p. 26
Mysticism	p. 26
Alchemy	p. 28
The Genetics of Magery	p. 29
Technology	p. 30
Underground Engineering	p. 30
Transportation	p. 31
Medicine	p. 32
Printing	p. 32
Major Languages	p. 33
Nonhuman Speech	p. 33
Arts and Entertainment	p. 34
Social Arrangements	p. 38
The Peasantry	p. 38
Nonhumans in Human Society	p. 39
The Merchant Class	p. 40
Knighthood	p. 40
Muslim Social Positions	p. 40
Arms and Devices	p. 41
The Nobility	p. 41
Orders of Knighthood	p. 42
Slavery	p. 42
Economics	p. 44
Coins of Ytarria	p. 44
Crime and Punishment	p. 44
Political Systems	p. 45
Feudalism	p. 45
Megalan Autocracy	p. 46
The "Rebel Lands"	p. 47
Muslim Government	p. 48
Nonhuman Government	p. 48
Tribalism	p. 48
Sahud	p. 49
Towns	p. 49
Guilds	p. 50
Secret Societies and Conspiracies	p. 52
Wizardly Conspiracies	p. 52
Fireballs vs. Gunpowder	p. 52
Pagan Cults	p. 53
Mystery Cults	p. 53
Diabolical Cults	p. 53
Bardic Colleges	p. 53
The Underground Engineers	p. 54
Spy Rings	p. 55
Protestantism	p. 55
Religion	p. 56
Comparative Theology	p. 56
Christianity	p. 57
Beings With Souls	p. 57
Canon Law	p. 58
Heresy	p. 60
Saints	p. 60
The Curia	p. 61
Holy Orders	p. 61
The Order of Friedrich	p. 62
The Secret of the Templars	p. 63
The Michaelites	p. 64
The Afterlife	p. 65
Islam	p. 65
The Shari'a	p. 67
Julnari Dervishes	p. 67
Islam's Divisions	p. 69
Human Religions' Views of Nonhumans	p. 69
The Ghazi Orders	p. 70
Nonhumans' Views of Human Religions	p. 70
Muslim Radicals and "Heretics"	p. 71
Hashishin Assassination	p. 72
Judaism	p. 73
Berakhot and Kashrut	p. 75
Rabbis and Cantors	p. 75
Other Religions	p. 76
Paganism	p. 76
The Religion of Bilit Island	p. 78
Hinduism	p. 78
Buddhism	p. 79
Sahudese Religion	p. 80
An'Fo'Tama Monks	p. 80
Nonhuman Religions	p. 81
Lands of Yrth	p. 84
Countries and Regions of Ytarria	p. 84
Megalos	p. 85
Map of Western Megalos	p. 86
The "Evil Empire"?	p. 87
Megalan Status and Titles	p. 87
The Ministry of Serendipity	p. 88
Megalos: Capital of the Empire	p. 89
Map of Eastern Megalos	p. 91
The Emperor	p. 92
The Midlands	p. 93
The Manites	p. 94
The Northern Marches	p. 94
Lord Claudius Maskill	p. 95
City of the Dead	p. 97
The Southlands	p. 97
Pirates	p. 97
The Western Empire	p. 98
The Secret of the Blackwoods	p. 99
Yibyorak: The Goblin City	p. 100
The Brothers of Mercury	p. 102
Araterre	p. 103
The Fiefdoms	p. 104
Map of Araterre and the Ring Islands	p. 105
Maritime Technology	p. 105
The Prince of Araterre	p. 106
Dame Catherine "la Noire"	p. 107
The Ring Islands	p. 107
Bilit Island	p. 108
Adventuring in the Isles	p. 108
Caithness	p. 109
Map of Caithness	p. 109
The Silver Hand	p. 110
The Civil War	p. 113
King Conall VI	p. 114
The Royalists	p. 115
The Knights of the Stone	p. 115
Baroness Bronwyn	p. 116
The Sterling Rebels	p. 117
Photius and the Church of Caithness	p. 118
The South	p. 119
The Order of St. George of the Dragon	p. 119
The Great Forest	p. 120
Al-Haz	p. 120
Map of Al-Haz	p. 121
Hazi and Wazifi Status	p. 121
The Rulers of Al-Haz	p. 123
The Coast	p. 125
The Maelstrom	p. 125
The Mountains	p. 126
The Pilgrims' Plague	p. 127
The Plains	p. 128
The Balikites in Firuz	p. 128
Al-Wazif	p. 129
Map of Al-Wazif	p. 130
The Great Games	p. 133
Cities of Al-Wazif	p. 133
The Treachery of Taveon	p. 134
The Ruins of Autheuil	p. 135
The Pillars of Heaven	p. 136
Cardiel	p. 137
Map of Cardiel	p. 138
The Lords	p. 140
The Regions of Cardiel	p. 140
Tredroy: The City of Three Laws	p. 142
Map of Tredroy	p. 143
Adventuring in Tredroy	p. 147
Sahud	p. 148
Who is "Sahudese"?	p. 148
Map of Sahud	p. 149
Women in Sahud	p. 152
The Clanholds of Sahud	p. 153
Sahudese Ninja	p. 153
Kinkaku and Uulinn	p. 154
The Eyes of Heaven	p. 155
Zarak	p. 157
Map of Zarak	p. 158
The Banestorm Underground	p. 158
Zarak Social Status	p. 159
Dwarf Women	p. 159
Surface Dwarves	p. 160
Technology in Zarak	p. 161
Seven Brother Kings	p. 161
Thulin's Folk	p. 163
The Orclands	p. 163
Map of the Orclands	p. 164
The Orc Tribes	p. 164
Castle Defiant	p. 164
Other Races	p. 166
Frontier and Tribal Adventuring	p. 166
The Nomad Lands	p. 167
Map of the Nomad Lands	p. 167
The Legend of Heolford	p. 168
Northman Religion	p. 170
Blind Lars	p. 172
The Southwestern Wilderness	p. 173
The Great Desert	p. 173
Map of the Great Desert	p. 173
The Southern Plains	p. 173
Elven Ruins	p. 174
The Djinn Lands	p. 174
Map of the Djinn Lands	p. 175
Mana Levels Across Ytarria	p. 176
The Oceans	p. 178
Island Cultures	p. 179
The Sea Elf Tribes	p. 179
The Banestorm Underwater	p. 180
Beyond the Seas?	p. 181
Adding New Lands	p. 181
Characters	p. 182
Starting Points	p. 182
Designing Characters	p. 183
Advantages	p. 183
Religious Rank of Church Officials	p. 184
Disadvantages	p. 185
Skills	p. 186
Status and Wealth	p. 187
What Cost of Living Gets You	p. 187
Nonhuman Races	p. 188
Centaurs	p. 188
Djinn Ascended Ones	p. 188
Dolphins	p. 189
Dwarves	p. 189
Elves	p. 190
Gargoyles	p. 190
Giants	p. 191
Gnomes	p. 192
Goblins	p. 192
Halflings	p. 192
Insect Men	p. 192
Creating New Races	p. 193
Hobgoblins	p. 193
Kobolds	p. 193
Intelligent Animals	p. 194
Medusas	p. 194
Merfolk	p. 195
Minotaurs	p. 196
Octopus Folk	p. 196
Ogres	p. 196
Orcs	p. 196
Reptile Men	p. 197
The "Monster Races"	p. 197
Sea Elves	p. 198
Shark Men	p. 198
Sphinxes	p. 198
Spirits	p. 199
Trolls	p. 199
Interbreeding	p. 200
The Accursed	p. 200
Ghouls	p. 200
Lycanthropes	p. 200
Vampires	p. 201
Adventuring Character Templates	p. 202
Assassin	p. 202
Bard	p. 203
Techniques	p. 203
The Bard-Wizard	p. 204
Battle Wizard	p. 204
Bounty Hunter	p. 204
Charlatan	p. 204
Agents of Serendipity	p. 205
Courtier	p. 205
Adventurers from Other Occupations	p. 206
Entertainer	p. 206
Freelance Wizard	p. 207
Healer	p. 208
Knight-Errant	p. 208
Knightly Lenses	p. 209
Martial Artist	p. 209
Mercenary	p. 209
Masters of the Martial Arts	p. 210
Merchant	p. 210
Michaelite	p. 211
Other Jobs	p. 211
Mystic	p. 212
Northern Barbarian	p. 212
Mystic Lenses	p. 213
Missionaries	p. 214
Peasant Hero	p. 214
Priest-Wizard	p. 214
Priest-Wizard Lenses	p. 215
Swashbuckler	p. 215
Underground Engineer	p. 215
Sailors	p. 216
Urban Rogue	p. 216
Watchman	p. 217
Woodsman	p. 217
The Silver Hand Lens	p. 217
Creatures	p. 218
"Ordinary" Wildlife	p. 218
Vermin	p. 219
Fantastical Creatures	p. 219
Basilisks	p. 219
Bushwolves	p. 219
Caustiguses	p. 220
The Acid Swamps	p. 220
Demons	p. 220
Giant Spiders	p. 220
Gryphons	p. 221
Bestial but Intelligent	p. 221
Harpies	p. 221
Hellsharks	p. 221
Hippogriffs	p. 222
Animal PCs	p. 222
Hydras	p. 222
Krakens	p. 223
Nightstalkers	p. 223
Paladins	p. 223
Pegasi	p. 224
Reeks	p. 224
Animal Handling and "Hybrids"	p. 224
Striders	p. 224
Treetippers	p. 225
Unicorns	p. 225
Wyverns	p. 226
Dragons	p. 226
Domestic Animals	p. 228
Campaigns on Yrth	p. 230
Game Styles	p. 230
Mixed Styles	p. 231
Learning from History	p. 232
Beware of Black Powder	p. 233
The PCs	p. 235
Criminal vs. High-Minded PCs	p. 235
Playing Yourselves	p. 236
Magic on Yrth	p. 236
Changing the World	p. 237
Epilogue: The Future of Yrth	p. 237
Index	p. 238
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