============================================================ Return To Yendor Skullduggery, Politics and Urban Deprivation in a Fantasy City (c) Megagame Makers 1996 ============================================================ Contents The Background to the Game 2 Game Layout 3 General Situation 3 The Local Guilds etc. 4 Map of the City 6 Finding Your Way About 7 Sequence of Play 11 Prestige 12 Gaining & Losing Prestige 13 Money 13 Personal Possessions 14 DEATH (in Capital Letters) 14 Trade Goods 15 Personal Characteristics 17 Fighting 17 Magic 20 The Laws of Yendor 21 Credits 22 Return to Yendor is (c) Jim Wallman 1996 Yendorian Artwork is (c) Alodie Fielding 1996 --------------------------------------------------------------------- The Background to the Game --------------------------------------------------------------------- This game is like its predecessors - the Warlock Mountain series - in that some of the main characters may reappear, and the general background is much the same. However, in this game, we are playing a long way from Estreham Valley - the action has shifted to the Ancient City of Yendor. Those of you already familiar with the works of Terry Pratchett may recognise some elements of that other famous ancient and fictional city - Ankh-Morpork. But be warned, Pratchett's city is a giant plot device (as he is himself would, I am sure, be the first to point out). It isn't a game environment. Yendor is a game environment, and so you should try to be aware that whilst I have been heavily influenced and greatly inspired by the original and you will recognise common elements between the two cities, you shouldn't assume that they are identical - particularly in the important elements of political power. Anhk-Morpork's Patrician is not the same sort of ruler as Yendor's Grand Vizier. You will discover how they differ by playing the game. The other main difference between this and previous games is in the central focus of the game play. In the Warlock Mountain games, the players generally controlled bands of fighters, and skirmishing was endemic (and for many the only activity of the game). In Yendor, players generally have only themselves and no (or very few) followers, and as a consequence, fighting is something entered into only as a last resort. Magic was also much in evidence in the Warlock Mountain games, and it is present in Yendor, but on a more rarefied level. The Mages here are so powerful that they rarely, if ever, magically intervene in the dull scruffy brawling on the streets of Yendor. Or in any other way either. The game is therefore essentially one of trade, politics and negotiation (well, OK and a bit of violence, if you must!). I hope you like that kind of thing. Jim Wallman Estreham Valley 1996 General Situation The City of Yendor is in turmoil. Of course, the city is always in turmoil, that's how cities like Yendor function, its no reason to get too worried. The Guilds are powerful - but no guild can gain complete control; the Mages at the University of Wisdom are powerful but aloof; ghettos of humans, trolls, dwarves, elves, even Orcs (or Free Folk as they call themselves) co-exist in a sort of self-imposed apartheid system. So long as the conflicts remain low key and personal, and the economy of the city goes mostly unhindered by either death or taxes, it all seems to work. The city is the capital of the Kingdom of Yendor, which is middle-sized and unremarkable as these sorts of kingdoms go. The City is the jewel in the crown of the kingdom - although perhaps is would be better described as the pawn ticket for the jewel that was once in the crown of the kingdom. The Old King died many years ago and his heir went missing as a baby, assumed dead or at least suffering from something about to be very terminal (chronic drowning for example). The Grand Vizier stepped into the power vacuum and has ruled ever since in the name of the King (On His Return). There are those who feel that this has been no bad thing, and that the Vizier, having a sound understanding of the importance of trade and industry, has been less of a pain than the monarchy. There are others who feel that the Vizier is an evil usurper, who poisoned the king and arranged the `disappearance' of the heir, and who is ruling the city in a thoroughly un-kingly way. --------------------------------------------------------------------- The Local Guilds and Other Groupings --------------------------------------------------------------------- Guilds --------------------------------------------------------------------- The Assassin's Guild. Masters of the arts of stealth and invisibility, able to kill in a thousand ways, most of them invisible and stealthy (and usually relying on the victim being asleep or with their back turned). Contract killing is their province, and they take unkindly to anyone attempting to muscle in on their business. The Guild of Conjurors. Masters of legerdemain, illusion and misdirection. Not just your basic market entertainers and three card trick merchants, the conjurors pride themselves on their carefully crafted stage illusions and ability to amaze with a pack of cards or a dove. These will not feature in Return to Yendor. Thieves Guild. Since thieving is impossible to stop, the authorities of Yendor have long since licensed it to the Guild, who have quotas of thieving and robbery which must not be exceeded. It all works out as a sort of indirect taxation, and being self-regulating means that the local police force (the Watch) don't have to be numerous or waste time trying to catch licensed thieves. Beggars Guild. Again, begging is licensed, and the guild make sure that the proper standards of begging are maintained. Although smelly and scruffy, high grade beggars actually have considerable prestige in Yendor. Guild of Alchemists. A bunch of prototype mad scientists, shunned by the magic users (and anyone else who wants to avoid the inevitable explosions and strange smells that emanate from the guild headquarters. Only they know (or care) what they get up to. Guild of Fools and Joculators. Jesters, clowns and comedians - vital to the morale of the city are controlled from here. And if you think its easy to be funny all the time, you should try getting into this guild. These will not feature in Return to Yendor. Guild of Merchants. Vital grouping of the big businessmen of the city, who control (or is it facilitate) the major trading activities. Unlike the other guilds, however, the merchant's guild has found it impossible to control all trading activity in a place like Yendor - so tend to concentrate on developing a monopoly in the most lucrative areas. Guild of Gamblers. Easily the most strange of guilds. What do you mean you don't believe me? Want a bet? Other Groups The City Watch. A fine body of men (and women), responsible for `keeping the peace'. Don't ask me how they do it. The Vizier's Guard. A bunch of heavily armed guards, mainly based around the Palace. Jolly smart uniforms and all that. How tough are they? Well, take a swing at one and find out! The Yendor University of Wisdom. This is an academic place of study and enlightenment for Mages and potential Mages. Like similar institutions throughout the ages it is rife with status-conscious paranoid academics whose main concerns relate to their place in the university hierarchy and making the other Mages look small. Oh, yes, and they sometimes see the odd student too. Honest Citizens. Obviously, there are quite a few people who don't fit into guilds or any other obvious group. These are the honest citizenry of Yendor. The term `honest' has a specific meaning in Yendor, generally taken to be interchangeable with the term `alive', and not be construed as a value-judgement as to their actual...er...honesty. Innkeepers. Vital individuals to the commerce and social life of Yendor - the various inns provide entertainment, education, and a place of business for many - in short Yendor couldn't function without them. The innkeepers do not have a Guild, but act for their own interests, and for the interests of their customers (to a point). [In this game, Innkeepers also have a few game functions that are strictly outside their role as Innkeeper - they will keep these functions separate, in the interests of game balance.] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Finding Your Way About --------------------------------------------------------------------- The main locations in the city are fairly well known, and even a stranger can find his way about fairly easily by asking a friendly and helpful citizen (or failing that, threatening a surly and unhelpful one with physical violence). But to make it even easier the tourist map is on page 6.: --------------------------------------------------------------------- Taverns --------------------------------------------------------------------- As in real life, in this game, the key locations where all really important business takes place are the taverns, and each tavern is controlled by an Innkeeper. Innkeepers are key individuals who can be safely treated as honest brokers, reliable holders of messages, stake monies etc. They are also notoriously hard to intimidate or rob. In game terms they are not umpires, however, and are therefore not necessarily required to be impartial or fair in their dealings with the other players. In principle a tavern is a public place where anyone can go - unless, of course, they have been barred by the innkeeper. The main Taverns are: The Mended Drum - just inside the city, a normal first port of call for newcomers to the city (and the natural starting point for Barbarians, invading hordes and visiting tourists). It is a known haunt of the City Watch in their rare off duty moments. The King's Arms - the pub just outside the palace. This salubrious establishment is often frequented by the colourful members of the Vizier's Guard - a fine body of highly trained and efficient soldiery. The Retort - The tavern outside the Alchemists Guild Hall. Famous for its colourful aroma, and heavily armoured doors and windows. A favourite watering hole for Alchemists. The Pointed Hat - The tavern outside the University of Wisdom, and one in which the senior staff of the University are know to appear for their refreshment after a prolonged seminar, or working lunch. The New Moon - outside the Assassin's guild hall, which is a dark, brooding place, shrouded in mystery. Assassins like a drink as much as the next person, and this is one of the few places they know the drink will contain nothing more dangerous than alcohol. But then again, Yendorian Ale is not what I would call actually safe... The Three of Clubs - outside the Conjuror's guild hall. The conjurors like to have a place to rest after a performance of `Sawing the limbs off the Troll' or `The Mystery of the Disappearing Sundial'. In fact they seem to spend a lot of time resting. Most Conjurors are away at the moment visiting an Annual Convention by the seaside, so this tavern is likely to be pretty quiet right now. The Tea Leaf - outside the thieves guild hall. This is probably the safest place to leave something unattended in the whole of Yendor (that isn't actually saying very much). The thieves guild members like to relax after a hard day of licensed thievery, and this is where they do it. The Empty Bowl - outside the beggar's hall. Licensed begging is a difficult task, especially for the higher ranks of beggar. Nevertheless, they have to relax sometime, and the Bowl is their regular relaxation spot. The Jolly Aardvark - outside the Jester's guild hall. As any Jester will tell you, "Aard-Vark never did anyone any harm.", and this is true of this inn. If you like good stand-up humour, you are advised to move to another city, because there's nothing humorous about Yendor. The Honest Trader - outside the Merchant's hall. This is an important place for merchants and traders of all types, since much of the business of the day (and night) is conducted here. A good place to make a deal (or be fleeced) according to taste. The Lucky Dice - outside the gamblers hall. Gamblers are never off duty, but this is one place where being off duty can be fun for anyone with a head for odds and a wish to win a big prize. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Other Places --------------------------------------------------------------------- In addition to the Taverns or Inns there are a number of other locations, where special rules apply. The Palace - Not a tavern or inn, but the place where the Grand Vizier lives. You can't get in here unless the guards let you. The Royal Palace of Yendor - temporary home of the Grand Vizier. The Market Square - not a tavern, but an open meeting place that can be visited during the movement phase (see later for an explanation of the phases of the game). The Watch House - again, not a tavern, but the base for the City Watch. Contains some serious and uncomfortable holding cells. The Orc Quarter - a seedy ghetto with a maze of twisty little passages, all alike. Or is it a maze of little twisty passages? I forget. Anyway, this part of town if famous for being somewhere a being could get lost with no questions asked - and in this game it is a place to hide where you cannot easily be tracked down and arrested or assassinated. Unfortunately, you can't do very much of interest while you are here either, unless you are friendly with Orcs. The WizDome - this is the popular name for the University of Wisdom's famous Dome and Four Towers of their main university building. This cannot be entered unless at the invitation of the Mages therein. The Catacombs - deep and winding caves under the WizDome, that are said to pre-date the city by millennia. Used by earlier civilisations as burial places, and subject to magical `fallout' from the WizDome, the CataCombs of Yendor are places where reality has only a tenuous effect, and a place Yendorians avoid by long tradition, and the effects of evolution (i.e. if you don't go there you live long enough to breed). These will not feature in Return to Yendor. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Movement Limitations --------------------------------------------------------------------- Players can move freely from tavern to tavern during the movement phase of each turn. They must remain in the tavern of their choice at the end of the movement phase. If barred by the Innkeeper, they must immediately go to the nearest tavern at which they are not barred. If they can't find a place to go, they will be arrested as vagrants. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Sequence of Play --------------------------------------------------------------------- Each game `day' takes 20 minutes of real time to play, and the moves are tracked by the clock, time moving on whether players are ready or not. The Game Day is divided up arbitrarily into two phases, known as Day and Night, each of 10 minutes real time. The Day Phase is also known as the Movement Phase; in this phase players can move about the hall freely, visiting other players, changing locations, generally hanging out wherever they fancy (provided they are permitted to do so by the appropriate Yendorian authority). In the Night Phase, players must stop moving about and must locate themselves in a fixed location for the night. This cannot include the Market Square. Normally only the City Watch and the Vizier's Guard are permitted movement at night. Any player moving around at night will be intercepted by the Watch and arrested as a vagrant. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Prestige --------------------------------------------------------------------- One of the most important things that most people are worried about is their status as citizens of Yendor. In this game we therefore have a system of Prestige Points. These are gained or lost in accordance with a number of criteria. Some are specific to your personal role briefing, some are more generally known. Your total Prestige is not a secret - after all, thats the whole point of having Prestige. In order to add some colour to the system, the totals of Prestige have names: 0-10 Scum 11-20 Lower Order 21-50 Ordinary Citizen 51-100 Worthy 101-200 Notable 201-400 Worshipful 401-600 Grand 601-1000 Eminent 1001-2000 Illustrious 2001+ Celebrated You cannot have less than 0 Prestige. The Prestige ranking will come into the game in other ways too. Prestige is represented by tangible coloured counters as follows: Green Counter = 1 Prestige Point Yellow Counter = 5 Prestige Points Blue Counter = 50 Prestige Points Red Counter = 100 Prestige Points To prove your standing you will have a badge showing your current prestige. These are obtained by trading in the appropriate number of Prestige Points for the Prestige Badge. Should your prestige drop, you must trade in your badge for a lower Rank and change. Innkeepers hold the `bank' of Prestige Point Counters, and will issue them in accordance with the rules only. This is not part of their role playing as an Innkeeper. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Gaining And Losing Prestige --------------------------------------------------------------------- This an important part of the briefing that you will need to understand fully. Prestige can be gained and lost as a result of independent action, and it can be traded between players. The trade of Prestige is one of the ways those of high rank can influence those of lowly rank, and reward them for actions, support etc. during the game. Money is the other way. Players will have other ways of gaining and losing Prestige specified in their personal role briefing. Prestigious Actions: * Conspicuous spending on trappings of importance : Spend half your current Prestige value in Kopins to gain 1 (one) Prestige Point. * Winning a fight against a superior fighter : Gain 3 Prestige Points. * Attacking an Innkeeper : Lose half your Prestige or 100 points whichever is greater. * Buying a round in the Inn (that's for everyone present): Gain 1 Prestige Point per person present with a Prestige of your own level or higher (and who accepts the offer). * You can be handed Prestige by someone of a higher Rank than you. They get a `tax break' for doing this, in that for every 2 points of theirs they give you, they get 1 point back. * Anything else Game Control thinks up on the spur of the moment. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Money --------------------------------------------------------------------- The unit of exchange in Yendor is the Kopin (represented by a gold-coloured coin) Costs of Things: A Drink for one person 2 Kopins Food for one person 2 Kopins Parker's Meat Pies 2 Kopins (and I'm cuttin' me own froat). A sword, or basic weapon 25 Kopins Equipment etc. Depends where you buy and what you buy. Purchases are usually from a merchant, or perhaps this bloke you met in the pub. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Personal Possessions --------------------------------------------------------------------- In order to keep track of what people are actually carrying around in contrast to what they actually own, players are given a Tray and an Envelope. These represent Ready Use (tray) and Safe Keeping (envelope). Ready Use : You can only have 10 items in Ready Use at any one time, not including Kopins (any quantity can be carried) and Prestige Points (which are a metaphysical representation of a rhetorical concept). Any or all items in Ready Use can be used as necessary during the phase and carried about with you wherever you go. Item can be `stolen' by a licensed thief, may be looted if you are KO's in a fight, or confiscated by the Watch if you are arrested. If `searched' all your Ready Use stuff is found ("oh no..not the old `Kopin In The Boot' trick...."). Ultimately, if you can't talk your way out of it, the only way to avoid a search is to fight. Safe Keeping : Any quantity of anything can be stored here. BUT. Items can only be transferred from Safe Keeping to Ready Use (or vice versa) on the turn of the phase (i.e. on the transition from day/night or night/day phases). You will only be allowed a minute to do this. Items in Safe Keeping are not completely safe, in that a Thief might break in and steal some (or even all) of the contents. This is, fortunately, a fairly rare occurrence. Safe Keeping Envelopes should normally be left with Innkeepers during the phase and not carried around with you. --------------------------------------------------------------------- DEATH (in Capital Letters) --------------------------------------------------------------------- When you die, you lose all Prestige and Money (you can't take it with you, no matter how you try). What happens next is for DEATH to know and you to find out. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Trade Goods --------------------------------------------------------------------- Since much of the activity in Yendor centres around trade of some sort (and not just of blows either), the next section gives some information on the sorts of goods that are in common currency on our city streets. You should not that prices are, of course, subject to variations in the market trends. Magic Potions There is a regular trade in potions that alter reality in some way (in addition to the perfectly normal reality-altering effects of the local ale). These are coloured liquids, and their effect is not always well known. Generally speaking, a Mage will be able to identify the nature of a potion. A basic potion bringing good health could be expected to fetch around 10-15 Kopins. Wine There is an active market in vintage wine. This takes the form of bottles with a particular pedigree and date. The current year is Year 96 of the Era of the Aardvark in the Yendorian calendar. The older the wine the more valuable. Obviously, once drunk, its value decreases somewhat. The various pedigrees, in order of value, are: Wine Pedigree Suggested 96 Price per bottle Estreham Shining Grape 20 Saxland Red 12 The Grape of Roth 6 White Iris 4 Yendor Splendor 2 In assessing the value of a particular bottle, both the pedigree and the year must be taken into account, leaving some grey areas of value. So, while a bottle of Roth 93 is definitely more valuable than a bottle of Iris 93, it might not fetch a higher price than an Iris 90 for example. Based on the above guidelines, merchants and traders will charge what the market will bear. Obviously, in the event of a shortage, prices will go up. Weapons For some reason there are sad, lonely, individuals who are obsessed with collecting weapons. Obviously everyone has access to a basic sword or knife, but the real collectors are looking for both the rare example of craftspersonship and a bit of history. Or they might want the more esoteric (a Saxlander Humming Whip-Axe for example). Magical items fetch high prices, usually. As before, the value of such things are variable, as the market will determine what they can be sold for. A really exotic weapon might reach prices of upwards of 1000 Kopins. There are famous weaponsmiths, and weapons crafted by them have extra value: They are, in order of Prestige: Weaponsmith Price of a Typical Sword (i.g.c) Cruppe the Elder 100 Vicar Strongarm 75 Leigh In the Field 50 Radway the Green 35 Hawker Sid Lee 30 Witt and Pratney 25 --------------------------------------------------------------------- Personal Characteristics --------------------------------------------------------------------- As is traditional with fantasy role playing games, each player has a list of personal characteristics. MUSCLE How strong they are. BUILD How well built they are, and how much they can drink without falling over. ACCURACY How good they are at darts, quoits, shoveha'penny etc. SPEED How quickly they can get out the door when the trouble starts. Other characteristics, such as fighting ability, brains, good looks, intuition etc. are down to the player's own abilities and attributes. Tough eh? Each characteristic is based on 2d6 die rolls, in the traditional matter. For those not familiar with the tradition, this means your roll 2d6 and score under the rating to succeed in a particular area. Hit Points : The hit points for a character is MUSCLE + BUILD x 10 --------------------------------------------------------------------- Fighting --------------------------------------------------------------------- Since the emphasis in this game is on interaction and discussion, with only the occasional recourse to violence - the combat system is centred on personal one-to-one fights and not the group combats familiar in the Warlock Mountain system. There is a 2-Tier system, depending on the sort of fight you want to indulge in. Stage 1 : Non-Lethal Brawling It may be that a disagreement breaks out between people that cannot be solved by negotiation or reason, and they come to blows. It is not necessarily good to go straight to Mortal Combat, so the most common type of fight is the Brawl. The fight is done on a simple paper-stones-scissors system. In case you are not already aware of how this works, each participant puts a hand behind their back and on a signal reveals his choice as Fist = Stone (stone blunts scissors) Open Hand = Paper (paper covers stone) Two fingers = Scissors (scissors cut paper) A success inflicts the MUSCLE score of the winner in Hit points When one or other's hit points are down to zero, they are unconscious. The hit points are recovered when they awake, 1d6 minutes (real time) later. The brawl can stop by mutual consent. Either protagonist may, instead of take a round of Brawling, announce they intend to `up the ante' by drawing a lethal weapon and going to Stage 2: Stage 2 : Mortal Combat (with a 'c') In this sort of fighting, hit points lost are harder to recover from. Each player has a number of fighting cards, which represent the moves they have learnt to use in combat. More experienced fighters may have more cards to choose from. Precisely which cards they have from the total set is not always revealed. Similarly, some cards can only be used with certain weapons. The combat matrix below is for adjudicating the effect of the most common cards. Some special rare cards are not included, but their effects are listed on the card itself. The Game Control team will adjudicate in the case of some special weapons. The Cards Card/Action Weapons allowed Effects Parry Knife, swords, spear Deflects an attack and permits a counter attack next move. Block All weapons except knife Deflects an attack, but cannot counter attack next move. Dodge All Avoids most attacks - can counter-attack next move. Jump back All Avoids some attacks - except the most aggressive Thrust Not axes Standard attack Cut to body Not spear or small swords Standard attack Cut to head Not spear, knife or small swords Standard attack Charge All Aggressive attack - cannot attack other than charge next move Cut to legs Not spear, knife or small swords Standard attack Friendship Move All No attack or defence, but attempt to end fight peacefully. Finishing Move All Killing a defenceless opponent. Results Table : The terms Attacker and Defender are arbitrary and are defined at the start of the combat. A player remains either attacker or defender throughout the fight, whatever action he or she takes. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Defender Attacker \/ Parry Block Dodge JumpB Thrust CTH CTB CTL Charge Parry ne ne ne ne ne Ah ne Ah Ah Block ne ne ne ne ne ne ne ne ne Dodge ne ne ne ne ne ne Ah Ah ne Jump Back ne ne ne ne Ah ne ne ne Ah Thrust ne ne ne Dh Ah/Dh Dh Ah Ah Dh CTH Dh ne ne ne Ah 50/50 Ah/Dh Ah/Dh Dh CTB ne ne Dh ne Dh Ah/Dh 50/50 50/50 Ah CTL Dh ne Dh ne Dh Ah/Dh 50/50 50/50 Ah Charge Dh ne ne Dh Ah Ah Dh Dh BC --------------------------------------------------------------------- Key Ah Attacker hit Dh Defender hit 50/50 Either may be hit - roll 1d6: 1,2 = Ah 3,4 = ne 5,6 = Dh BC Body Check -roll against BUILD to test for falling over. Damage Inflicted per hit is as follows: Small Sword 20 2-Handed Sword 40 Spear 30 Knife 10 Club MUSCLE + 20 Fists/Feet MUSCLE of fighter 1-Handed Axe 30 2-Handed Axe 50 Exotic Weapon As marked on card. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Multiple Combats For both Brawling and Mortal Combat the same approach is taken. Outnumbering cannot be by more than 3-1. The outnumbering combatants may never confer as to their choice of card/action. The outnumbered combatant chooses one action/card, and this is compared with all the opponents. If the outnumbered combatant wins any of the comparisons, he or she has scored a hit. Only one hit is possible per combatant, per round. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Magic --------------------------------------------------------------------- "Meddle not in the ways of Mages, for they are Subtle and Quick to Anger" Norton the Wise "Mages are useless fat old coves in dresses with beards you could lose a badger in." Mad Jake the Insane (deceased) "...and don't take the piss out of them either..." Norton the Very Wise In this game, Magic is entirely the province of the Mages of the University of Wisdom. Alchemists are mere technicians, and not to be confused with seekers after the way of power. So far as most citizens of Yendor are concerned, magic is something that (hopefully) happens to other people. --------------------------------------------------------------------- The Laws of Yendor --------------------------------------------------------------------- In many ways, law and order are flexible concepts in Yendor, as the guilds are, theoretically, responsible for policing themselves. However, there are some generally accepted ground rules that most folk go along with. Thieving The Thieves Guild is, itself, empowered to catch and discipline thieves. They operate a licensing system, in which mugging and street robbery are carefully controlled. The Guild issue Chits to those who are stopped and robbed, and such robbery follows certain guidelines. Any player may be stopped once per day by a Thief. Thieves may stop a limited number of people, depending on their standing in the guild. The amount of money (or other valuables) demanded will depend on the victim's Prestige Rank: Prestige Rank Amount Robbed Scum 1 Lower Order 2 Ordinary Citizen 5 Worthy 10 Notable 20 Worshipful 40 Grand 60 Eminent 100 Illustrious 200 Celebrated Its not a good idea to rob the Vizier! It is always a good idea for citizens of Yendor to have some loose change about them, just in case. The thief must hand over a chit to prove that this was a licensed robbery. Only the Guild produce Chits, and forging chits or exceeding quotas is regarded as bad form by the Guild, and they will react accordingly. Thieves might also conduct more daring burglaries, but these are generally less public. Death Gratuitously killing people is frowned upon in Yendor. Killing anyone of Worthy status or higher is regarded as a seriously anti-social act, and the Watch will make an effort to bring the perpetrator to justice. Obviously, killing in self-defence, or with a pretty good reason is regarded as justified. Assassins generally do not get caught - but also generally kill for very good reasons. The Legal System The Grand Vizier is responsible for running the legal system. He has final say in many matters, and citizens of Yendor might wish to make representations to him over disputes, problems or the interpretation of the law (such as it is). There is no court of appeal. Punishments can be in terms of a loss of Prestige, fines or being banged up in the dungeon for a time. New Laws The Grand Vizier has the power to make new laws concerning Yendor, and he is also responsible for ensuring that they are enforced by the Guard and the Watch. New laws must be widely promulgated. Credits Game Design & Production Jim Wallman Artwork Alodie Fielding Essential Help with the Magic Peter Howland Essential Help with the Alchemy John Rutherford Encouragement from Brian Cameron and Terry Martin And many thanks to all those who turned up and played in the Tryout Game, Streets of Yendor and whom I can blame if the game doesn't work. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Return To Yendor Game Handbook This text file is supplied on the internet for anyone to download - but if you use any of it for your own games, please make sure you credit where you got it from. Thanks Jim Wallman ---------------------------------------------------------------------