Skill
DMG
Extra Effect
If you have a target at your
Ignore
Resist Coercion 1d10+EMP
NONE
mercy and do damage to
Instead of taking a defensive action you can make an
them, you take negatives
Counter-
at ack that negates the first at ack. If you beat the op-
to empathetic at acks and
argue
See Extra Effect See At ack ponent’s rol, their atack is negated and your’s does
gain bonuses to antagonis-
damage.
tic at acks. Harming a target
gives you a -3 to empathetic
Change the
at acks but grants a +3 to
Subject
Persuasion
1d6+INT
NONE
Intimidation. Bringing a
Disengage Resist Coercion
NONE
Ends the argument.
target down to their wound
threshold gives you a -10 to
empathetic at acks but a +10
Empathetic Tools
to Intimidation.
Name
Skill
DMG
Effect
The Romanced party fal s in love with the Romancer.
This gives them a -3 against the Romancer in Verbal
Romance
Charisma
NONE Combat, but only as long as the at acker continues to
convince the defender they are in love and treats them
wel. If the romance ends poorly, the defender gets a per-
manent +3 against the at acker’s empathetic at acks.
Studying allows you to look for or probe weaknesses in
Study
Human
your opponent’s mental armor. Roll against their INTx3.
Perception
NONE If you succeed, you get +2 to Verbal Combat for one
round.
Antagonistic Tools
Name
Skill
DMG
Effect
Implying allows you to suggest something good or
Imply
Persuasion or
bad about your current argument. If you succeed, you
Deceit
NONE lower your opponent’s defenses by -4. You can only use
Imply once per combat.
For every 50 Crowns you offer, you gain +1 to your
Bribe
Gambling
NONE empathetic Verbal Combat rol s for the rest of the fight
if you succeed on your Gambling rol .
178
179
The World of the
A Lesson
Witcher
I, Brandon of Oxenfurt, Pro-
fessor of History at Oxenfurt
University, have been asked
to contribute a chapter of this
tome regarding the world
“The Golden Court, the country town’s elegant inn, was crowded and noisy.
situation. Being a student of
The guests, locals and visitors, were mostly engaged in activities typical for
history both past and present,
I watch the tides of our world
their nation or profession. Serious merchants argued with dwarves over the
ebb and flow not just in the
price of goods and credit interest. Less serious merchants pinched the back-
safe and privileged world of
sides of the girls carrying beer, cabbage and beans. Local nitwits pretended to
Oxenfurt, not just in Redania,
nor even just in the North. No,
be well-informed. Harlots were trying to please those who had money while
I am an internationalist and I
discouraging those who had none. Carters and fishermen drank as if there
believe that our lives are affect-
ed as much by the fate of oc-
were no tomorrow. Some seamen were singing a song which celebrated the
cupied Aedirn or the Imperial
ocean waves, the courage of captains and the graces of mermaids, the latter
Will of Nilfgaard as they are by
graphical y and in considerable detail.”
the proclamations of our Good
King Radovid or the cost of figs
-Andzrei Sapkowski, Last Wish
in the marketplace. I will prove
my point by showing you what
we know of the countries, reli-
gions, and powerful aliances of
our world. Take notes—there
will be a test after.
–Brandon of Oxenfurt
You’ve seen quite a bit about the world drastically different in customs and op-
around you through weapons, profes- eration. You can’t assume that working in
sions, and introductions to the game. the capital of Nilfgaard will be the same as
However, there’s a lot more to learn. At operating in Gheso.
the moment the world is split between the
Similarly, the Northern Kingdoms
Empire of Nilfgaard, the Northern King- and Skellige are real y only united by the fact doms, and Skellige. While these are the that they are all fighting Nilfgaard. Further, basic sides as far as the Third Nilfgaardi- with the loss of many of their rulers, most of an War goes, there is a lot more differen- the North has fallen into chaos.
tiation to be made between the alliances
within these factions. The Empire of Nil- The Importance of Alliances
fgaard is a tremendous expanse covering Who you al y yourself with is as important
many many countries and regions. Due as where you’re from in the world of The
to its rapid and brutal expansion much of Witcher. Each alliance, including religions, the Empire is held under Imperial law but comes with allies and enemies and it’s as-remains true to its original culture. This sumed that if you join an alliance you will means that while the country of Nilfgaard be working towards its goals. As we’ve seen functions one way, its further provinces with the Lodge of Sorceresses, that can be
and more autonomous duchies may be problematic.
180
Elven Ruins
Numerous human cities such
The North
500 years ago, the Nordlings arrived, in an
as Vizima, Maribor, and Tre-
event called the Landing of the Exiles. These Temeria
togor were built on top of the
were the humans destined to take over all of In Temeria, Dezmod became the first king at
ruins of ancient elven cities.
the North. They had cautious relations with the time of the Landing. There are legends
the dwarves and gnomes, but relations with about short-lived kings between Dezmod
the elves became hostile. For a long time hu- and his son, Geddes, but at the ascension of
man settlement progressed rapidly. Territo- Geddes we are on firmer ground. His first
“King” Abdank
rial agreements and treaties with the elves son was born to a mistress named Vinifrida,
were made and broken at the convenience who it is said was a full-blooded elf. So it
Legend says that King Dez-
of the humans. At first the elves believed is possible that the Temerian royal line has
mod of Temeria was succeed-
that eventual y the humans would stop ex- some elf in it. The line has carried on un-
ed by a mentaly deficient son,
panding, but it never happened. Eventual y broken until Foltest, giving Temeria marked
Abdank. During his rule, he
the werebubbs and vran were forced back stability.
was “advised” by the sorcerer
into a few small encla
ves and the elves be-
Raffard the White, who turned
gan to retreat, destroying their glorious cit-
down the crown but kept the
Aedirn
ies behind them. But not all the elves were Aedireen, the granddaughter of the first
power. They resolved the Six
willing to resign themselves. A young elvish king of Aedirn, won a great deal of new
Year War, though little of that
woman named Aelirenn led one last cam- territory through wars and negotiations.
story has come down to us. It
paign against the humans. Many, many In the face of a possible attack by Redania,
seems fairly certain that Raf-
young elves were killed.
Aedireen made a treaty with the new na-
fard objected to the formation
tion of Kaedwen. The attack was repulsed
of the Brotherhood of Sorcerers,
and was kiled. After his death,
Redania
and Aedirn claimed the Loremark or Upper
Soon after the Landing, the four major Aedirn. But seizing this fantastical y fertile
and a few years of Abdank
countries of the North began to form. In land angered Kaedwen and has soured rela-
fumbling along, the king died
Redania, Sambuk ruled an area including tions. Today Aedirn, the most sophisticated
and a struggle ensued between
Novigrad and the Pontar Delta. The port of the four preeminant countries, has been
Maribor and Elander. Sup-
and the river drove Redanian trade devel- ripped apart by Nilfgaard.
posedly Adalbert of Maribor
opment. Eventual y as the countries became
succeeded Abdank, and was
larger, the Redanian trade empire bumped
succeeded by Geddes. This is
Kaedwen
up against the Temerian trade empire across The early people who went up the Pontar
an opportunity for some seri-
the Pontar, sometimes with volatile results. and turned left into the rocky, forest-cov-
ous scholarship .
Sambuk’s grandson Radovid I, also ered mountains of Kaedwen must have been
–Brandon of Oxenfurt
known as Radovid the Great, solidified the hardy stock. There is little arable land in
Redania we know today. Radovid despised Kaedwen, but the people love their land and
his brother, Troydan, and suspected that he pride themselves on being tough and resil-
was scheming to take the throne. He gave ient. They have many legends of their early
his brother what should have been an hon- kings, but their political history starts with
or title: dominion over the northern prov- King Benda, who helped negotiate the Trea-
ince of Kovir; a cruel joke, as the province ty of Lan Exeter, ending the war between the
of Kovir has eleven months of winter and forces of Redania and Kaedwen and those
August. Little did Radovid know that Kovir of Kovir, making Kovir and Poviss an inde-
contained one of the largest gold deposits in pendent nation. Benda’s grandson Henselt
the North and 70% of the world’s dimeriti- is a good military mind, but is more known
um. Kovir and Poviss are now the wealthiest for his intense loathing of non-humans.
countries in the North.
181
182
The “Free City” of
Novigrad
Redania
Novigrad is the largest city in
Redania remains untouched by Nilfgaardian forces. Our
Redania. As a result of its status
young king, Radovid the Stern, works tirelessly to unify the
and its placement at the mouth
Northern forces to push back the Nilfgaardian threat. The
of the Pontar it is the ultimate
current northern boundary of Redania touches nations of
trade center. For many years
the Hengefor’s League, while the great Pontar River is the
Novigrad was a free city: the
southern border and is the highway for Redania’s trade
diversity of the beings there was
empire. In the west it is bounded by the Gulf of Praxeda
only exceeded by the diversity
and the Northern Sea. The wooded hil s then roll east up
of trade items. Since its recent
to the Kestrel Mountains, which have traditional y been
occupation by Redania, the
the boundary between Redania and Kaedwen. Recently, in
witch hunters and Redanian
response to a call from Kaedwen, King Radovid has sent
army have started to eliminate
Redanian troops across the Kestrel Mountains, not to aid
magic users in the city. You can
Kaedwen but to occupy, as a part his plan to consolidate the
still find anything you want
Northern Kingdoms. This sparked the Winter War, as Kaedwen attempted to ral y its forces
in Novigrad. Go down to the
to push back Redania.
docks to marvel at the trade
King Radovid’s father was King Vizimir the Just. Redania thrived in his reign, but
ships of al nations unloading
darkness was on the horizon. In 1262 Nilfgaard started its depredations in the Northern
goods and look for rare ships
lands, including the destruction of Cintra. King Vizimir saw Redania through the First
from faraway and exotic Ze-
Nilfgaardian War, but even during the peace Nilfgaardian spies and provocateurs sought
rrikania and Ofier. Many of
to destabilize the country, sending proselytizing priests of the Great Sun and merchants
the largest human trade fam-
with products priced to undercut domestic goods. The non-human races were egged on by
ilies have their headquarters
Nilfgaardian spies. This came to a head when an elven attacker assassinated King Vizimir,
in Novigrad. There is also the
although there are those that believe that the assassin was hired by Vizimir’s sorceress ad-
Grand Temple of the Eternal
viser, Philippa Eilhart. At that time Radovid was only thirteen years old and Redania was
Fire, the largest temple in the
in the midst of the Second Nilfgaardian War. Queen Hedwig reigned in Redania, but power
North.
rested with a regency council led by the head of Redanian Intelligence, Sigismund Dijkstra,
–Brandon of Oxenfurt
and his lover, the sorceress Philippa. The sorceress unwisely treated Queen Hedwig and the
young Prince Radovid very badly. They say it was her arrogance that burned a vast hatred
of sorceresses into our king at a young age. When he took the throne he realized the Lodge
of Sorceresses had too much influence on the Northern kings. Radovid’s witch hunters,
previously the most fanatical of the Knights of the Flaming Rose, have since hunted down
many mages.
Tretogor is the capital of Redania. Aside from its castle and large administration
buildings it is very modest. The city guard is very active—magic users and many non-hu-
mans are soon swept up and not be seen again. Tretogor’s dungeons are famous for being
the last stop for Scoia’tael on their way to execution. Almost everyone in Tretogor works for or is in town to visit the government. With Novigrad so close, there is no major trade center here.
Oxenfurt is the liveliest city in Redania. The Oxenfurt Academy and its libraries,
labs, and classrooms fill the city center. Around the edges ar
e the taverns, bars, and brothels catering to the footloose but usual y penniless students. There is nothing like it in the North, and new ideas and inventions boil out of it constantly.
183
Kaedwen
Ban Ard
Ban Ard is set in the foothils
Kaedwen is the second largest country by area in the known
of the Blue Mountains south-
world after Nilfgaard. But unlike Nilfgaard, most of Kaed-
east of Ard Carraigh. The city’s
wen is rocky, mountainous, or deeply forested. The north
main industry is mining, but
of the country is sparsely settled by independent-spirited
it is best known as being the
communities. They scratch a difficult living from the land
home of the Ban Ard Acade-
and trade furs and lumber. They tend to be conservative and
my, the school for training boys
isolationist. The northern border of Kaedwen is between
in magecraft. At one time there
the northernmost peaks of the Kestrel and Blue Mountains.
was a healthy rivalry between
The harsh conditions beyond this point have so far daunted
the boys’ school and the girls’
even the hardy settlers of Kaedwen. The eastern border is
school. Generaly the girls won
the Blue Mountains. The southern boundary is the Pontar
due to the greater discipline
River. To the west are the Kestrel Mountains. Up to now this
and confinement of Aretuza.
natural boundary has kept peace between Kaedwen and Re-
The boys of Ban Ard are not
dania, but Kaedwen recently called King Radovid of Redania for aid against Nilfgaard. The
confined, much to the disap-
“aid” Radovid sent was an army of occupation, not military support. This started a conflict
pointment of the townspeople.
called the Winter War, as Redanian troops moved over the Kestrels and into Kaedwen to
–Brandon of Oxenfurt
stay. With King Henselt missing or dead, there has been little organized defense.
Kaedwen is the youngest of the Northern countries. The humans pushed the elves
back into the Blue Mountains and settled their country about 200 years ago, though that was
not the end of violence between Kaedweni and elves. The Scoia’tael have made many cruel
raids into the forests, and Kaedwen has replied by killing thousands of elves and dwarves
Ban Glean
The Witcher Pen & Paper RPG Page 40
