Forgotten Futures X - The Tooth And Claw Role Playing Game

By Marcus L. Rowland
With Additional Material By Jo Walton
& Art By Sue Mason & Marcus L. Rowland

A Roleplaying Sourcebook For
Jo Walton's
World Fantasy Award-Winning Novel

Index

Games Material Copyright © Marcus L. Rowland 2008
Material by Jo Walton Copyright © Jo Walton 2003-2008
For Art Copyright Information and Terms of Use See End Notes.

Please Note: use of the PDF version of this file is recommended. While every effort has been made to keep the text and graphics contents of both files identical (apart from page numbering which is irrelevant to the HTML version), there are differences in layout and the PDF is prettier and MUCH easier to print!

Contents

This is the multiple-file HTML version of this game, and its use is recommended if your computer has speed or memory limitations or a slow internet connection, or if you are using Apple's Safari browser under OS X. If these aren't problems for you, you might find the single file version more convenient. It is divided into four sections - this file, which contains copyright information and an index to all of the images used, a worldbook describing the game setting, the Forgotten Futures rules modified for dragon characters, and some adventures and other information for game referees.

~ Worldbook ~ Rules ~ Adventures ~
~ Single-File Version ~ Contents ~

Worldbook

The Death of Bon Agornin
A short excerpt from the most excellent novel Tooth and Claw by Jo Walton, with some unfortunately intrusive asides on a variety of matters:
 ~ Tooth and Claw  ~ Jo Walton  ~ Sue Mason  ~ Forgotten Futures  ~ Wing Binding  ~ Cannibalism ~

The Biology of Dragons
In which matters of nature such as the origin and perpetuation of the Draconic species, diet, flame, & health are discussed, with some references to matters that may be inappropriate to a younger audience:
 ~ Classification, Anatomy, Diet  ~ Cannibalism  ~ Flight  ~ Flame, Reproduction  ~ Natural Weaponry  ~ Health  ~ Evolution  ~ Senses ~

Tiamath
A history of the Draconic nation and its current status & economy, notes on international relationships, transport, communications, etc.
 ~ Location and Basic Geography  ~ History and Current Economy  ~ Time  ~ Gold  ~ International Affairs  ~ The Great North Coast Canal Company  ~ Foreign Policy, Communications  ~ The Railways  ~ Industry and Technology  ~ Money & Prices  ~ Currency ~ 

Out and About in Tiamath
A more detailed look at modern Tiamath and its capital, Irieth.
 ~ Map Of Tiamath  ~ Country Estates  ~ Map Of Irieth  ~ Irieth  ~ Waste Management  ~ Urban Housing ~ 

Society
Concerning the government of Tiamath, its rulers and the lesser classes, the courts, and the defence of the realm:
 ~ Government  ~ The Peerage  ~ Home Life  ~ Legal System  ~ Fashion  ~ Society Events  ~ The Army  ~ Skin and Bones ~ 

Religion
Concerning Higher Things and matters of faith, of concern to all right-thinking dragons, and notes on:
 ~ Clerical Ranks  ~ Miracles and Magic ~ 

The Yarge
A consideration of the habits, behaviour, and life cycle of the hereditary enemies of all dragon-kind, their arts and sciences, and the horror with which they should be regarded by all dragons:
 ~ Biology and Behaviour  ~ Science  ~ The Yarge Species  ~ Know Your Enemy  ~ Our Friends the Yarge  ~ Arts  ~ The Yarge and Dragons  ~ Yarge Society  ~ Dragon-Slayers ~ 

Recommended Reading

Cut-Out Characters

Rules

The Rules of the Game
In which a game originally designed for human characters is tweaked to make it suitable for dragons:
 ~ Example of Play  ~ Game Requirements  ~ Game Terms
 ~ So You Want To Be A Dragon...?  ~ Dragon Names  ~ Dragon Character Record  ~ Character Points  ~ Characteristics  ~ Skills  ~ Special Abilities  ~ Equipment and Notes, Weapons Etc. ~ 
 ~ Characteristics in Depth  ~ Using Characteristics  ~ Common Characteristics Rolls
 ~ Better Living Through Cannibalism  ~ Optional Rule: The Meat Market  ~ Better in the Original Draconic...  ~ Cannibalism & Healing ~  Improving Special Abilities ~ 
 ~ Skills in Depth  ~ Temporary Skills  ~ Projects  ~ Improving Skills  ~ Skills and Modified Characteristics  ~ Adding Skills  ~ Difficult Skills  ~ Optional Rule: Skills Below Base Value  ~ Skill List
 ~ Wounds  ~ Medical Skills, Recovery, and Death
 ~ Combat  ~ Resolving Attacks  ~ Armour  ~ Multiple Attacks  ~ Weapons  ~ Non-Combat Injuries ~ 
 ~ Magic ~ 
 ~ Role Playing  ~ Traits ~ 
 ~ Running Adventures  ~ Setting the Scene  ~ Plot  ~ NPCs ~ 
 ~ Rules Changes Summarised ~ 
 ~ Use With Other Forgotten Futures Settings ~ 
 ~ Rules Publication History ~ 

Adventures

Adventures
In which the rules and setting come together:
 ~ Sample adventurers ~ 

The Tenant of Copper Caverns
In which a party at a stylish country residence runs into unexpected problems:
 ~ An Invitation  ~ The Situation  ~ Missions  ~ Copper Caverns  ~ The Cast  ~ Timetable  ~ End Game: Crime and Punishment  ~ Alternative Murderers  ~ Missions ~ 

The Crimson Claw Assurance Society
In which fighting piracy ensures profitability:
 ~ The Crimson Claw  ~ The Situation  ~ Travel Plans  ~ Re: Your Overdraft ~ 
 ~ Tiamath to Migantia  ~ The Rose of Migantia  ~ Migantia to Torsine  ~ Torsine to Kog  ~ Kog to Voldor  ~ Voldor to Stottle  ~ Keleg Dragon-Slayer  ~ The Old One  ~ Stottle to Kosp to Danithsul ~ 
 ~ End Game: The Crimson Claw
 ~ Epilogue: Masters of the Mutoscope  ~ The Situation  ~ Shooting Script  ~ End Game: The Next Generation ~ 

Amazing Things Every Dragonet Should Know
In which an author needs a little help with his research:
 ~ Questions and Answers  ~ More Questions ~ 

Epilogue: Past, Present, and Future
Some reflections on the history and possible future of Irieth.

Index

End Notes
Copyright information and other legal niceties related to this game, its art, etc.
 ~ Art index  ~ Registration and Coming Attractions ~ 

~ Worldbook ~ Rules ~ Adventures ~
~ Single-File Version ~ Contents ~
Don't believe everything you read...
This is an authorised derivative work based on the novel Tooth and Claw by Jo Walton, and on its unfinished sequel Those Who Favor Fire. Its content has been approved by her, but nothing in it, other than direct quotes from the original texts, should be considered to be definite canon for this setting. Background details have been invented in areas where they were felt to be needed, and simplified to make the gaming aspects easier to handle. The only definitive sources for this world are the above works, and it's possible that any future works by Jo Walton that use this setting may contradict the game.
Contents

Credits and Legalities

Many contributors have been involved in the various releases of Forgotten Futures over the last fifteen years and it's well-nigh impossible to name all of them. For this version in particular thanks go especially to Jo Walton for having had confidence in me to do justice to her work, to Sue Mason for allowing me to use so much of her art, to various play-testers at Dragonmeet 2007 and on line, and to those who have contributed to discussion of the setting, rules rewrite, etc. via Livejournal, Steve Jackson Games discussion groups, the uk.games.roleplay newsgroup, and other sites. There are too many to name, and I would hate to leave anyone out, so please accept the thought for the deed.

The biblical texts quoted in the first adventure, which are not credited there, are excerpts from Tooth and Claw.

At a very late stage in designing this game I learned of the existence of another RPG entitled Tooth and Claw, by Jared A. Sorensen and published by Memento Mori Theatricks, in which the characters are dinosaurs. There is no connection between these games other than title. For more details see his web store

Shareware License and Distribution

Some confusion has recently arisen over permitted use of the Forgotten Futures rules, and in particular of edited versions adapted by others for their own purposes. Briefly, Forgotten Futures is covered by all national and international copyright laws. To protect its copyright and avoid unnecessary confusion there must be certain restrictions on its use.

In everything that follows the terms "publish" and "distribute" include putting files onto web sites, posting material to newsgroups, bulletin boards, communities, or publication in print or on disk etc., regardless of whether this is done free of charge or for profit.

Shareware license terms: you may copy the files as they were originally released and distribute them as you like, provided that no charge is made and that all information needed to register the game etc. is included. If possible link back to my sites, rather than moving this material to your own site, in case it becomes necessary for me to make corrections after I have put this material on line.

In legal terms, these documents are covered by the Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works License, with the following exceptions:

Contents

Art

Art for this collection has been drawn by Sue Mason or Marcus L. Rowland, or found as clip-art on line and often manipulated considerably. Most of the clip-art used can be found at dozens of different sites, and it has been impossible to determine original sources in most cases. If any of this material has not in fact been released for royalty-free use please let me know. With the exception of clip art and other royalty-free material all of the artwork in this collection remains in copyright, and may not be reproduced separately without the permission of the individual artist.

   
Copyright © Sue Mason Traditional dragon image, source unknown
Manipulated image based on biological images from Wikimedia commons (MLR) Manipulated image of crocodile skin. (MLR)
Copyright © Sue Mason Clip art, source unknown
Copyright © Marcus L. Rowland A Dragon Passing Over Travellers - George Sheringham (1884-1937) Image from the Art Renewal Centre archive, www.artrenewal.org/
Fractally generated map with numerous edits (MLR) 19th century British coin, edited to remove lettering (MLR)
Fractally generated map with numerous edits (MLR) Fractally generated map with numerous edits (MLR)
Manipulated image from public domain sources (MLR) Copyright © Sue Mason
Manipulated image based on satellite photograph (MLR) Manipulated image, originally a map of medieval Paris, origin unknown (MLR)
Copyright © Marcus L. Rowland Copyright © Sue Mason
Manipulated image from public domain sources (MLR) Copyright © Marcus L. Rowland
Copyright © Sue Mason, manipulated by MLR Copyright © Sue Mason, manipulated by MLR
Manipulated image from Wikimedia commons (MLR) Multiple source manipulation: dragon's head copyright © Sue Mason, airship image from the Forgotten Futures CD-ROM, parts of several other copyright-expired images found on line. (MLR)
Image from Wikimedia commons Copyright © Sue Mason, manipulated by MLR
Costume art from numerous sites, manipulated by MLR Copyright © Sue Mason
Clip art, source unknown Copyright © Sue Mason
Copyright © Sue Mason Copyright © Sue Mason
Cropped and colorized image from Wikimedia commons (MLR) Manipulated clip art, source unknown (MLR)
Copyright © Sue Mason Traditional dragon image, source unknown
Copyright © Sue Mason Copyright © Sue Mason, manipulated by MLR
Copyright © Sue Mason, manipulated by MLR Manipulated clip art, source unknown (MLR)
Russian Propaganda Poster 1918 (Trotsky slaying the dragon of capitalism); manipulated to remove slogans etc. (MLR) Lucas Jennis (1625), source Wikimedia Commons.
Copyright © Sue Mason. Originally small images of pyrographed ornaments; photographer Michael Scott; manipulated by MLR
Clip art, source unknown Manipulated image based on satellite photograph (MLR)
Copyright © Marcus L. Rowland Copyright © Marcus L. Rowland
Clip art, source unknown Copyright © Marcus L. Rowland
Manipulated image based on satellite photograph (MLR) Manipulated clip art, source unknown (MLR)
Copyright © Marcus L. Rowland Copyright © Marcus L. Rowland
Fractally generated map with numerous edits (MLR) (upper) Manipulated plan of S.S Menna, source Welsh Cultural History web site (MLR)
(lower) Copyright © Marcus L. Rowland
Fractally generated maps with numerous edits (MLR)
Composite image, manipulated by MLR Copyright © Sue Mason
Fractally generated map with numerous edits (MLR) Copyright © Marcus L. Rowland
Fractally generated map with numerous edits (MLR) Source Wikimedia Commons
Manipulated images from public domain sources (MLR) Dobrynya Nikitich rescues Zabava from the Gorynych; Ivan Yakovlevich Bilibin 1876-1942, source Wikimedia Commons, Russian copyright expired
Copyright © Sue Mason, coins based on images of pyrographed ornaments; photographer Michael Scott; manipulated by MLR.
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Registration and Coming Attractions



If you have enjoyed this book please become a registered user. By doing so you will encourage the author to write more Forgotten Futures material, and will help to support Cancer Research UK; 10% of the registration fee is donated to the charity. For full details, samples of the material available for the game and registration go to https://www.forgottenfutures.co.uk/

Forgotten Futures XI has the working title Planets of Peril, and will be based on the science fiction of Stanley Weinbaum (1902-1935), focusing on his unique visions of the Solar System and the worlds he described in classic stories such as A Martian Odyssey. It will contain at least a dozen stories, space travel rules, and everything else needed for a pulp SF campaign. Like Forgotten Futures X it will be published in PDF and HTML versions. If all goes well it will be available towards the end of 2009.


red gold coin showing dragon gold coin showing two dragons gold coin showing dragon
One of the first Crowns struck - note the wear and scuff-marks from nightly contact with scales. It depicts the Majestic Thidris, creator of the modern Draconic currency. This rare example sold for 75 Crowns. More copper was permitted in early Crowns, hence the reddish metal. A Crown from the Twin Majestics period, possibly the shortest-lived and least popular government in the history of Tiamath, notable for several tax "reforms" that almost ruined the economy. Yarge collectors would pay 3-5 Crowns for a coin in mint condition, but the light wear shown reduces the value considerably. A recent Crown, no more than 300-400 years old. As is often the case, the dragon depicted isn't a Majestic; a popular actor modelled for the mint's artists since the position was vacant. Collectors describe such coins as "impostor Crowns," and will rarely pay more than face value.

~ Worldbook ~ Rules ~ Adventures ~
~ Single-File Version ~ Contents ~