Lyric of the Month:
"He was caught in the middle of desperate fight/And she couldn't find how to push through."
--Mike Oldfield, "Moonlight Shadow," from Crises, Virgin, 1983
Published by Wordsmiths, 616 E. 700 S., Salt Lake City, UT 84102. (E-mail to <nuelow@earthlink.net>)
Text and NUELOW game, Copyright Steven Miller, 1994. All rights reserved.
Game Design: Steven 'The One To Blame' Miller <nuelow@earthlink.net>
Invaluable Assistance: Jon Alfred and Sonja Miller
Relentless Pestering: E.M. Tinggaard
Editing: Thomas Biskup
Converted to HTML and edited some more by: Mark 'Kamikaze' Hughes <http://kuoi.asui.uidaho.edu/~kamikaze/>
"Where do we come from?" is a question player characters have been asking for as long as there have been role-playing games. In most games, player characters appear with their statistics and add-ons distributed, with detail-minded GMs and players collaborating on backgrounds that fit the game or campaign at hand.
Normally, players create full-blown, head-turning vamps and bone-crushing fighters, but wouldn't it be a different experience for players to guide their character through its formative years, to nurture it from the dumpy girl to that beautiful woman, or guide the skinny boy who gets beat up before choir practice to a life of pumping iron and swinging clubs? Wouldn't it also be neat to have played through the reason the character is scared of heights, or why it never has sex on the first date?
Well, perhaps, and perhaps not. It could certainly be a different kind of role-playing game. And this NUELOW entry brings that different game to you. "Ugly Ducklings and Ice Queens!" allows GMs and players to rediscover the lost art of character development as no other game before it. The center piece of this game lets players guide NUELOW characters through their formative years: players can assume the role of children and guide them to maturity. In "Ugly Ducklngs and Ice Queens!", players can abandon inhibitions of a different sort, as they guide their character through the process of learning those inhibitions while discovering more adult games.
If all of that sounds like we're trying to play to the "real role-players" out there, well, then we're guilty as charged. However, we'll try to keep the silly posturing to a minimum. We still aim to entertain, and we think using the highly flexible character generation system to create and play child characters was a hoot. We hope you agree.
You've already got all the rules right here in this book. Now, you need at least one six-sided die, some friends, a pencil or two, and some paper to write your character up on. Oh, and munchies. Don't forget the munchies.
"Ugly Ducklings and Ice Queens!" details the region to the north of the Magic Forest (the setting for NL01 "Fairies!"). GMs and players will have no difficulty importing characters from that setting, although fairies may find the climate in Hansland too inhospitable.
It is also simple to import characters from other NUELOW game settings. Unlike certain other "universal" role-playing systems, mixing settings present no problems in NUELOW since each entry is designed to complement what has gone before. This is, after all, a fantasy role-playing game, and we're trying to create a game that will accommodate whatever the GMs and players can dream up.
That said, we should mention here that some minor corrections have been made in the NUELOW rules, notably how encumbrance works, and the penalty/bonus values for skill levels. These changes are minor, however, and should not affect play too much.
Since the designers and editors of this series find "he" and "she" equally offensive, oppressive and exclusionary, all characters in NUELOW will be referred to as "it" (except where the character's sex is clear from the context).
In "Ugly Ducklings and Ice Queens!" players assume the roles of characters in a bleak, ice-coated environment. There are two new types of characters generated using the standard NUELOW rules available to players, the Enforcers, who are working with the Ice Queen and her child protegé to drive all passion and love from Hansland; and the Hopeful, who are part of an ever-dwindling effort to break the Ice Queen's mystical power. The players can also assume the roles of children, innocents growing up in the harshest of circumstances with only bleakness ahead, using an all-new character generation method presented toward the end of this section.
All characters start with 40 character points (except those created with the optional child player-character rules), which are used to "build" a basic character though buying Attribute Ratings, Skills and Advantages, and may be split between these three categories as the player sees fit. The beginning total may be increased by taking disadvantages, which may only be taken at creation, unless the GM rules otherwise. (Unlike Skills that, for the most part, can be bought and improved whenever the character has enough points to do so.)
As the character adventures, the GM awards additional character points. Players who are close friends of the GM get lots of points. Everyone else gets shafted. These points are applied, just like the first 40 were, toward improving Attributes or Skills, buying new Skills and Advantages, and "buying-off" disadvantages. All of these rules are all explained in-depth later.
All NUELOW characters have seven attributes: Strength, Agility, Looks, Intelligence, Personality, Health, and Pain Threshold. Attributes are rated on a scale of 1-15:
| Attribute Rating | Cost Per Point | Level |
|---|---|---|
| 1- 3 | 1 | Attribute Impaired |
| 4- 7 | 3 | Average |
| 8-10 | 10 | Exceptional |
| 11-12 | 30 | Legendary |
| 13-15 | 60 | Divine |
Attributes are a measure of a character's natural aptitude in certain areas. Attribute Ratings of zero or one, while possible, is not recommended. Other players tend to make fun of these ratings, and they also result in automatic failure if a skill check is called for.
Characters who attempt a difficult or dangerous action roll two six-sided dice, or one six-sided die twice, adding the results and checking them against the appropriate Attribute Rating. If the number is equal to or less than the Attribute Rating, the character is successful. If the attempt fails, the GM is at liberty to decide what the result is. Each character can perform one action per round, unless the GM or rules say otherwise. GMs may also apply modifiers to any checks. (Attribute Rating checks are discussed further under "Skills.")
| Strength Rating | Damage Modifier |
|---|---|
| 0- 3 | -2 |
| 4- 7 | 0 |
| 8-10 | +1 |
| 11-12 | +2 |
| 13-15 | +4 |
| Looks Rating | Personality Rating Modifier |
|---|---|
| 0- 3 | -3 |
| 4- 7 | 0 |
| 8-10 | +1 |
| 11-12 | +3 |
| 13-15 | +6 |
The modifiers represent the first-impression reactions characters with bad looks get from the surrounding world. This penalty may be negated (GM's option) once characters get to know each other.
| Intelligence Rating | Personality Rating Modifier |
|---|---|
| 0- 3 | -2 |
| 4-10 | 0 |
| 11-12 | +1 |
| 13-15 | -3 |
At either extreme on the scale is a negative modifier. Again, this reflects first impressions, since the general public is not likely to react kindly to someone who constantly drools, or a character whose first words are: "I am the Lord, thy God." On the other hand, the positive modifier reflects the fact that mid-level geniuses (like NUELOW players) have their own special brand of charm.
After generating the Attributes, the player needs to choose the character's gender (male or female). In day-to-day play this won't be all that important, except in settings where sexism is common or same-sex carnal relations are frowned upon.
There are three main types of characters in the "Ugly Ducklings and Ice Queens!" The Hopeful and Enforcer Character Types are tightly tied to the Hansland campaign setting, while the third kind are simply normal humans, the NUELOW character species baseline (and the peasants in "Fairies!"). Finally, an optional character type is introduced with new character generation rules. This type is the child player character.
Most player characters will start out among the Hopeful, but as the game progresses they may be transformed into Enforcers or normal humans. The Hopeful are individuals who have not yet given into the emotion-numbing magical cold that grips Hansland, while the Enforcers have made the Ice Queens frozen soul their own. The normal humans are too apathetic to do anything but go through the motions of life. As mentioned above, though, GMs and players may import characters from other NUELOW game settings.
The population of Hansland are human, coming in many shapes and sizes (in adulthood ranging from 4' 3" to just short of 7', although smaller and larger ones also exist). Most people have blond hair, although shades of brown and even black hair can be seen as well. The skin-tone is almost universally pale, bordering on pasty.
A Hopeful character begins play with a number of "hope points" equal to an amount rolled on a six-sided die. GMs may let the player roll this or may choose to keep the amount secret. For each cold-hearted or cruel act the character commits, and for each crushing setback (a defeat that costs the lives, health or happiness of those dear to the character) one hope point is lost. When all points are gone, the character becomes either apathetic like the majority of Hanslandians, or, if it has appropriate statistics, becomes an Enforcer. On the other hand, each act of kindness that has a lasting effect on an individual or a group gives the Hopeful character an additional hope point, up to a maximum of six. (GMs may choose to assign characters entering Hansland from other NUELOW settings hope points as well.)
Additionally, Hopefuls receive a number of Personality Attribute Rating points as rolled on a six-sided die free. This reflects their gregarious nature, their tendency to reach out to anyone and everyone and turn every activity into a social gathering. These characters also receive the Singing Skill at Level 1, free (player's choice). Again, this reflects the Hopeful's love of life, and the tendency toward expressing that love. If the Hopeful loses all hope, these advantages are lost. The skills are deleted from the character sheet, and a number of points as rolled on a six-sided die is lost from the Personality Attribute Rating.
The Ice Queen and the primary conduit for her power, Kay, are always keeping a mystical eye out for characters who can serve as their additional eyes and hands. When a character of exceptional caliber--with Strength, Intelligence and Agility Ratings of no less than 7--loses all hope, it is swept away in a snowy gale that is shaped like a huge swan. The character is deposited in the Ice Queen's snowbound palace where she and Kay induct it into the ranks of the Enforcers. This is done by inserting a fragment of the Mirror of Distortion in the character's eye or heart. Any socially oriented Advantages and Skills, such as Musical Ability, Dancing or Seduction, are immediately lost. A similar thing happens to children who lose all hope, and this is detailed under the rules for generating child player characters.
When a character becomes an Enforcer, it receives one six-sided die worth of Attribute Rating free in Strength, Health, and Pain Threshold. (Each Attribute is rolled separately.) It may also choose to acquire the Magical Ability advantage, if, or when, it has enough character points. Additionally, the character becomes resistant to Seduction attempts, receiving a +5 bonus on Intelligence rolls. An Enforcer will almost always try to slay the Seducer, or die in the attempt. However, a successful Seduction attempt will reverse the changes wrought to the character and provide it with one hope point. This works once per Enforcer. If the character drops to zero hope points again, it is permanently in the grip of the Ice Queen's power, only to be free if she and Kay suffer the final defeat.
| Str | Agi | Lks | Int | Per | Hth | PTh |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
These numbers represent an average child, a foundation from which each character is individualized. Of course, if the child to be generated isn't human, any genetic advantages should be rolled and added to the numbers above. As the character is played, the player may reassign one attribute point each time the GM awards character points. (For example, a player whose child dreams of becoming a mighty fighter one day might put the point the GM awards after a game session into Strength, but also move an additional point from Looks into Strength. The child's Strength Attribute then becomes 4 while the Looks Attribute becomes 3.) This mechanic simulates that fact that we all choose (or our mentors choose for us) to focus on certain traits as we mature.
The first step in the individualization process is for the player to either chose or randomly generate (by rolling a six-sided die and adding 8 to the result) an age between 9 and 14 years for the character. The initial statistics remain the same, as the 9-year-old characters may be precocious while the 14 year-old characters may come from an exceptionally harsh background, or may be disadvantaged in some other way.
The player then rolls two six-sided dice, finds the result on the chart below, and applies the required change to the base Attribute Ratings. (This mechanic simulates the fact that each person has different strengths and weaknesses, even as children.)
| 2-5 | The child's Looks Attribute Rating is lowered by two. The player may use character points earned or reassigned during play to raise the character's Looks Rating, thus turning an ugly duckling into a swan. |
|---|---|
| 6-7 | The child's Agility Attribute Rating is lowered by three. The player may use character points earned or reassigned during play to raise the Attribute Rating, if desired. This is the unfortunate klutz who always gets picked last for team sports. |
| 8-9 | The child's Health Attribute Rating is lowered by one, but its Intelligence is raised by one. The Health Attribute Rating may be increased with points earned or reassigned during play. This character is the sickly-but-brainy type when play begins. |
| 10-11 | The child's Looks and Agility Attributes are raised by one, while the Pain Threshold is lowered by one. This is the popular kid that is liked by all. |
| 12 | Due to fairy heritage, the child has an aptitude for channeling mystical energies, as per the Magical Ability advantage. The character must use the advantage once per game session or lose it. Further, before the character reaches "adulthood" (explained below) this advantage must be paid for with character points, or it is lost. (Entering puberty somehow cuts off the character's magical ability.) |
Additionally, the player receives five character points with which to buy skills and advantages. These initial five points may not be used to off-set low statistics rolled during creation, as such disadvantages must either be bought off by points earned during adventuring ("growing up"). A child character may, however, have up to two disadvantages to earn more points for advantages and skills.
Speaking of skills, each child character also receives Climbing at Skill Level 2 without charge. However, just like the magical aptitude mentioned above, these Skill Levels must be paid for before the character reaches "adulthood," or they are lost. (After all, when we were kids, most of us seemed had an almost supernatural ability to climb things, going places where no adult could possibly go. As we got older, we got stuck behind desks and shop counters and we "forgot" how to climb like drug-crazed monkeys.)
Additional skills, beyond those purchased at creation, must be learned: the player can't just spend his or her character points. While there may be some skills that can be self-taught (GMs discretion,) more involved skills must be taught to the child character by an NPC who possesses that skill. The character may have to pay the NPC, or serve an apprenticeship, or some such, but children do need to learn... even in fantasy settings. While the character is learning, the player saves up character points.
In the "Ugly Ducklings and Ice Queen!" setting, the newly created child character also receives six hope points. For each crushing setback (a defeat of the character that costs the lives, health or happiness of those dear to the character) one hope point is lost. When all points are gone, the child character is swept away in a swan-shaped, snowy gale. It is deposited in the frozen hall of the Ice Queen's palace where it becomes a spiritless companion of Kay, the first child to fall victim to the Ice Queen's power.
Finally, the player must pick a sex for the child, as, depending on the setting, this might dictate its lot in life. Once this is done, the player may begin guiding through the wonders (or horrors, depending on the GM's mindset) that NUELOW has to offer those young at heart. Hopefully, the player can safely guide the child to adulthood.
So, when is a child character considered an adult? Characters of most NUELOW species are considered adults when they have the necessary know-how and skills to make in on their own in the multiverse. A character is at that stage when it has 40 character points, as per the standard character generation rules. When a child character is on par with characters generated as per the normal rules, which occurs after 10 points, plus any lost during the random rolls of character creation, have been earned through game play it must leave the foolishness of childhood behind (i.e., lose any skills and advantages held by the child but not yet paid for with points).
Final Notes on NUELOW Child Characters
Of course, the question is why would anyone want to play a child character... why would anyone want to have to jump through hoops to earn 10 points that could otherwise be assigned to Attributes and Skills immediately? Well, maybe this character generation method is the choice of real role-players, the choice of a player who truly wants to understand his or her character by guiding it through its formative years, who wants to help it overcome the strikes it had against it from birth and to triumph despite the fact the whole world is against it.
(Reality Check: We don't believe any players would choose this option, at least not NUELOW players. After all, the REAL role-players all down the hall in goofy wigs pretending to be vampires and werewolves with the only game system for "serious" players.)
Chances are players will play child characters because the GM orders them to. In the Hans Christian Andersen story that inspired the "Ugly Ducklings and Ice Queens!" game setting, the main character saves her beloved friend and playmate from the Snow Queen through pure, platonic love. Maybe the GM wants to make that an ideal in a campaign or game session.
After all, doesn't there come a time in a gamer's life when sex just isn't enough anymore?
GMs might want to look at the occupation rules in "Lust and Dust!" The player characters need to make a living (after all, being a subversive Hopeful won't put food on the table), and sticklers for realism can provide each and every character with a profession, just like all of us in the real world. With one or two simple modifications, they would add greatly to an "Ugly Ducklings and Ice Queens!" game. Of course, if the rules from "Lust and Dust!" are used in this game, a character's sex can suddenly become very important.
GMs who want to keep things simple can declare that all enforcers receive 3 gold pieces per month from the Ice Queen, while Hopefuls toil at whatever occupation fits their skill selections for 1 gold piece per month. Another simple solution to the characters obtaining equipment beyond what they start the game with is for the GM to say that Enforcers get everything they need from the Ice Queen's government (sometimes having to fill out forms in triplicate,) while Hopeful characters are wanted fugitives who must beg, borrow and steal all they need. (And begging, borrowing, and stealing provides plenty of opportunity for role-playing.)
Most advantages are things characters are born with, while others are achieved through training and honing of skills. Players spend their character points on them. GMs may want to disallow some advantages for certain character types. (For example, a child player character probably shouldn't have the Busty or Well Hung advantage at creation. This is not to say the child can't grow into these advantages...) Also, the GM may rule that certain advantages can only be purchased at creation.
The intention to cast a spell and its target must be declared at the beginning of the round (see "Combat"), and the character must make an Agility-check, followed by a Pain Threshold-check to get the spell off. (Channeling the magical energies is painful.) If the character fails the Agility-check, the spell affects a character or creature other than the intended target. If the Pain Threshold-check is unsuccessful, the spellcaster falls unconscious and suffers a number of non-lethal damage points as rolled on one six-sided die. Characters with the "Spellcraft" skill may create any effect allowed by the GM, while characters simply possessing Magical Ability cause random effects as rolled on two six-sided dice and checked against the following list (Unless otherwise stated, each spell effect is either instantaneous or lasts for one round):
| 2-3 | Pain: The creature affected falls to the ground, writhing and screaming in pain. The creature suffers 2 points of non-lethal damage and must make a successful Pain Threshold-check or go unconscious. |
|---|---|
| 4 | Destroy Metal: All metal objects carried by the target crumble to fleck of rust within after two rounds. |
| 5 | Energy Bolt: A glowing bolt strikes the target for 1 point of lethal damage. The target must make a successful Health-Attribute check (against the full Attribute Rating) or the Health Attribute point is gone forever. |
| 6 | Create Object: The caster may create any inanimate object that can easily be carried. The object must be specified before the spell is cast. (If the caster was not seeking this effect, nothing happens.) |
| 7 | Black Hole: A void opens around the target, sucking the character through to another world in the NUELOW multiverse. |
| 8-10 | Pretty Lights: The air around the caster is filled with dancing, swirling lights. While mostly harmless, characters with an Intelligence Rating of 2-3 must make a successful Attribute Check or stop what they are doing and stare at the lights in awe. The lights remain in the air for a number of rounds rolled on a six-sided die. |
| 11-12 | GM's choice or no effect.The target must be in the spell-caster's line-of-sight. |
Only one spell can be cast per round, unless the character has the Spellcraft skill, in which case the skill level determines how many spells the charcter may cast.
This advantage costs 8 points.
Taking disadvantages can provide extra character points. GMs should try to place characters in situations where their disadvantages might come into play. (Don't overdo it, though.) Certain disadvantages have Attribute-bases and modifiers listed. The modifiers are added to the character's roll when it checks to avoid letting weakness get the best of it. There might be some of these disadvantages characters don't want to resist, of course. GMs shouldn't force players to roll if they want their characters to engage in certain generally unacceptable behaviors. (GMs and players should note the restriction on disadvantages for child characters.)
Characters may spend points to negate disadvantages as they earn points. When a character has "repaid" the points he earned from taking the disadvantage, he is "cured" of whatever his weakness was.
First Failed Health Attribute Check: +1 to Personality; -1 to Agility and Intelligence. The Hand-Eye Coordination advantage is negated, while characters without that advantage have their called- shot penalties doubled.
Second Failed Health Attribute Check: +1 to Strength and Pain Threshold; -2 to Agility, Intelligence and Personality. Intoxicated characters automatically fail any Seduction attempts on sober characters, but receive -2 on the Attribute Check against characters who are also intoxicated.
Third Failed Health Attribute Check: +1 to Strength, +2 to Pain Threshold; -3 to Agility, Intelligence and Personality. Characters with Sexual Prowess automatically fail the Attribute Check. Hitting targets (stationary or otherwise) with ranged weapons is impossible.
Fourth Failed Heath Attribute Check: Unconscious for an amount of hours as dictated by the roll of one six-sided die. When the character wakes up, it feels ill and sluggish (3 non-lethal points of Health damage,) has a throbbing headache (-2 to Intelligence and -1 to Agility) and generally feels hung-over.
This disadvantage is worth 4 points.
To successfully use a skill, a character must make a check (on two six-sided dice) against the appropriate attribute. Further, character points can be used to improve skills. There are four skill levels, and it costs 2 character points to buy a first-level skill. The price goes up from there, but at higher levels, the character receives a bonus to Attribute Checks, a negative modifier on the roll.
On the other hand, a character has a penalty for attempting to perform an action it isn't skilled in. GMs should use their judgment in determining the results of a failed check, and even if the character can succeed without the required skill. (Tracking, for example, is not something a character without the skill could even attempt... unless it's tracking someone through fresh mud.)
| Skill Level | Point Cost | Bonus to Checks |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | +4 |
| 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 2 | 4 | -2 |
| 3 | 8 | -4 |
| 4 | 16 | -6 |
Characters may attempt to use more than one skill per round. All checks must be successful for the desired effects to come about, and often all Attribute Bonuses should be added to one or both checks. It is possible to use more than one skill at a time (Dancing and Seduction complement each other nicely), but common sense (as interpreted by the GM) should be applied... it's not likely that a character can Climb and Cook at the same time, for example.
A seduced creature can perform no actions (other than perhaps kiss or fondle the seducer) for the first round of seduction. On subsequent rounds, the character always acts last. However, a target may roll against its Intelligence score if they wish to attempt to resist the seduction attempt. The following modifiers apply to the character's check to resist being seduced:
| Intelligence Modifier | Mitigating Circumstance |
|---|---|
| -3 | Giving in will be dangerous |
| -2 | Seducer is personal enemy |
| -1 | Seducer attacked target earlier |
| +1 | Eye-contact with seducer |
| +2 | Physical contact with seducer |
| +3 | No negatives from succumbing |
| +4 | Expects pleasure beyond dreams |
Modifiers are cumulative where one or more applies. There are as many other circumstances that might result in modifiers. Again, GMs should use their best judgment in the individual situations.
The seduction effect remains in full force for as along as the seducer and the seduced are within line-of-sight of each other, and for a number of rounds rolled on two six-sided, minus the seduced character's Intelligence Attribute bonus, afterward. Once a character has been seduced, it will always be susceptible to the wiles of that particular seducer--to the tune of +1 to the Intelligence roll, +3 if the seduction resulted in carnal delights.
This skill functions slightly differently if possessed and used by a child character. With a child, the Seduction is not a sexual thing, and the "favors" mentioned above is not a euphemism. When used by a child, this skill reflects that the character has found that batting its eyes and being "cute" can get it food, candy, television privileges (if the child is an obnoxious younger sibling in "Horndogs!") and lessening the severity of punishment by adults. There is never a sexual connotation to the child's successful seduction attempt... so even though the same basic chart is used to determine the modifiers to the target's check, the GM may have to come up with some alternative reasons for the modifications when it comes to children.
While combat generally means hacking, slashing, and spreading as much carnage in as short time as possible, there are some NUELOW combat rules that apply to more intimate pursuits. As evident in some of the skills above, what is sometimes useful on the field of battle can also come in handy between the sheets...
The basis for all time-keeping in NUELOW games is the "round." There are six seconds in one round, ten rounds in one minute, sixty minutes in one hour, 24 hours in one day (which, we all know is simply not enough) and so on, and so forth. Consult the calendar on your wall for additional details. Each player must declare what action the character will take that round, and the characters then take these actions from the highest to lowest Agility Attribute Ratings. A player may choose to hold a character's action until later in the round, but must call it as soon as actions have been declared for the character he or she was trying to shaft... uh, support. Each character can perform at least one action per round, although GMs can rule that the character can do more or less, too. (It's a rare thing, though, when a character can't just lay still on the ground, unconscious, or just overcome by exhaustion...)
Characters take actions in order of Agility Rating, those with the highest numbers acting first. If there is one or more characters with the same Agility Rating, the order is as follows:
Remember, seduced characters always act last in the round on the round they are seduced.
Attribute Ratings are also used to decide who controls the situation during close encounters of the carnal kind. Characters with the Sexual Prowess skill always act first in the round, and any other disputes need to be moderated by the GM. Generally, the Agility or Personality Ratings will apply, but if the words "whips" and "chains" have come up (together or separately) Strength is most likely the Attribute to go off. Characters that have been seduced into the situation will always act after the seducer, unless instructed to do otherwise. See "Attacking" for additional information.
A character's full movement rate equals its combined Strength, Agility and Health Attribute bonuses in feet. The minimum full movement is always three, regardless of negative Attribute bonuses. Characters on the ground may choose to move less than their full movement rates, or not move at all. It is possible for characters to move and attack at the same time, if they are within range (or reach) of each other. For each character that has declared movement during a turn, there is a +1 cumulative to-hit penalty. In other words, two moving characters trying to hit each other with clubs would each add 2 to their Agility Attribute checks.
Those rules should do it in most games, but for the more detail-minded players, here are the...
"Ugly Ducklings and Ice Queens!" characters on skis can travel a maximum of 24 miles in an 8-hour period, while characters on mounts can travel 32 miles along a cleared road in the same period, without the skier or horse wearing out and requiring a full 24 hours before continuing.
The following weather conditions and terrain types affect how fast a character or mount can safely travel. Modifiers are cumulative, so if a character is traveling at night through light forest, the maximum movement rate is reduced by 3/4. These modifiers reflect safe travel speed. Characters who exceed the safe limits have a chance of injuring themselves or their mounts by falling into holes, running into trees or walls, etc. The likelihood and severity of any accidents are left up to GM discretion.
| Weather Conditions/Terrain Types | Reduce Max. Movement By |
|---|---|
| Darkness, Full | 1/2 |
| Darkness, Twilight | 1/4 |
| Forest, Heavy | 1/2 |
| Forest, Light | 1/4 |
| Heavy Fog or Snow | 1/2 |
| Heavy Rain | 1/4 |
| Rough Terrain, Mountainous | 3/4 |
| Rough Terrain, Snow-covered | 1/2 |
For skiing characters, GMs need to remember the encumbrance rules mentioned under "Strength."
Attacks are resolved whenever a character acts in a turn. To hit, a character must roll the appropriate Weapons Use skill Attribute or a Unarmed Combat roll. If a character hits the target, apply the damage appropriate to the weapon being used (found under "Equipment") and any Strength Attribute bonuses/penalties. If the character is wearing armor (also found under "Equipment") only damage exceeding the character's Armor Rating is subtracted from the Health Rating.
A character may attack up to three targets in one round, if those targets are in melee combat. For each target attacked, a +1 penalty is added to the Weapons Use skill Attribute check. (+1 for the first target, +2 for the second, and +3 for the third.)
Characters may choose to take "called shots." There is a +3 to-hit penalty on "called shots," but extra damage is inflicted on successful hits, with vital areas subject to the greatest damage bonuses. (The damage still needs to exceed the Armor Rating.)
| Called-shot | Extra |
|---|---|
| Location | Damage |
| Head | roll six-sided, apply result |
| Torso | 4 points |
| Arms | 2 points, +1 penalty on to-hit rolls |
| Legs | 1 point, +2 penalty on relevant Agility checks, lower movement rate 1/3 for each 5 points of "called shot" damage. |
Certain sexual situations might require to-hit rolls (Agility or Strength Attribute Checks.) These include characters who are moving, characters who are in a boat on a storm-tossed sea, or character's trying to engage in sexual acts with an unwilling target.
The basic NUELOW mechanic for ranged weapons combat is the "line-of-sight" rule: if a character can see it, the character can hit it with ranged weapons. This rule is subject to GM rulings and common sense, but is essentially all that's needed to play.
For more detail-minded players (or those without common sense), the following optional rules may be used: Characters must still be able to see what they're shooting at, but to-hit rolls are modified by factors such as weapon size, distance to target, lighting conditions, and aiming time. Further, the modifiers mentioned under "Movement" may be applied as well. A ranged weapon is a device that hurls a projectile, such as a bow or a gun. A knife, a rock, a bottle or beer, or any number of objects could conceivably be ranged weapons in a pinch. To keep combat simple, we recommend that any makeshift or unusual weapons automatically miss at anything but close range.
The following chart lists the modifiers that apply to to-hit rolls for ranged weapons. The sizes of the weapons featured in the game can be found under "EQUIPMENT."
| Size of Weapon | Close Range | Medium Range | Long Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small | -2 | 0 | +3 |
| Medium | 0 | -3 | -1 |
| Large | +2 | +1 | -3 |
Close Range is considered 30 yards and less; Medium up to 100 yards; and Long Range is to the maximum range of Line-of-Sight. GM's ruling and common sense also applies.
Optionally, the GM might consider weather and lighting conditions during ranged attacks. Heavy snow and darkness add +1 to all to-hit rolls at Medium Range; and +3 to all Long Range attempts. These modifiers are cumulative.
Each beginning player character in "Ugly Ducklings and Ice Queens!" receives a number of items (subject to GM approval) and silver pieces equal to a roll of one six-sided die. Thus, it is possible that one character will have one additional piece of equipment and 1 silver piece while another will have six pieces of equipment and 6 silver pieces. That's tough, but that's life. It's a multiverse of haves and have-nots, and if the player with one item bitches, the GM should remind him or her of the time-honored tradition for gaining more stuff in role-playing games: the looting of dead bodies.The Equipment list is divided into four sections, "Weapons," "Armor," "Magical Items" and "Other Stuff." At creation, characters should be allowed to pick any items they want from these lists (again, with GM approval) to a maximum of the number they rolled, with the exception of the list of Magical Items, as characters should find these through adventuring.
GMs should probably not allow beginning characters to choose equipment from lists in other NUELOW products, since these are the only two that reflect the proper technology level of this game setting. However, this is not to say that player characters can't pick up shotguns if they happen to stray through a Nuelow Gate in the course of their adventures. (See Hansland: "An Ugly Ducklings and Ice Queens!" Campaign Setting.)
Hansland's coinage system is: 2,000 copper pieces (c)=200 silver pieces (s)=1 gold piece (g).
Each weapon in "Ugly Ducklings and Ice Queens!" has seven statistics, type, damage, weight, size and cost. Remember, a character's Strength Damage Modifier is added to hand-to-hand and melee weapon attacks, as is "called shot" damage modifiers. Blunt weapons do non-lethal damage, edged do lethal damage unless otherwise noted, while the damage listed for a ranged weapon is actually for the projectile it fires. Any large weapon is treated as if weighing 10 pounds for encumbrance purposes. All weapons come with holsters or sheathes.
Key to codes:
| AT | Attribute-base for Weapons Use skill checks. |
|---|---|
| R | ranged; |
| H | hand-to-hand; |
| B | blunt; |
| E | edged; |
| L | lethal; |
| NL | non-lethal; |
| Str | Strength Attribute Rating; |
| Agl | Agility Attribute Rating. |
| (#) | The number of shots a gun holds. |
| Weapon | Type | Damage | Weight | Size | AT | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ax | H, E | 3 L | 3 pounds | Medium | Str. | 1g 4s |
| Bow | R, E | 2 L | 2 pounds | Medium | Str. | 6s 1c |
| Club | H, B | 1 NL | 2 pounds | Medium | Str. | 1c |
| Club, spiked | H, B/E | 1 NL/1 L | 3 pounds | Medium | Str. | 3c |
| Crossbow, light* | R, E | 2 L | 3 pounds | Medium | Agl. | 1g 6s |
| Crossbow, heavy* | R, E | 4 L | 6 pounds | Large | Agl. | 2g 7s |
| Dagger | H, E | 1 L | .2 pounds | Small | Agl. | 5s |
| Flintlock* | R, B | 5 L | 8 pounds | Medium | Agl. | 30g |
| Mace, medium | H, B | 2 L | 6 pounds | Medium | Str. | 1g 2s |
| Mace, large | H, B | 4 L | 11 pounds | Medium | Str. | 1g 15s |
| Mace, spiked | H, B/E | 5 L | 8 pounds | Medium | Str. | 2g 2c |
| Musket* | R, B | 7 L | 15 pounds | Large | Agl. | 38g |
| Staff | H, B | 1 NL | 1 pound | Medium | Str. | 1c |
| Sword, small | H, E | 2 L | 3 pounds | Small | Agl. | 7s |
| Sword, large | H, E | 4 L | 6 pounds | Medium | Agl. | 1g 2s |
| Whip | H, B | 1 NL | 2 pounds | Small | Agl. | 10c |
*Armor provides no protection against these weapons. Damage goes straight to the character.
Each type of armor in "Ugly Ducklings and Ice Queens!" has four ratings, type, armor rating, weight and cost. Armor rating represents the degree of protection the character is afforded when wearing it. The "full armors" weigh 10 pounds for each point of protection provided, but the protection is in all locations (except wings) while other types weigh 2 pounds for each point of protection. It takes one six-sided die worth of rounds put on a piece of armor, and five six-sided dice of rounds to put on a full suit. It takes roughly half that time to take the armor off. The abbreviations are the same as used above.The characters of this setting do not typically roam the streets in armor. In fact, most citizens of Hansland don't even own armor, due to its great cost. Even Enforcers must buy their own suits.
| Type | Armor Rating | Weight | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chain, full suit | 2 | 20 pounds | 50g |
| Chain, head | 2 | 4 pounds | 5g |
| Chain, torso | 4 | 8 pounds | 30g |
| Chain, arms | 2 | 4 pounds | 10g |
| Leather, torso | 2 | 4 pounds | 8g |
| Leather, arms | 1 | 2 pound | 5g |
| Leather, legs | 1 | 2 pound | 5g |
| Plate, full suit | 4 | 40 pounds | 90g |
| Plate, head | 3 | 6 pounds | 12g |
| Plate, torso | 9 | 20 pounds | 45g |
| Plate, arms | 3 | 6 pounds | 15g |
| Plate, legs | 3 | 6 pounds | 10g |
For attacks that aren't "called shots," a character's Armor Rating equals the armor type's full suit or torso rating, whichever is less.
Unlike some role-playing games where magic rings and trinkets lay forgotten in every dusty corner, NUELOW magical items are mostly one of a kind. While they may lay forgotten in dusty corners, no character will ever find piles of them, or more than one in any one location. The magical items in this set have all been "borrowed" from the writings of Hans Christian Andersen.
This section provides a smattering of mundane equipment the characters of "Ugly Ducklings and Ice Queens!" might have with them when encountered. This list is not all-inclusive. GMs and players wishing to expand the list should think of items that might be available to the people in Europe near the end of the Age of Discovery. Most of the items detailed in "Fairies!" are appropriate to this setting, too, and more will be added in future NUELOW volumes. (GMs are free to set whatever price they think is reasonable for the individual campaign settings when transferring equipment from one NUELOW product to another.)
| Item | Description/Notes | Weight | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aquavit | Used to get pissed | varies | 1s/bottle |
| Bacon | Salted pork | varies | 20 c/pound |
| Boots, heavy | Worn on feet | 1 pound | 9s |
| Cart | Horse-drawn vehicle | alot! | 1g 8s |
| Coffee | Used to stay awake & warm | varies | 30c/pound |
| Flour | Used to cook several items | varies | 5c/pound |
| Fur Cap | Worn on head | 0.1 | 1s 75c |
| Gun Powder | Used to fire guns | 0.25 | 1g/25 shots |
| Horse, draft | Pulls carts and sleighs | alot! | 2g 3s 80c |
| Pants | Worn on lower body | 0.2 | 3c |
| Shirt | Worn on body | 0.08 | 1c |
| Skis | Boards strapped to boots;
poles included | 5 pounds | 9s 50c |
| Sled | Kids ride it down hills | 9 pounds | 2s |
| Snowshoes | Worn on boots;
allows travel on snow | 3 pounds | |
| Sweater, wool | How to be toasty | 0.4 | 10c |
| Tobacco | Smoked or chewed | varies | 10c/plug |
| Wagon/Sleigh | Horse-drawn, hauls things | alot! | 2g 5s |
| Winter coat | Used to stay warm | 5 pounds | 10s 2c |
| Service | What | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Bath | How to stop smelling | 1s |
| **Doctor Visit | How to cure injuries | 1g |
| Hotel, Average | Where to sleep | 4s/night |
| Meal, Cheap | How to fill the stomach | 2s/meal |
| Rooming House | Where to sleep and eat | 1g/week |
| Shave and a Haircut | How to look sharp | 20c |
| Undertaking | What happens after a character's dead | 1g 8s/burial |
**A doctor visit permits a character to heal at twice the normal rate mentioned in the character generation section.
Most of the creatures in this game have been shamelessly stolen from Hans Christian Andersen's best-known stories, and several have been adapted for the Hansland campaign. (At least we give credit where credit is due... we may produce the worst games available today, but we're not afraid to acknowledge whose work we plunder to create them.)
We hope the old hags and dogs with eyes like saucers will give the player characters plenty of grief. The Attribute Ratings given for the various human and animal categories below are averages, to be used as examples for GMs to design creatures and NPCs of their own. GMs should outfit intelligent creatures with the appropriate equipment.
| Str | Agi | Lks | Int | Per | Hth | PTh |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 9 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Str | Agi | Lks | Int | Per | Hth | PTh |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 5 |
| Str | Agi | Lks | Int | Per | Hth | PTh |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 10 |
| Str | Agi | Lks | Int | Per | Hth | PTh |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 9 | 9 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 3 |
| Str | Agi | Lks | Int | Per | Hth | PTh |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 10 | 1 | 10 | 1 | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Str | Agi | Lks | Int | Per | Hth | PTh |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 9 |
| Str | Agi | Lks | Int | Per | Hth | PTh |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3/6/9 | 7/10/13 | 5/4/3 | 4/4/4 | 3/3/3 | 5/7/9 | 7/8/9 |
They bite for 1/3/5 points of lethal damage, respectively.
| Str | Agi | Lks | Int | Per | Hth | PTh |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 8 | 4 | 5 |
| Str | Agi | Lks | Int | Per | Hth | PTh |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 10 | 10 |
| Str | Agi | Lks | Int | Per | Hth | PTh |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 6 |
| Str | Agi | Lks | Int | Per | Hth | PTh |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 11 | 11 |
| Str | Agi | Lks | Int | Per | Hth | PTh |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 | 5 | N/A | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Str | Agi | Lks | Int | Per | Hth | PTh |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 9 |
| Str | Agi | Lks | Int | Per | Hth | PTh |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 8 |
"Ugly Ducklings and Ice Queens!" was chosen as the vehicle to introduce the rules for child player characters because the story that inspired the included campaign-setting centers on a small girl searching for her missing playmate, Hans Christian Andersen's "The Snow Queen."
The setting of Hansland, the homeland of the Crusaders from the "Fairies!" game, is in the grip of a magical winter... and only one girl--or a woman with the heart of a child--can break it by reviving the heart of the Ice Queen's focus of power, a boy named Kay. Unfortunately, the icy cold and the edicts and promises of power to the faithful issuing from the Palace of the Ice Queen is increasingly turning the hearts of Hansland to ice. (In other words, this is the first NUELOW game to give the player characters an honest-to-god heroic quest. Hey, it had to happen eventually...)
In this campaign, child and adult player characters won't have to resist the temptation of passion, but the temptation of abandoning passion in its most ideal sense: they'll have to resist the temptation of abandoning passion for life and the ability to care about other living beings.
To the south of Hansland, beyond steep mountains with no passes, is the Magic Forest. Home to fairies and crusaders, this region is described in NL01 "Fairies!".
The center of power in the frigid land is the Ice Queen's Citadel, where she dwells with Kay, a young boy who serves as the conduit for her power. The only other living things on the frozen plains around the citadel are hags, who are devoted to keeping Gerda from Kay, as she is the only one who can reverse the spell on him and the land. (Kay, Gerda and the Ice Queen are described in the "Non-player Characters" section.)
Most of the unfortunate souls in this land dwell in The City, a crowded maze of tall, soot-covered buildings where the snow turns gray before it hits the ground. Most people step over the bodies of the homeless who have died during the freezing overnight temperatures or have fallen victim to the Enforcers or roving bandits without a second thought. Few have real childhoods in The City, as most children slave in textile mills or machine shops. The City's population is gradually dwindling, as more people die than are born each year.
The only life outside The City are gangs of bandits and semi-nomadic settlements of herders who tend reindeer. The gangs of bandits dwell in caves near the mountains. Rumor has it that some of these caves are acutually magical gateways that whisk characters away to places far more pleasant than Hansland. These are the Gates of Nuelow, a highly cheezy device that lets GM's link the various game settings without having to come up with transition material.
Map Key: 1. The Ice Queen's Citadel 2. The City 3. The Frozen Waste 4. The Mountains 5. Nomad Camps 6. Caves/possible Gates of Nuelow
| Str | Agi | Lks | Int | Per | Hth | PTh |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 5 |
Advantages: Attractive Appearance, Musical Talent, Speak with Animals (Birds).
Disadvantages: Sense of Honor.
Skills: Cooking Level 1; Singing Level 2; Weapons Use, Dagger Level 1; Wilderness Survival, Arctic Level 2; Wrestling Level 2.
Equipment: As assigned by GM.
Money: As assigned by GM.
When Gerda was a young girl in The City, she and her friend Kay were inseparable, until the day the Ice Queen abducted Kay and made him the focus of the curse that grips Hansland. Gerda has spent two decades attempting to penetrate the Ice Queen's citadel. She will attempt to recruit adult player characters to help her with her quest, using any means available to her.
Gerda wants nothing more than to reach Kay and try to revive the feelings he once felt for her. However, the hardships Gerda herself have suffered over the years has drained away the wide-eyed, innocent zest for life that is needed to thaw Kay's frozen heart. To succeed, she needs the help of a girl or a woman who hasn't been hardened by life but who still has a child-like spirit and outlook. This girl or woman needs to remind Kay of the feelings he and Gerda once shared.
| Str | Agi | Lks | Int | Per | Hth | PTh |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 10 |
Advantages: High Pain Threshold, Magical Ability.
Disadvantages: Vengeful.
Skills: Climbing Level 2; Sledding Level 2; Unarmed Combat Level 1; Wrestling Level 2.
Equipment: Kay has access to whatever he needs.
Money: Kay has no need of money.
As a child, Kay was struck by a fragment of the Glass of Distortion. It entered through his eye and immediately turned him cold and indifferent against all that he had loved before, including his best friend, Gerda. The Ice Queen was looking for the final component of the grand spell that would put all of Hansland in her power... and when the shard entered Kay, she immediately sensed that it had awakened dormant magical powers in him and that he was the final component. She whisked the boy away to her citadel at the center of the country where she amplified the coldness that gripped Kay's heart to engulf the whole land.
Kay's growth has been arrested, as has his mental development: for 20 years he has been a cruel-spirited child. Living things that enter the citadel are generally tortured to death by Kay, although rumor has it that children that reach the citadel will find a new playmate in Kay, a playmate who won't let them leave while they still breathe. When Kay's out of living playmates, he plays with animated, frost-covered dead bodies, generally those that once belonged to children who lost all hope.
Kay is the key to breaking the Ice Queen's power. As mentioned above, he needs to be reminded of the simple pleasures of life, such as friendship.
| Str | Agi | Lks | Int | Per | Hth | PTh |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 10 | 13 | 12 | 8 | 14 | 15 |
Advantages: Attractive Appearance, Busty, Keen Senses, Magical Ability.
Disadvantages: Sense of Honor, Vengeful.
Skills: Dancing Level 2; Dodging Level 1; Seduction Level 3; Sexual Prowess Level 4; Spellcraft Level 3; Unarmed Combat Level 1; Weapons Use Level 2, small sword; Weapons Use Level 1, whip and chain; Wrestling Level 2.
Equipment: The Ice Queen always has her sword nearby; it is a small sword that is so cold it causes those struck to make a Pain Threshold Attribute Check or fall unconscious. Anything else she needs she can literally conjure from the frigid air.
Money: The Ice Queen has no need of money.
As her statistics and level of abilities should clearly show, the Ice Queen is probably one of the most overwhelming foes the player characters should ever hope to face. In fact, should they ever confront her, chances are they will die, as her various abilities and high scores will stop most characters dead in their tracks. (She was generated using the rules from "Holy Sheets!", the forthcoming power-gamer supplements that allows players to role-play the gods of the NUELOW universe. The Ice Queen is, in fact, a minor deity.)
The Ice Queen has only one interest in life, and that is to eliminate all forms of passion. She sees this as a good thing, as passion always leads to pain for mortals. If an adult player character who isn't Enforcer material comes face-to-face with the Ice Queen, chances are it will experience one last bout of passion (as the Ice Queen brings her Dancing and Seduction abilities to bear, following them up with her Sexual Prowess at Skill Level 4). Any mortal who makes love with the Ice Queen must make a Pain threshold Attribute Check or fall unconscious from the intensity of the multiple orgasms--even male player characters will experience these. Death will follow in a number of rounds equal to the character's current Health Attribute Rating, as per the optional exposure rules in the next section. If the Ice Queen is confronted with children, she will give them to Kay as playmates.
The constant frigid weather of Hansland can be a bigger threat to player characters than a horde of NPC bad guys. For the most part, characters will be prepared for the cold weather of Hansland, but circumstances may lead a player character into a snowy night with little or no clothes. (A child player character may be thrown out of the house by an evil step-mother, and an adult player character may be surprised when the spouse of a lover returns home unexpectedly and will have to run for it in just a birthday suit.)
The degree to which weather conditions can affect a character depends on the character's protection from the cold; the more dry clothing the character is wearing, the less chance it will suffer any ill effects from the weather. The following chart features three states of dress and weather conditions:
| Day | Night | Blizzard | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected | 0 | 1 pt. | 1-3 pts. |
| Unprotected | 1 pt. | 1-3 pts. | 1-6 pts. |
| Exposed | 1-3 pts. | 1-6 pts. | 2-12 pts. |
As the chart shows, a character will be least susceptible to the ravages of the magical cold during the daytime, while the feeble light of the sun is reflecting off the snow drifts. Once the sun sets, all characters will suffer some effect of being out in the cold. Likewise, during the blizzards that frequently rip across Hansland, the severe cold will nip at those in thick winter garb (or "protected") characters while being a highly lethal force for those in nothing but a evening gowns (or "unprotected"). A "protected" character is wearing thick furs or winter clothes, with all extremities protected by caps, gloves and heavy boots; an "unprotected" character is either wearing clothing of insufficient thickness, or clothing that is damp; and an "exposed" character is one wearing no winter clothing at all.
For every 30 minutes the character is out in the cold of Hansland, it takes the damage appropriate to its situation as dictated by the above-listed chart. The damage is non-lethal if the character makes a successful Attribute Check against its full Health Rating, and the damage is recovered after an hour's rest in a warm and dry environment. If the Health Attribute Check is failed, the cold damage is lethal, as the character has received a serious frostbite. In this case, the character must make a Health Attribute Check against its full rating with a -2 bonus to the roll once it is in a warm environment. If this check is failed, the character permanently loses half the lethal cold damage taken permanently; the character has lost fingers, toes, or even limbs to the cold. (The GM determines where the frostbite damage has occurred, imposing Strength, Agility, or Looks Attributes penalties across the board or during the usage of certain skills.)
Once a character's Health Attribute Rating drops to 0 or less from cold damage, it either falls unconscious (if the final damage is non-lethal), or it dies (if the damage is lethal). If an unconscious character is not brought into a warm and dry environment within a number of rounds equal to its full Health Attribute Rating, it also dies. It is advisable to leave dead characters in the cold, because once they are brought into a warm environment, they quickly begin to smell bad.
We could provide you with a handful of lame scenarios, but a better source for ideas are the stories of Hans Christian Andersen. Don't let the sugar-coated versions you saw on TV as a kid fool you: they are anything but vapid, and they are a greater source of inspiration than anything the chronically unemployed "writers" of the NUELOW line could come up with. In fact, it baffles us that we're the first to think of plageri... uh, borrowing from these fairy tales. Can we really be the only ones who are tired of third-rate Tolkien and Anne Rice clones? We encourage you all to take a trip to your local library, as the real way to rediscover the lost art of story-telling is to witness a master at work; no silly-ass role-playing game can serve as a substitute for real reading. (We admit that none of the NUELOW designers have been near a library in years, but don't let our illiteracy stop you from bettering yourself.)
Actually, if you want to run a standard NUELOW adventure in the Hansland setting, we recommend that you watch "Joe Bob Brigg's Drive-In Theater" on the Movie Channel for a couple of weeks, or rent FATAL ATTRACTIONS or any number of knock-offs of same. These are all excellent sources for inspiration. One thing to keep in mind when creating adventures for "Ugly Ducklings and Ice Queens!", is that sex and love-making in this setting needs to have an element of danger to it. When characters experience true love (i.e., something that goes beyond mere physical attraction), the enforcers should be an ever present threat to this love.
This text is Copyright Steven Miller, 1994. All Rights Reserved.