This document and the NUELOW game are copyright Steven Miller,
1994.  All Rights Reserved.


*FRONT COVER*
A NUELOW GENERAL ROLE-PLAYING GAME PRODUCT:"Ugly Ducklings and Ice
Queens!"
Role-playing in the World of Hans Christian Andersen
NL03






*INSIDE FRONT COVER*

NUELOW game products:
"Fairies!" (Available Now)
"Lust and Dust!" (Available Now)
"Ugly Ducklings and Ice Queens!" (Available Now)
"Horndogs!" (Coming Soon)
"Stars and Garters!" (Coming Soon)
"Mechin' Out!" (Coming Soon)
"Phantom Lovers!" (Coming Soon)
"Sea of Sinners!" (Coming Soon)
"Queen and Country!" (Coming Soon)
"The Bedside Companion!" (Coming in 1995)













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 smiller@media.utah.edu. or NUELOW@aol.com) Text and
NUELOW game, Copyright Steven Miller, 1994. All rights reserved.



*PAGE ONE*
"Ugly Ducklings and Ice Queens!"
Role-playing in the World of Hans Christian Andersen



Game Design: Steven Miller 
Invaluable Assistance: Jon Alfred and Sonja Miller
Relentless Pestering: E.M. Tinggaard
Editing: Thomas Biskup


 TABLE OF CONTENT
INTRODUCTION
WHAT YOU NEED TO PLAY
PERSONAL PRONOUNS IN NUELOW PRODUCTS
CHARACTER GENERATION
COMBAT
EQUIPMENT
HANSLAND: AN "UGLY DUCKLINGS AND ICE QUEENS!" CAMPAIGN SETTING
ADVENTURES FOR "UGLY DUCKLINGS AND ICE QUEENS!"
AFTERWORD






*PAGE TWO*

INTRODUCTION
     "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.

*PAGE THREE*

WHAT YOU NEED TO PLAY
     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.

Using "Ugly Ducklings and Ice Queens!" with other NUELOW products.
     "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 encumberance works,
and the penalty/bonus values for skill levels.  These changes are
minor, however, and should not effect play too much.

PERSONAL PRONOUNS IN NUELOW PRODUCTS
     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).

CHARACTER GENERATION
     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 protege 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.

Character Points
     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.

Attribute Ratings
     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
notrecommended. 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: A measure of the character's ability to inflict
damage upon another character while exchanging blows, or how much
it can lift and/or carry. The maximum load a character canhandle is
equal to the Strength Rating times 10 pounds. Equipment weights are
given in pounds. For every 15 pounds the character is over its
encumbrance limit, its movement rate is cut by one-third.
When punching characters, or attacking with blunt or edged
hand-held weapons, the character has the following modifiers to
damage inflicted (Results of zero or less do no damage):         
     
     Strength Rating               Damage Modifier          
     0-3                          -2    
     4-7                           0         
     8-10                          +1   
     11-12                         +2   
     13-15                         +4

     Agility: This reflects how naturally coordinated the character
is. Anything from tightrope walking to eating a bowl of Jello-brand
gelatin-cubes ("Jigglers!") with a spoon would be checked against
Agility. The Agility-rating also allows the characters to dodge
hand-to-hand (or kick) attacks, if half or less of the rating is
rolled on two six-sided dice.

     Looks: This is the character's physical attractiveness to any
species that could possibly be affected by it. The Looks Rating
modifies the Personality Rating so:

     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: This reflects the character's ability to
understand abstract ideas, adapt to unexpected situations, and find
their way out of a paper bag should the need arise. Further, the
Intelligence Rating allows the character to see through subterfuge.
(On a successful check, of course.) The Intelligence Rating also
modifies the Personality Rating.

     Intelligence Rating      Personality Rating Modifier
     0-3                      -2   
     4-7                      0
     8-10                     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.

     Personality: This is how commanding the character's presence
is, and how well it relates to other characters. Most attempts at
social interaction with any depth are checked against this
attribute. (A character looking for a one-night stand would check
against Looks, but a character looking for marriage would check
against Personality.)

     Health: This is a rating of how much physical punishment a
character can take, and how well it can resist and/or recover from
illnesses. When the Health Rating goes to zero from non-lethal
attacks (fists, certain toxins, over-exertion, etc.,)  the
character goes unconscious. When the Health Rating goes to zero
from lethal attacks (swords, shotguns, being thrown from a great
height, etc.), the character is dead. Non-lethal damage is
recovered at the rate of 1 point per hour, or 2 points per hour of
total rest. Lethal damage is recovered at the rate of 1 point per
day if properly cared for (by someone with the Healing Skill), 1
point per week if left unattended. Dead characters do not recover
damage--they just decompose.

     Pain Threshold: This measures how well a character endures
physical punishment. Whenever a character suffers 3 points or more
points of damage in one round, it must make a check against the
Pain Threshold Rating. A failed check means the character has
fainted from unbearable agony. Honorable or merciful opponents will
refrain from attacking (or whatever) the character. 

     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. 

Character Types
     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 pastey.

Hopeful
     The number of these characters is dwindling in Hansland. They
actively try to spread compassion and joy, hoping to set examples
for others and counteract the way their icy environment is
increasingly gripping the hearts and minds of Hanslandians. For
example, it is common for Hopefuls to invite freezing urchins into
their homes for a hot meal and a warm bed. The more heroically
minded Hopeful also seek to find and destroy the source of the Ice
Queen's arcane hold on the land, or speak out against her laws
against public displays of affection.
     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.

Enforcers
     Enforcers are responsible for the day-to-day policing of
Hanslandians, ensuring the laws prohibiting public affection and
large celebratory gatherings are obeyed. Often, enforcers can't be
told from other citizens until it's too late... especially since an
enforcer might have been a hopeful only days before.
     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. 

Child Characters (Optional Character Generation Rules)
     The basis for a child player character is the creature listing
for a human child found in the appropriate section of this product.
A basic child player character starts with the following
statistics:

Strength: 2, Agility: 5, Looks: 4, Intelligence: 2, Personality: 3,
Health: 3, Pain Threshold: 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?

Other Character Options
     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 and 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.)

Other Character Traits

Advantages
     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 pruchased at creation.
     Attractive Appearance: The player rolls a six-sided die and
adds the result to the character's Looks Attribute Rating. This
advantage costs 3 points, regardless of what the player rolls.
     Busty (women only): The character has a chest that reminds
on-lookers of Dolly Parton. This advantage provides a -1 modifier
on Seduction attempts, and a +2 penalty to Dodging. This advantage
costs 2 points.
     Eye-Hand Coordination: Negates "called-shot" penalties while
the character is using ranged weapons. This advantage costs 7
points.
     High Pain Threshold: The player may roll a six-sided die and
add the result to the character's Pain Threshold Attribute Rating.
This advantage costs 3 points, regardless of what the player rolls.
     Keen Senses: Upon making a successful Intelligence Attribute
check, the character can pick out strange sounds or smells, thus
lowering its chance of being ambushed. During sex, this advantage
lets a character know if its partner is truly being fulfilled, or
just "faking it." This advantage costs 2 points.
     Magical Ability: This advantage can purchased anytime after an
Enforcer has received a shard of the mirror: the character is
imbued with the ability to channel mysterious energies that are the
very fabric of the NUELOW reality. (Should the shard be destroyed
or removed, the character once again loses this ability.) Unlike
innately magical beings like fairies and half-fairies, Enforcers
must nurture this ability through exercises.
     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 effects 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 is
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.
     Musical Talent (Hopefuls only): Allows character to play
instruments not selected under the Skill "Play Musical Instrument"
with only +3 to the Attribute Check. Further, the character
receives a -2 bonus to any attempts at Seducing another through
music. This advantage costs 4 points.
     Robust Health: The player may roll a six-sided die and add the
result to the character's Heath Attribute Rating. This advantage
costs 4 points, regardless of what the player rolls.
     Speak with Animals: On a successful Personality Attribute
Check, the character establishes a virtual telepathic link with an
animal. The animal will, to the best of its ability, answer a
number of questions equal to the character's Personality Rating.
This ability works only with one animal type, which must be defined
at character creation. This advantage costs 5 points.
     Well-hung (men only): This character can look impressive in
tights without using a cucumber and receives -1 to Seduction
attempt rolls. This advantage costs 2 points.

Disadvantages
     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.
     Alcoholism (Intelligence-based, +2): Whenever the character is
presented with alcohol or finds itself in a stressful situation, it
needs to make a check to see if it turns to the bottle. If the
Attribute check is failed, the character drinks until it passes out
or is prevented from drinking by other characters. The alcoholic
character, however, doesn't want to be stopped. For every 30
minutes of drinking, a Health Attribute check must be made. For
each failed check, the alcohol effects the character as such:

     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.
     Chafing: The character has sensitive skin and can't wear armor
heavier than 1 point or sleep comfortably in wool blankets. The
character must also wear an additional layer of clothes before a
woolen sweater can be worn comfortably. This disadvantage is worth
5 points.
     Cowardly (Intelligence-based +1): When faced with danger, the
character must make an Attribute Check or flee. This disadvantage
is worth 3 points.
     Delicate Stomach (Health-based, +2): Most foods give the
character heartburn and/or gas, which can lead to embarrassing
social situations. Flatulence results in a +3 penalty to all social
skills and an automatic failure to Seduction attempts. This
disadvantage is worth 3 points.
     Inferiority Complex: The character feels insecure or unworthy.
Whether this comes from being weaned to early or not getting a date
to the Senior Prom is anybody's guess. The character's Personality
Attribute can't exceed 4 until the disadvantage has been "repaid,"
and all Seduction attempts are made at +2. This disadvantage is
worth 6 points. 
     Klutzy: The character's Agility can't exceed 5 until the
disadvantage has been "repaid." This disadvantage is worth 10
points.
     Sense of Honor: The character never attacks a foe who is
down, unarmed, or otherwise ill-equipped to defend itself. You
always "call out" opponents, and you never cheat at games. This
disadvantage is worth 3 points. 
     Sexual preference, animal (Intelligence-based, +1):
Self-explanatory. The character's player may choose the animal.
This disadvantage is worth 10 points. 
     Sexual preference, male or female (Intelligence-based, +2):
This is only a disadvantage if it's a same-sex preference, as
engaging in such sexual behavior is against the laws of the Ice
Queen. This disadvantage is worth 5 points. 
     Sickly: The character's Health can't exceed 4 until the
disadvantage has been "repaid." This disadvantage is worth 10
points.
     Vengeful (Intelligence-based, +5): The character wants to kill
something... anything. When the character takes damage, it must
pursue the attacker, intent on killing it, until the pursuit is
obviously hopeless. (GM's call, or another Intelligence check at
+3.)  This disadvantage is worth 3 points.

Skills
     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 Attribute 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 compliment 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.
     Climbing (Agility-based): The character can perform simple
actions such as climbing a drain pipe or a tree without needing to
make Attribute Checks. More difficult feats, such as a sheer cliff
face or an icy incline can be scaled with the proper equipment.
     Cooking (Intelligence-based): The character can prepare a
certain type of meals, as chosen by the player. A separate skill
must be purchased for each type of cuisine. A failed Attribute
Check means the meal is ill-prepared, ranging from too spicy or
bland to inedible. The GM decides how bad the meal is (based
perhaps on how badly the check was failed) and what effects it has
on the diners. (Food poisoning is a major turn-off. If the cooking
character was trying to test the adage that the way to a creature's
heart is through its stomach, any following Seduction attempt is
made with a +3 penalty to the dice roll.)
     Dancing (Agility-based): The character knows a variety of
dance styles, ranging from clogging to formal dance. (GMs may rule
that characters are familiar with dance types particular to only
one cultural group per skill slot devoted to dancing.) Characters
with this skill may apply any relevant Attribute Bonus to Seduction
attempts, if the two skills are being used in conjunction.
     Dodge Responsibility (Personality-based): The character has an
uncanny knack for talking its way out of performing duties or
chores, or for shifting blame when something goes wrong. Authority
figures on whom this skill is being used receive an Intelligence
Attribute Check, modified by the skill-user's skill bonuses, to
resist being hoodwinked. (Dodging Responsibility is a form of
subterfuge.)
     Dodging (Agility-based): This skill increases the effective
Agility Attribute Rating for purposes of dodging hand-to-hand and
ranged attacks by half (round up). Unless paired with a successful
Unarmed Combat Skill check, however, the dodging character's chance
to strike targets while dodging is also reduced by half.
     Healing (Intelligence-based): The character knows human
anatomy ("No, I'm pretty certain both feet are supposed to point in
the same direction...") and has a passing familiarity with home
remedies and bandaging wounds. A successful check will cure 2
points of non-lethal damage or 1 point of lethal damage. This may
only be attempted once on each group of wounds. (One sword wound,
one fall from a great height, etc.) The character with healing
skill may only use it to cure non-lethal damage on itself (it's
hard to treat a wound with blood spraying in one's eyes).
     Math (Intelligence-based): The character can do calculations
that exceed the number of fingers and toes it possesses, as well as
simple multiplication and division.
     Play Musical Instrument (Personality-based): This skill
enables character to play a musical instrument without embarrassing
itself, unless the Attribute Check is failed. (Then, the results
can be quite embarrassing... GMs choice.) For each instrument the
character wishes to play, it must buy a different Play Musical
Instrument skill.
     Reading/Writing (Intelligence-based): The character can read
and write a language specified by the player. A separate skill is
required for each language the character can read/write. (GMs may
choose to apply this skill toward spoken language as well, but it
is recommended that all characters get at least one spoken language
free. This is, after all, not NUELOW "Hominids!")
     Rope Use (Agility-based): The character knows how to make a
variety of knot--from bows, to slip-knots, to knots that hold
tightly. Additionally, the character may lasso cattle, horses,
people, etc. on a successful Attribute Check.
     Seduction (Looks-based): The character may attempt to use a
variety of techniques, mental and physical, to sway one or more
other characters who have even the faintest physical attraction to
the seducer to perform... uh, services and favors for it. The
nature of these services is up to the seducer. 
     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
     +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 +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.
     Set Traps (Intelligence-based): The character may set small
traps to catch game. The details of the trap is up to the
character. If the character wants to build a trap to capture an
intelligent creature, it must make an Attribute check at +2 to
construct an effective, well-concealed trap.
     Sexual Prowess (Agility-based): Self-explanatory, yes? This is
one of those rare skills where two or more characters who possess
it need to interact for maximum effectiveness. If only one of the
characters has the skill, that character will probably feel cheated
when all is said and done. It perhaps goes without saying, but
there are few skills more embarrassing to fail an Attribute check
for than Sexual Prowess. Strength modifiers may be applied to the
check at the GM's option. Possibly, a Health and/or Pain Threshold
Attribute Check might be necessary for particular strenuous,
extended or unusual bouts of whoopee. (At any rate, Strength
Ratings are used to decide who's on top if there's a dispute...) At
GMs option, characters with Sexual Prowess may subtract their
Agility Attribute bonus from attempts to resist seduction. Child
player characters should not possess this skill (unless you're
running a seriously sick game).
     Singing (Personality-based): The character can carry tune, and
quite well on a successful skill check. When used in conjunction
with Seduction and/or Play Musical  Instrument, all skill bonuses
from successful Attribute Checks may be applied to the Seduction
roll. 
     Skiing (Agility-based): This skill lets the character strap a
pair of modified boards to its feet and travel more easily on the
snow across an open area, or go flying down a steep mountainside
like suicidal maniac with boards strapped to its feet.
     Sledding (Agility-based): The character can sit on a small
wooden plank that is attached to two metal bars and hurl down a
hillside at incredible speed without being killed or serious
injured. If NUELOW was a comic strip, this is the skill that has
kept Calvin of "Calvin and Hobbes" alive. Calvin would have a Skill
Rating of 3 or 4.
     Spellcraft (Non-applicable; Enforcers only): This skill is
usable only by characters who have the Magical Ability Advantage.
It enables the character to choose the effect created by the
unleashed magical energies. If the skill is raised to Level 4, the
character may cause two magical effects per round, on two different
targets if desired. Attribute checks mentioned under Magical
Ability still apply.
     Unarmed Combat (Agility-based): The character is familiar with
one or more martial arts styles. Fairies with this skill generally
practice a form of judo: on a successful Attribute Check the fairy
chooses either to place the opponent in a hold or throw him. A
hold, at the performing character's choosing, can either do 1 point
of non-lethal damage or no damage. A throw does 1 point of lethal
damage. Enforcers always do damage with their Unarmed Combat roll,
punching for 1 point non-lethal damage with a bare fist, or two
points lethal damage with a spiked gauntlet.
     Weapons Use (Variable): Each weapons skill must be bought
separately. See "Equipment" for available weapons, and the
Attribute checked for their usage's. Each additional level
purchased in a Weapons Use category, give the character -1 on
to-hit checks.
     Wilderness Survival (Intelligence-based): This skill permits
the character to stay alive longer in harsh terrain than characters
who don't have this skill. For characters native to Hansland (if
the optional exposure rules are used), this skill means a
character needs a to roll a Health Attribute check every hour
instead of every 30 minutes spent in harsh weather, and that damage
taken is reduced by one point if a successful skill check is made.
     Wrestling (Agility-based): The character is familiar with
techniques that will hold a target that is successfully hit in
place. The wrestler can choose to pin a target in place or tear a
small object (jewelry, a piece of clothing) from the target's body.
(Thus, this skill might be applicable to sexual situations.) The
target may not attack while held, but may try to squirm free on a
successful Agility check at +2. The target may, of course, attack
at will if the wrestler chose not to hold it.

COMBAT
     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...

Basics
     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:

     1. In hand-to-hand (or kick) combat, the character with the
highest Personality score acts first.
     2. Characters who are using a ranged, non-weapon attack.
(Seduction attempts, etc.)
     3. Characters who are on sleds, but not in combat.
     4. Characters moving on foot, but not in combat.
     5. Characters wielding medium ranged weapons.
     6. Characters wielding large ranged weapons.
     7. Characters who are riding and engaged in combat.
     8. Characters using small melee weapons.
     9. Characters who are riding, but attacking a target on foot.
     10. Characters using large melee weapons.
     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.   

Movement
     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...  

Expanded Movement Rules
     "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 effect 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."

Attacking
     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 Location     Extra 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.

Attacking with Ranged Weapons
     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
Bowie 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.

EQUIPMENT
     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).

Weapons
     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. Numbers in parentheses are 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/l 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 agaist these weapons. Damage goes
straight to the character.

Armor
     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.

Magical Items
     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.
     Flying Trunk: This trunk can carry two adult humans or three
child-sized humanoids, and flies with roughly the same speed as a
galloping horse. It will take the character who claims it as its
property to whatever location that the owner can visualize.
     Glass of Distortion: This item is closely tied to the Hansland
campaign setting. Created by a powerful sorcerer whose name has
been lost in the passage of time, this item was to reveal all that
was bad and ugly about that which was viewed through it. The glass
was shattered, and fragments scattered throughout the NUELOW
multiverse. Some shards were the size of windows, while others are
minuscule splinters. The fragments of this mirror have been
collected by the Ice Queen, and she uses them to empower and
control her minion by inserting them in their hearts or eyes.
Characters who have a fraction of the mirror inserted into them
lose all emotions, pity and passion, becoming consumed by a hatred
for all that is beautiful and vibrant; they become Enforcers. The
shard of the Glass of Distortion can only be driven out of the
character by reawakening the character's passion for life. Kay, the
primary servant of the Ice Queen and the center of her power in
Hansland, has a splinter of this mirror in one of his eyes. The
removal of this splinter will break the eternal winter. (See the
NPC Descriptions under "Hansland: An 'Ugly Ducklings and Ice
Queens!' Campaign Setting.)
     Ointment of Fond Wishes: Created by the Companions (see the
monster description), this odorless ointment comes in flasks with
six applications. The companion who created the ointment, or the
orphan it has chosen to protect, can rub it on a surface or a
person and repair damage and injury. In rare cases, it can be used
to transform a person or item into someone or something entirely
different. The ointment only works if the benefit in using it is
wider than personal gain.
     Tinderbox: This ordinary-looking tinderbox can light fires as
any other, but for each time it is used, it summons an eye dog (see
the Monster Description for details). The dog performs a service
for the holder of the tinderbox, using its magical abilities to
their full potential. The tinderbox works three times, summoning
each size eye dog once, before it vanishes with the last one to
their secret cave.
     
Other Stuff
     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
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
Aquavit        Used to get pissed            varies    1s/bottle

Services and Other Expenses
Bath           How to stop smelling          Q         1s
**Doctor Visit How to cure injuries          Q         1g
Hotel, Average Where to sleep                Q         4s/night
Meal, Cheap    How to fill the stomach       Q         2s/meal
Rooming House  Where to sleep and eat        Q         1g/week
Shave and a Haircut  How to look sharp       Q         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.

Creatures of "Ugly Ducklings and Ice Queens!"
     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. 

     Bandits: These violent cut-throats dwell in tent villages
scattered throughout the icy wastes. They are encountered in groups
numbering an amount rolled on three six-sided dice. One member of
such groups has a Looks Rating of 7 and a Personality Rating of 8.
Average bandits have the following statistics: Str: 6, Agl: 9, Lks:
4, Itl: 5, Per: 5, Hth: 7, Pth: 7.
     Child, average: This is a citizen of Hansland, roughly 9-14
years old. Children have genetic advantages as appropriate to their
species (if non-human), so the GM needs to modify these average
Attribute Ratings as appropriate. They may also have one skill and
one or two advantages or disadvantages. Str: 3, Agl: 6, Lks: 5,
Itl: 4, Per: 5, Hth: 4, Pth: 5.
     Companion: These rare magical beings serve as guardians for
orphans who have been forced to travel the roads of the lands by
their circumstances. The Companion brings its considerable magical
power and supernatural insight to bear in non-stop efforts to bring
the orphan's wishes and dreams within the child's reach. The nature
of the orphan's wishes do not matter to a Companion, so they can be
found assisting individuals who range from kindhearted to outright
fiendish. All Companions have the Magical Ability Advantage and
Spellcraft at Skill Level 4. Other skills may be assigned at the
GM's leisure. Further, they are the only beings who know the secret
of the Ointment of Fond Wishes (see description under "Magical
Items" for details). Str: 6, Agl: 8, Lks: 7, Itl: 9, Per: 8, Hth:
7, Pth: 10.
     Damsel  in Distress: This NPC is a displaced princess, the
long-lost daughter of a wealthy merchant, or a step-child suffering
under the yoke of an evil guardian. She is dressed in little more
than filthy rags, but might promise the PCs great rewards if they
help her. Str: 3, Agl: 9, Lks: 9, Itl: 4, Per: 5, Hth: 6, Pth: 3.
     Death: It is unsure whether this is a race of beings or a
single supernatural entity. It or they, sometimes appear to a
character who is dying alone. It looks like a white shadow of the
dying person, and claims the four things dearest to the character,
three pieces of property and, finally, the character's life. The
song of a nightingale is the only known way to keep Death from its
chosen victim. Str: 10, Agl: 10, Lks: 1, Itl: 10, Per: 1, Hth:
Unlimited, Pth: Unlimited.
     Enforcer, average: These characters serve as the Ice Queen's
eyes, ears, and strong-arm among the common Hanslandians. They are
dedicated to the extermination of the Hopeful, and possibly player
characters should the GM require it. Str: 10 , Agl: 7, Lks: 6, Itl:
7, Per: 5, Hth: 7, Pth: 9.
     Eye Dogs: These magical hounds come in three varieties: small,
medium, and large. The small dog has eyes the size of tea-cups; the
medium has eyes the size of saucers; and the large has eyes the
size of XXX. They dwell in an underground cave, and are summoned by
the magical Tinderbox. (See the description of this item under
"Equipment" for further information.) Each dog has the Magical
Ability Advantage and Spellcraft at Skill Level 2. The following
statistics are for all three dogs, small/medium/large. Str: 3/6/9,
Agl: 7/10/13, Lks: 5/4/3, Itl: 4/4/4, Per: 3/3/3, Hth: 5/7/9, Pth:
7/8/9. They bite for 1/3/5 points of lethal damage, respectively.
     Flowerpeople: These tiny humanoids are roughly the side of an
adult human's thumb. They live in gardens and flower patches
throughout the world, mostly unseen. They have the ability to talk
to plants. Flowerpeople are rare in Hansland, limited mostly to
greenhouses. Str: 1, Agl: 6, Lks: 7, Itl: 5, Per: 8, Hth: 4, Pth:
5.
     Hag: Appearing like an ancient woman who is either like
hideously obese or skeletally thin, the one unmistakable feature of
these evil creatures is that their lower lip is so long it rests
upon their breasts. All hags have the Magical Ability Advantage,
and there is a one-in-six chance a Hag has Spellcraft at Skill
Level 1. They attack with magic or with their fists, doing damage
as per the rules mentioned on Strength. Str: 8, Agl: 4, Lks: 2,
Itl: 6, Per: 3, Hth: 10, Pth: 10.
     Hanslandian: These are the average citizens of Hansland; pale,
apathetic and hopeless creatures who just go through the motions of
life. GMs should select appropriate Advantage, Disadvantages, and
Skills for major Hanslandian NPCs (such as the mentor or a child
player character). Str: 4, Agl: 5, Lks: 4, Itl: 5, Per: 3, Hth: 5.
Pth: 6.
     Horse, draft: This beast pulls the carts and large sleighs
that Hanslandians use to transport themselves and their belongings
and goods. Draft horses kick for 3l/1nl. Str: 12, Agl: 8, Lks: 5,
Itl: 2, Per: 2, Hth: 11, Pth: 11.
     Nightingale: Beloved by all except the most vile creatures,
this bird is reputed to have the most beautiful voice in all of
creation. Additionally, its song is a deterrent to the creature
called Death. They exist only in captivity in Hansland, because of
the harsh winter. Str: 1, Agl: 9, Lks: 5, Per: 2, Hth: 3, Pth: 4.
     Raindeer: These animals are herded by nomadic Hanslandians,
and serve as a source of income and food. Reindeer can kick for
1l/2nl. Str: 7, Agl: 8, Lks: 6, Itl: 2, Per: 2, Hth: 10, Pth: 9.
     Wolves: This predator is hated and feared, but is simply
misunderstood. Wolves will leave the player characters alone,
unless harassed first. Wolves bite for 2l. Str: 5, Agl: 7, Lks: 4,
Itl: 3, Per: 4, Hth: 6, Pth: 8.

HANSLAND: AN "UGLY DUCKLINGS AND ICE QUEENS!" CAMPAIGN SETTING
     "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 pleasent 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

Important Non-player Characters
     GERDA: Str: 4, Agl: 7, Lks: 8, Itl: 6, Per: 5, Hth: 6, Pth: 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.

KAY: Str: 2, Agl: 6, Lks: 5, Itl: 4, Per: 3, Hth: 4, Pth: 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.
     ICE QUEEN: Str: 9, Agl: 10, Lks: 13, Itl: 12, Per: 8, Hth: 14,
Pth: 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 have 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.

Optional Exposure Rules
     The constant frigid weather of Hansland can be a bigger threat
to player characters than a hoard 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.

ADVENTURES FOR "UGLY DUCKLINGS AND ICE QUEENS!"
     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.





NL03: USENET VERSION
This text is Copyright Steven Miller, 1994.  All Rights Reserved.