KARANDUUN “They shall arrive when God dies and Heaven is destroyed. Their Names shall be heralded by exploding suns and falling stars. Moons shall in their wake, and the seas reach up to touch the hems of their clothing. They shall wield the Spear of Lies, they shall brandish the Armor of Despair, and they shall cut themselves with the all-bleeding Sword of Hatred. They shall burn brightly, a bonfire against the death of the universe, which brought about by false love and destructive hope. They shall arrive when the Universe is a corpse, and against its silence, they shall make noise.” -AHele to the Damned, Verse 2, Stanza 3 God is dead, Heaven is ruined. The Multiverse is doomed to death, but in its last gasps, it was a beautiful thing. In immortal speeches, in broken tongues, the Karanduun stand aloft. But what is the Karanduun, but a liar and an unfaithful wretch who clawed his way to the title with untruths? Signified by infernal halos, wielding weapons that dare go against the Saint Trinity. The deeds of the Karanduun stand as a bright light cast upon a fading shadow, never to be remembered. But maybe, in the dying throes of the universe, you will burn brightly, a final testament to might and majesty. Shall we begin, and make God Bleed? WHAT IS KARANDUUN? Karanduun is a heroic fantasy RPG about struggling to become heroes in a ruined heaven. Use this RPG to play as beginning heroes eventually growing into larger-than-life heroes living in a weird, multiversal fantasy world. Use this to run wuxia games, with Gahum as Qi, or anime shounen games where a character’s passions are turned into pure soulpower. Karanduun’s own setting, Paraiso, is the seventh layer of the Multiverse, once barred to all save for the Lord Creator, but now open to all creatures after the Deicide caused by the Saint Trinity. Due to this, creatures and be- ings of all forms have erupted from here to create new devil societies on the corpse of heaven. But the universe is dead, and its silence is inevitable. The setting is embedded and inspired by Filipino Myth and Folklore, both Precolonial and Postcolonial. You begin as just a bit stronger than the normal person living in Paraiso, with the ability to harness Gahum, the Dead God Breath. You must claw your way up in power to become a Karanduun, an epic hero figure worthy of song, or die trying. Probably multiple times. If you want to play a relatively rules-lite game about facing deadly chal- lenges and eventually becoming strong enough to defeat it in a world that has ended and will only vanish eventually, perhaps you will like Karan- duun. WHAT DO YOU PLAYING THE DO? GAME As an aspirant Karanduun want- The game has simple rules, and it ing to make a mark on this ruined hinges on a single thing: the conver- heaven, you hunt and kill adver- sation between the Player (most of saries, go out on adventures, delve the players playing around the table into places filled with rich treasure, roleplaying as a character) and the scour the wilderness, eat raw livers, Arbiter (the guy that arbitrates and and collect heads. All of this accrue facilitates the game, makes rulings, Alimaduan--soulstuff--which you and roleplays as all the other Non- use to strengthen yourself physi- Player Characters one is bound to cally, mentally, and spiritually.All to face in the broken world of Paraiso) achieve that holy sobriquet, Karan- about what your character is doing duun, and with it, the prestige to in the world the Arbiter made. change the world. The three pillars The Players play as Characters in a of Karanduun are as follows: world run and facilitated by the Arbiter. ◆ Adventure - “It is not fit for a Datu not to venture.” You must travel TESTING FATE: ROLLING across the multitudes of lands and seas and skies of Paraiso (and THE DICE maybe other lands as well) to search To begin play, you will need a for glory or wealth or love or more. number of six-sided dice, hence- ◆ Conquer - “Only when even the forth noted as d6. Around 6 or more mountains bow at my feet will I be sat- should do for each side. isfied.” Conquer challenges, risks, Then, when the Arbiter should call people and empires. Travel the war- for a roll (and only the Arbiter torn dimension of Paraiso, split into should ever call for a roll, a player’s 9 nation-mandalas all under three job is simply to narrate and say major Empires, all not yours, all ex- what the actions of his character are) isting to oppress you. Conquer to be the Arbiter will usually say which free. Trait is being tested. You pick a ◆ Collect- “Until Heaven is at the number of d6s equal to that trait’s palm of my hand.” Collect all the trea- rating, and then you roll all the dice sures and glories you can find as together. Eachd6thatcomesupas4,5, they directly feed you power, and or 6 is counted as a Hit, and every d6 make you stronger, and bring you thatcomesupas1,2,or3isaMiss. ever closer to the unachievable goal AnArbiter sets how difficult an ac- of becoming a Karanduun. tion is. There are three difficulties: ◆ Shine - “Rage against the dying Risky, Heroic, and Legendary. The Ar- light.” Heaven is ruined, and the biter will usually tell you what the Multiverse is dead. We are all walk- difficulty of an action will be before ing on a mangled corpse, spiralling rolling for it. into oblivion. But perhaps, in its fi- Most rolls are Risky tests are al- nal breaths, it was a glorious shout ways actions with consequences or into the dying night. have doubtful outcomes. Risky . needs at least 1 Hit to be considered a partial success,and2Hitstobea full success. Other rolls areHeroic , these are mandment:Thou Shalt Kill. This tests that would be difficult even to measures a Karanduun’s combat those that can manipulate Gahum. skill and acuity when in conflict or Heroic needs at least 2 Hits to be danger. This is tested for all forms of partial, and 3 Hits to be a full suc- attacks: from unarmed to ranged cess. fighting, as well as places of physi- Some rolls areLegendary, these are cal exertion, such as pushing boul- tests that would be difficult even for ders, carrying ships, and destroying the greatest of warriors and heroes. gates. Legendary tests need at least 3 Hits to Rebellion is Batala’s Fifth Com- be considered a partial success, and mandment: Thou shalt steal. Steal 4 Hits to be a full success. from the law you free will. This If you don’t get the required num- measures a Karanduun’s criminal ber of Hits for a success, you failed, instinct or ability to deal in things the roll is a failure. You don’t get not looked upon by most moral what you want and an ( interesting) standards, as well as general forms consequence befalls you. of athletecism, itself a form of rebel- lion against the earth. This is tested AIDING when stealing, sneaking away, pick- Another Player Character can also ing locks, killing without being Aid you when you are rolling for an seen, leaping, acrobatics, and keep- action that they can help in.When ing alert for dangers. another Character describes how Scholarship is Batala’s First Com- they aid you to the Arbiter and the mandment:Thou shalt covet what oth- Arbiter agrees, add +1d to your ers have. Gain knowledge through roll. others. This measures a Karan- duun’s ability to learn, logic and RULE OF COOL reasoning, and occult understand- Burning brightly against the dying ing. This is tested for puzzles, un- night requires extraordinary people derstanding The Secret, and unafraid to be bold and attempt academia. larger-than-life things. Presence is Batala’s Eight Com- Rule of Cool, or RoC, is the act of mandment: Thou shalt take my name describing any action cool enough in Vain, and make it yours. Your pres- that the Arbiter or the entire table ence shall match God’s. This mea- goes “Damn, that’s cool.” If the Ar- sures a Karanduun’s natural biter says it’s cool, add +1d to your magnetism, ability to maneuver so- roll. If the entire table does, add cial situations, ability to appeal to +2d. When you use Rule of Cool, people, and their inherent ability to you’re RoCing. lead. This is tested for social en- counters, public speaking, influenc- THE FIVE CHARACTER ing other people, or persuasion. TRAITS Spirit is Batala’s Tenth Command- In Karanduun, there are five traits ment: Thou shalt have other gods before each one important in their own me. The multiverse is filled with right, representing the prescribed powerful spirits. This measures a ways of living according to Batalang how close and intimate a Karan- Maykapal. Each Attribute goes from duun is to spirits, both other spirits 1 to 5. and his own. Combat is Batala’s Seventh Com- This attribute is important for con- Gahum can be Spent or Commit- versing with such spirits and gods. ted. Spending means that you This is tested during actions spend that Gahum and it is gone. wherein one needs to control their Committed means you can invest own soul, resist horrible, debilitat- your Gahum into something for a ing effects, or converse with the stated length of time, after which cryptic alien mentality of the spirits the Gahum returns to you.