[Dragon Forest]

K. Vito, 2016 [email protected] 04/05 edit

2 I. THE BASICS The Players Characters

This is a game intended to be played with 5-6 players Each player besides the GM creates a controls one Core Concepts: including one special player called a Game Master or GM. character called a hero. The purpose of this game is to generate an emergent narrative about those characters • Players The Game Master and their adventures. In addition to their hero, the • Game Master Historically, the role of the game master derives from players may also control a number of other characters • Characters that of the referee in the olden times of free Kriegspiel. called survivors. Survivors serve the heroes as loyal • Components There was a time in the infancy of role-playing games companions in exchange for protection. • Dice Rolls where players were divided into mutually antagonistic The GM controls all other characters in the game. • Abilities teams representing warring forces of chaos and law with Monsters are hostile characters that combat the heroes. • Levels a referee between them to adjudicate the rules, but Servants are neutral or benign characters, such as shop- • Bonuses the antagonistic role was consolidated with that of the keepers or rumor-mongers. Servants will usually aid the • Penalties referee, giving rise to the “dungeon master” or “game heroes in some way, though they may also hinder in • Scenes master”. small ways other than outright aggression. • Phases • Skills • Spells • Doom • Heroism • Dark Gifts • Redemptions

3 Game Components Playing in Bars Mood Music Players will require these gaming books, copies of the If you are playing this game in a bar, cafe, or any other When used correctly, appropriate music can be used to character sheets, and a set of specialty gaming dice to place where table space is limited or chaotic, you may get players into the right mindset for this game. play. not have room to draw out formal maps of terrain and Keep the music at a low volume so that players can hear you may not have any miniature figurines available to one another. Specialty gaming dice used here are the same used use as tokens. It is possible to represent terrain and Select music that blends into the background in most tabletop roleplaying games: d4, d6, d8, d10, character placement with some improvisation. without distracting the players. Avoid overly familiar d12, and d20. Like other tabletop roleplaying games the Any small object may be used as a token to music and music with distracting lyrics. dice are noted in the rules as ‘d’ (for die) followed by an represent creatures as long as all the players agree on it. Try not to divide your attention by fiddling with playlists integer for the number of faces on the die. In the past I myself have used caps and small gachapon too much during game time. toys purchased from nearby 7-Elevens. I personally favor the drone genre performed by Players will also require pencils, erasers, scratch Instead of measuring out movement in spaces on such bands as Earth, Sun O))), and Boris. I listened to paper, graphing paper or a dry erase pad for drawing a grid, you may measure out movement in inches or this music a lot while writing this game, and I would maps, and miniature figurines or other tokens to centimeters. This requires you to have a ruler handy. highly recommend listening to it while playing this game. represent the positions of characters on their maps. If you do not have a ruler handy, you may use a dollar I also listened to a lot of visual kei bands while bill instead; dollar bills are roughly six inches, or 15.5 writing this game, including Dir En Grey, Girugamesh, I recommend playing in a player’s home if space centimeters. If you take inches to represent spaces of Malice Mizer, and Gazette (you will find references to and conditions permit. Gaming stores can also make for movement, then one dollar bill represents complete these bands in the random name generation table found good venues for play. Most of the gaming groups I played running movement for an unencumbered character with toward the end of the character creation chapter.) You with in South Korea met and played in coffee shops and a speed of 6. It doesn’t have to be perfectly accurate as may find these bands suitable for your game’s playlist as bars; these can make for fun and interesting alternatives long as everybody agrees that it’s good enough. well. to living rooms and game-store tables. You can use the space you are playing on, more or An appropriate playlist for this game would also less as it is, to represent the terrain. You can use glasses, include black metal, doom metal, and various movie I also recommend that the players chip in for cans, bottles, ash trays, peanut bowls, or anything else sountracks from such films as Conan the Barbarian, beverages, non-messy snacks, and napkins. you have on hand to represent obstacles. You can lay out Akira, or King Kong. napkins, coasters, cigarettes, or anything else you might have on hand to represent other types of terrain. Take care that nobody spills their drinks!

4 Rolling Dice Combat Rolls Take Ten Whenever the results of a character’s actions are in When you are rolling to attack or to perform certain You may choose to set your d20 die at a result of 10 question, such as when attacking an enemy, make a roll. other actions in combat, it’s a combat roll. The relevant instead of rolling during non-combat scenes, as long as A roll [1d20 + Level + Ability + Bonus] where ability is ability will be one of your five combat abilities: Physical the GM feels that it is appropriate. whichever ability score is most relevant to the situation, Attack, Magic Attack, Fortitude, Reflex, or Will. The DC and compare the total to a DC, or Difficulty Class, set by is set by one of your target’s defenses: Armor Defense, Random Tables the GM. If your total roll is equal to the DC or greater, Fortitude Defense, Reflex Defense, or Will Defense. Whenever you are presented with a numbered list or the action is successfull. Otherwise, the action fails. table, you have the option to either select the option you Damage Rolls like, roll for a random selection, or roll and fudge the Noncombat Rolls When you make an attack roll, roll your damage dice for result. When you are rolling for an action other than an attack, that attack at the same time (damage dice are ranked it’s usually a noncombat roll. The relevant ability will be from d4 to d12 according to your equipped weapon and Rounding one of your six basic abilities: Strength, Constitution, implement. Damage dice scale according to your level.) Whenever you are in a position of having to round, such Dexterity, Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma. If your attack hits, the target takes damage equal to your as when an effect tells you to halve a bonus to a die roll, The GM sets the difficulty class, or DC, according to the damage dice total. always round down. difficulty of the action. Damage by Level Difficulty Class Weapon 1 2 3 4 5 6 Easy; DC 8 Unnarmed d4 d6 d6 d8 d8 d10 Moderate; DC 12 Off-Hand d6 d8 d8 d10 d10 d12 Difficult; DC 16 One-Hand d8 d8 d10 d10 d12 d12 Very Difficult; DC 20 Two-Hand 2d8 2d8 2d10 2d10 2d12 2d12 Magic 1 2 3 4 5 6 Implement 2d4 1d4 3d6 2d6 1d6 3d8 1d6 2d6 1d8 2d8

5 Abilities Level Advantage Abilities are statistics common to all characters (heroes, Each character has a level ranked from 1 to 6. Levels are When you are in a situation where GM judges that NPC’s, and monsters alike). added to all d20 rolls in addition to abilities. you have advantage on a roll (usually because of advantageous positioning in combat) add a +2 bonus to • There are six basic abilities (Strength, Constitution, Bonuses & Penalties the roll. Dexterity, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma) that Bonuses and penalties are additional adjustments added are usually added to d20 rolls for basic skills and other to d20 rolls in addition to abilities and levels when effects noncombat actions. call for it. • There are five combat abilities (Fortitude, Reflex, Will, Physical Attack, and Magic Attack) derived from the • Bonuses are positive (+n) additions while penalties are basic abilities and used for combat skills. negative (-n). • Add only one bonus to each roll. When you add a bo- • Strength; Climb, Leap, Swim, Fortitude, Physical nus to a roll, you can’t add that same bonus to anoth- Attack, Encumbrance er roll until the beginning of your next turn. This ap- • Constitution; Hold Breath, Fortitude, Magic Attack, plies to both attack rolls and damage rolls. Need • Penalties are different; as this game is designed to be • Dexterity; Balance, Disable, Fall, Hide, Sneak, Reflex, rather unforgiving, there is no limit to the number of Physical Attack times you can add a penalty to a roll during a given • Intelligence; Identify, Stabilize, Reflex, Magic Attack, round. Fortunately, like bonuses, they do not stack; Languages only apply the worst penalty to your roll. • Wisdom; Awareness, Detect, Scout, Will, Physical attack, Sadness • Charisma; Will, Magic Attack, Followers

6 Doom Roleplaying Doom Behind the Scenes: Doom Each hero has a pool of doom points. This is not a Is doom an abstract, or “dissasociated” mechanic? Well, The purpose of doom points is to serve as an inversion of resource that the players have to spend on things not any more than experience points I would say. Doom the traditional experience point system used in so many favorable to themselves, but a currency the GM has to points are a mechanism for character advancement roleplaying games since the very beginning of the hobby. spend on monsters and unfortunate circumstances for and pacing with an unusual flavor. The narrative behind In the experience point system you start off at the players. them is as sketchy and broadly-painted as many of the level 1 with 0 experience points. You gain levels by illustrations found in this document. accumulating experience points. You usually gain • A hero’s doom pool is the number of doom points they If you would prefer a more specific narrative for experience points by killing monsters and completing start out with at each level, and the maximum number doom points, try picturing them as bad karma or black quests. of doom points they can accumulate. marks of past sins. Whenever the GM spends your doom The doom point system is a reversal of the • A hero’s doom score is the number of doom points points, think of that as your character paying for their experience point system. You start out with many doom they have currently. sins. Divine bings take the stains of past wickedness points, and you are trying to get rid of them. Doom away from you, and give you pain and suffering in points are not a resource you spend to become more The GM may spend one or more doom point from each exchange. That’s what doom points are. powerful, but are instead a resource that the GM spends hero active in the scene whenever one of the following to send monsters after you. You are only able to gain events is triggered: levels after you have lost all your doom points, and even then you must refresh your pool of doom points to do so! • A hero provokes violence The purpose of this inversion is to frame the tone • The heroes enter dangerous territory of the game. The experience point mechanic encourages • A hero performs a heinous act advancement through acquisition and thus sets a tone • A hero performs a foolish act of bloody conquest. The doom point mechanic is to • A hero breaks the restrictions of their Redemption encourage advancement through endurance and set a tone of bitter survival in a hostile world. Doom points spent in this way are used to:

• Initiate combat scenes and chase scenes • Add monsters and hazards to scenes • Activate the monster’s spells.

7 Dark Gifts Gaining Doom Each hero may have up to three dark gifts. Dark gifts If players wish to activate their spells, but they do not are powerful skills with curse effects. When triggers and have any hero points they spend, they may instead pay requirements apply, the GM may spend a hero’s doom the spell’s activation cost by adding a doom point to their points to activate their curse effects. doom total. This option can’t be use of the player’s doom score is equal to their doom pool or greater. Redemptions Each hero may have up to three redemptions. Each Gaining Levels redemption has a geas and a restriction. Heroes subtract Each hero starts with a level of one, and can rise up to a one point from their doom score at at the end of each maximum of six. scene for every geas they triggered during that scene, When a hero’s doom score equals 0, they may choose to and gain that many hero points. The GM may spend gain a level during preplay or as a free action during a doom points whenever a hero breaks their restriction. rest scene. If they do so, they refresh their doom score up to their doom pool. Hero Points Each hero gains one hero point at the beginning of each game session. Heroes also gain a hero point at the end of each scene for every geas they triggered during that scene. Players may spend hero points during their turn to do one of the following:

• Activate a spell • Reroll a die if they didn’t like the result • Take one additional major, move, or minor action

8 Scenes Preplay Phase This game is broken up into discrete scenes and phases Preplay refers to the time before game sessions. The that should come together to form an emergent narrative players should use this time to create or update their and a cohesive gameplay experience. characters. The GM should use this time to gather their Generally, a scene is any portion of the game where materials, create monsters, draw maps, and devise ideas players roleplay characters and tell a story, whereas for the game session. phases are used simply for the game’s procedures and preparation for scenes. Setup Phase Setup phases precede each scene. Different kinds of • Preplay Phase scenes will call for different kinds of setup procedures • Setup Phase in order to prepare for the scene. The GM and players • Cleanup Phase use this time to gather their materials and make the • Exposition Scene necessary preparations. • Exploration Scene • Combat Scene Cleanup Phase • Rest Scene Cleanup phases are performed after each scene. Players • Denouement Scene should help the GM to neatly put away materials used in • Postplay Phase the scene in preparation for the next scene.

Postplay Phase The players should update their character sheets as appropriate, then help the GM to put the game away. Dice and books should be packed away neatly, and the gaming space should be cleaned (put food and drinks away, wipe down the table, etc.)

9 Exposition Scenes Combat Scenes Rest Scene Exposition scenes are for introducing characters, or for Combat scenes make up the bulk of a typical game Rest scenes are scenes where players and their establishing what characters have been doing since the session. There should be two to three combat scenes characters take an intermission from the action to last game session. per game session, with the preceding scenes leading up prepare for the next scene. This is treated much like the Setup exposition phases by deciding what character will to a pivotal final combat scene against an elite or boss pre-play phase except that it occurs in the middle of a be introduced during that scene, and what challenge monster. game session. they should be faced with. Setup combat scenes by spending doom, determining a The setup and procedures for these scenes are informal. A game session should start with a separate exposition ‘key’ or objective to the fight, drawing terrain, placing phase for each hero to establish the player’s characters characters, and rolling for initiative. Conduct the combat Denouement Scene as individuals. Then there should be an exposition scene scene by taking turns moving and attacking until one Game sessions should be brought to a close with that brings the heroes together and establishes the side is destroyed or the objective is completed. a denouement scene. Setup the denouement by group dynamic. determining appropriate rewards for the the heroes including treasures and hero points. Distribute these Exploration Scenes rewards. Conduct a shared narration exploring how the Exploration scenes are used for legwork, building characters have been affected by the events of that narrative, and getting heroes from point A to point B. game session, and how they have changed since their Setup exploration scenes by first determining what kind introductory exposition scene earlier. Allude to where the of scene will follow the exploration scene; information heroes are going, and where they may find themselves in pertaining to that following scene, such as enemy the next game session if there is one. types and placement, should be hidden throughout the exploration scene. Hidden information must be uncovered through roleplay and successful use of noncombat skills.

10 Skills Actions in Combat All characters have skills presented in the following Timing; Timing tells you when you can use the skill. During your turn in combat you may use: format: • Constant; Skills with a timing of constant are always • One major action active. • One move action • Minor; Skills with a timing of minor are useable as • One minor action [Name] minor actions. • Any number of free actions Types • Move; Skills with a timing of move are useable as • One automatic action enhancing a triggering action move actions. • Major; Skills with a timing of major are useable as Outside of your turn in combat you may use: Timing: major actions. Range: • Automatic; Skills with a timing of automatic are • One reaction per round Target: triggered by your own actions. Use only one automatic • One opportunity action per turn Roll skill per triggering action. Hit: • Reaction; Skills with a timing of reaction are triggered Miss: by the actions of others. Use only one reaction skill per Effect: triggering action. • Setup; Skills with a timing of setup are useable during the setup phase at the beginning of a scene. • Scene; You may use this skill only once per scene Skill Name; This tells you the name of the skill. • Session; You may use this skill only once per game Types; These provide information at a glance and tell session. you which list the skill can be found on.

11 Target; Target tells you how many targets you may Roll; Many skills require rolls to use. If they do, this line select with each use of this skill, and of what type. will tell you what abilities to add to your d20 roll, and Range; Range tells you how close you must be to your what the DC is. target in order to use this skill. Remember that even if • Self; This skill targets you. your target is within range, you must still have line of • Single; This skill has only a single target. Hit; If the skill requires a roll to use, the Hit line tells you sight in order to target them. • [Integer]; This skill targets [n] number of enemies what to do when the roll succeeds. within range. • [Integer]; If a number is listed under range, your • (Enemy); This skill only targets enemies. • [W]; If the hit says [W], select up to two weapons target must be within that many spaces. • (Ally); This skill only targets allies. that you have equipped, roll damage for both of them, • Weapon; The target must be within your weapon’s • (All); This skill targets all valid targets. and add the totals plus bonuses to determine damage. reach or range in order to use this skill. If the skill You may use unnarmed attacks instead of equipped specifies ‘melee weapon’ or ‘ranged weapon’, you can Trigger; If this skill has a timing of Automatic or weapons; these deal [d4] damage on a hit. only use a weapon of that type. Reaction, it will have a trigger condition, such as “an • [M]; If hit says [M], it deals your equipped • Touch; You must be close enough to touch your target enemy makes an attack that doesn’t include you as a implements damage, or [3d4] damage if you don’t with a body part. This usually means being in an target.” Use a triggered skill when, and only when, the have an implement equipped. adjacent space. triggering condition applies. • Blast [X]; Your target must be within a square [X] Miss; If the skill requires a roll to use, the Miss line tells spaces tall by [X] spaces wide within range (close you what to do when the roll does not succeed. [Name] blasts are positioned so that any space in the blast Types must be adjacent to you.) Effect; A skill’s effect applies regardless of whether its • Burst [X]; Your target must be within [X] number of roll succeeds or fails. Timing: spaces of a center space in range (close bursts are Range: centered on you; you aren’t affected by your own Target: burst.) Roll Hit: Miss: Effect:

12 Basic Skills All characters possess the following basic skills: [Awareness] [Detect] [Disable] Basic Skill Basic Skill Basic Skill • Awareness • Detect Timing: Constant • Disable Timing: Setup/Major Timing: Major Range: 20 • Hide Range: 20 Range: Touch Target: All • Identify Target: All Target: Single (Object) Effect: Creatures using • Scout Roll: WIS vs. DC Roll: DEX vs. DC the Sneak and Hide skills Hit: The target is no Hit: If the target has in range must beat a DC DC, as noted in these skill descriptions, represents any longer concealed or been Identified, its of [10 + Level + WIS] to difficulty that the GM feels is appropriate based on the hidden from you. effects end. hide from you. guidelines as presented and the situation at hand.

[Hide] [Identify] [Scout] Basic Skill Basic Skill Basic Skill Timing: Setup/Move Timing: Setup/Major Range: Unlimited Range: 20 Timing: Setup Target: All Target: Single Roll: WIS vs. DC Roll: DEX vs. DC Roll: INT vs. DC Hit: Learn the number Hit: If you are Hit: Learn the target’s of enemies appearing in concealed, you become name, type, condition, this scene or the next, hidden from the target plus additional and the name of at until you attack or information. least one of them. move.

13 Basic Move Skills All characters possess the following basic move skills:

[Run] [Balance] [Climb] [Crawl] [Land] Basic Move Skill Basic Move Skill Basic Move Skill Basic Move Skill Basic Move Skill • Balance • Climb • Crawl Timing: Reaction • Land Timing: Move Trigger: You take • Leap Roll: DEX vs. DC Timing: Move falling damage • Run Hit: Move up to your Roll: STR vs. DC Timing: Move Roll: DEX vs. DC • Sneak speed through a narrow Hit: Move up to your Effect: Move a number Timing: Move Hit: You take half • Stand or unstable space speed up or down a of spaces up to your Effect: Move up to half damage. If damage = 0, • Step without falling. climbable surface. speed. your speed while prone. you do not fall prone. • Swim

[Leap] [Sneak] [Stand] [Step] [Swim] Basic Move Skill Basic Move Skill Basic Move Skill Basic Move Skill Basic Move Skill

Timing: Move Roll: STR vs. DC Hit: Move up to your speed horizontally and Timing: Move Timing: Move Timing: Move up to half your speed Roll: DEX vs. DC Effect: Move one space. Roll: STR vs. DC vertically through the air. Hit: Move up to your Timing: Move This movement does Hit: Move up to your End your movement on speed without losing Effect: If you have not trigger opportunity speed horizontally or the ground, or fall. hidden status. prone status, end it. attacks. vertically through water.

Speed; All characters have a speed of 6 by default. Prone; Prone characters can’t use any move actions except for crawl and stand unless stated otherwise. Opportunity Attacks; You trigger opportunity attacks when you move out of an enemy’s reach, unless it was a forced movement or a step. 14 Basic Combat Skills All characters possess the following basic combat skills:

• Physical Attack [Physical Attack] [Opportunity Attack] [Charge] [Bullrush] [Grab] • Opportunity Attack Basic Combat Skill Basic Combat Skill Basic Combat Skill Basic Combat Skill Basic Combat Skill • Coup de Grace Timing: Opportunity Timing: Major Timing: Major Timing: Major • Bullrush (You may use one Range: [Speed] Range: Melee Weapon Range: Touch • Charge opportunity action Target: Single Target: Single Target: Single • Equip Timing: Major per turn in addition to Effect: Move a number Roll: PHYS vs. Reflex Special: You must have • Grab Range: Weapon reactions) of spaces up to your Hit: Push the target one a free hand to use this • Escape Target: Single Trigger: An enemy in speed and no fewer than space. You may step into skill. If you have two free • Save Roll: PHYS vs. Armor reach does one of the two spaces; every space the vacated space. hands, add a +1 bonus • Sing Hit: [W] damage following: you move must bring to the roll. • Stabilize • Move out of your you closer to your target. Roll: PHYS vs. Reflex reach [Equip] [Coup de Grace] You may not charge [Escape] Hit: The target is Basic Combat Skill Basic Combat Skill • (Except by forced through difficult terrain. Basic Combat Skill grabbed by you; it movement or If you end your is restrained until it Timing: Major stepping) movement within reach, escapes, until forcefully Range: Touch • Make a non-melee, make a physical melee moved away from you, Target: Single Timing: Minor/Setup non-close attack attack or a bullrush or until you end the grab Roll: PHYS vs. Reflex Target: Self Timing: Automatic • Equip or use a non- against the target with a as a free action. You Hit: If you are grabbed Effect: Move one item Trigger: You deal at weapon item +1 bonus to the attack must stay within touch by the target, end the from your inventory or least 1 damage to an Effect: Make a physical roll. to maintain the grab. grab. the ground to an equip unconscious target melee attack against slot and/or vise versa. Effect: The target dies the triggering enemy.

Physical Melee Attack: A physical attack made with a melee weapon against a target in reach is a physical melee attack. Physical Ranged Attack: A physical attack made with a ranged weapon against a target in range is a physical ranged attack.

15 Saves Saving means rolling 1d20 without adjustments against a [Sing] DC of 11. Basic Combat Skill Timing: Minor, Scene • Roll a save once at the end of your turn to end one Range: 5 ongoing effect that a save can end. Target: Single • Roll a save once at the end of your turn while dying to Effect: Spend a song. see if you die that turn. The target regains hit • Roll a save once per round the first time you enter or points equal to half start your turn in damaging terrain to see if you take their HP maximum. damage from that terrain. effect

Songs! Each hero gets a number of songs equal to [Save] [Stabilize] [3 + Will + Level] Basic Combat Skill Basic Combat Skill Timing: Free Action to spend per game session. These refresh during (when subject to an the preplay phase, or during rest scenes narrated as effect that requires a extended rests (subject to GM judgement). save) Timing: Major Roll: -- vs. 11 (do not Range: Touch add level or any ability to Target: Single the roll) Roll: INT vs. DC Hit: End/negate the Hit: The target loses effect dying status.

16 Magic Traits Some skills are listed as spells under their type lines, Summon: Summon effects create NPC creatures under Creatures have the [Normal Vision], [Human Size] and with the word (spell) showing up again in the skill’s limi your control and place them on the battlefield in a space [Speed 6] traits by default. Other traits may be gained in parenthesis. You must either spend a hero point or of your choice. The creature’s abilities, traits are noted through class skills or dark gifts. gain a doom point to use a spell. in the skill’s description. Summoned creatures have the Spells often magic attacks and deal magic damage on a [Speed 6], [Human Sized], and [Normal Vision] traits [Normal Vision]: Creatures in in dark and dimly lit hit. Many spells have additional special effects noted in by default unless otherwise noted. Summoned creatures spaces have concealment from you. their type line and described in detail here. have all basic skills (unless otherwise noted) plus all skills noted in their description. Summoned creatures come [Human Size]: You occupy one space on the battlefield. Teleport [X]: To teleport, move directly to an unoccu- into play with a number of hit points equal to half your pied space in line of sight within X spaces of you without hit point pool. [Speed 6]: You may move up to six spaces with a run passing through the intervening spaces. This does not Summoned creatures take actions only when you com- action. trigger opportunity attacks. If a creature is grabbing or mand them to. You can command a summoned crea- grabbed by you when you teleport, you can end the grab ture to move as a free action when you move. All other [Night Vision]: You can see in the dark; creatures or bring that creature with you. actions you command cost you one action of the corre- standing in dark or dimly lit spaces don’t benefit from sponding type (for example, you can command a sum- concealment against you. Terrain: Some burst and blast spells leave persistent moned creature to attack by spending a major action.) terrain effects in the affected spaces. This changes the Summoned creatures disappear at the end of the scene. [Fly X]: You may fly instead of run. When you do, you nature of the affected terrain as described in the skill’s move up to X spaces through the air. description. If a terrain effect would deal damage to a creature entering the terrain, it deals this damage only [Large Size]: You occupy four spaces on the battlefield once per round. instead of one.

[Type Resistance X]: Subtract X from each damage die of the resisted type.

[Type Vulnerability X]: Add X to each damage die of the vulnerable type.

17 II. CHARACTER CREATION Creating your Character The very first game session of an ongoing campaign Core Concepts should be dedicated to creating characters. All the players should gather together and complete this step • Classes together so that they can ask the GM questions and • Basic Abilities bounce ideas off of one another. This should help to • Combat Abilities create a more unified group. • Skills • Dark Gifts Follow these steps to create your character: • Redemptions 1. Select primary class • Equipment 2. Select secondary class 3. Select class skills 4. Select general skills 5. Select dark gifts 6. Select redemptions 7. Allocate ability points 8. Purchase equipment 9. Fill in the details

18 Select Class Select Dark Gifts Allocate Ability Points Each character has two ‘classes’ representing heroic You may gain up to three dark gifts of your choice, or You have six basic abilities and five combat abilities archetypes. Select one class to be your primary class and none at all. Your starting doom pool is equal to [10] plus starting at a rating of +0. another to be your secondary class. You can choose the the number of dark gifts you chose. In addition to the ability bonuses granted by your choice same class twice to be both your primary and secondary of classes, you also get ten ability points to distribute class. Select Redemptions among your six basic ability scores any way you like You may gain up to three redemptions of your choice, or except that you may not raise an ability above a +5. Select Skills none at all. Each redemption you select subtracts 1 from Then calculate your combat abilities. You gain all the starting skills for both of your classes. your starting doom pool. You gain two additional skills from your primary class’ Select Equipment skill list You start with a horse, two weapons, an armor, and You gain one additional skill from your secondary class’ additional equipment of your choice appropriate to your skill list character. If you selected the same class twice, you will gain a total of three skills from that class’ skill list. You may also Fill in the Details select one additional bonus skill from that list. Name and flesh out details of your character. After that, select two more skills from the general skill list.

19 CHARACTER CLASSES Primary and Secondary Character Classes Select two character classes. You may select the same 1. Angel class twice. 2. Animist If you selected two different character classes, designate 3. Automaton one of them as the primary class and the other as the 4. Demiurge secondary class. 5. Hellion If you selected the same character class twice, your hero 6. Oracle is considered ‘single-classed’. 7. Pankrator 8. Psychopomp Ability Bonuses 9. Puppeteer Each class grants a +1 to two basic abilities and +1 to 10. Sentinel two combat abilities. Apply all of these adjustments to 11. Veteran your ability scores. The bonuses are cumulative. 12. ... Starting Skills Each class has one or two starting skills. You gain all starting skills for both of your classes. If you are single- classed, you may gain one additional skill from your class skill list and count it as a starting skill.

Class Skills You gain two skills of your choice from your primary class skill list, and one skill of your choice from your secondary class skill list. If you are single-classed, that is a total of three skills from your class skill list.

20 Angel

Basic Abilities: +1 Strength, +1 Charisma Combat Abilities: +1 Physical Attack, +1 Reflex

Starting Skills: Halo, Deus Vult Additional Skills:

[Halo] [Deus Vult] Angel Starting Skill Angel Starting Skill

Timing: Automatic, once Timing: Constant per round Effect: You cast bright Trigger: You reduce an light within [X] spaces, enemy to 0 hit points where [X] is the number with a charge attack. of songs you’ve spent Effect: Make another this game session. charge attack. 21 [Smite] [Angelic Hymn] [Aegis] [Celestial Steed] [Aspect of the Lion] [Aspect of the Bull] Angel Skill, Spell Angel Skill, Spell Angel Skill, Item Angel Skill, Item Angel Skill Angel Skill

Timing: Automatic Timing: Constant Trigger: You hit an Timing: Minor Effect: Gain a weapon enemy with an attack Range: Close burst 2 of your choice with the Effect: The attack deals Target: Single shield modification and Timing: Constant Timing: Constant additional damage equal Effect: Spend two one extra modification Effect: Replace your Timing: Constant Effect: You do not to the number of songs songs. The target gains slot. You may change normal mount with Effect: Increase your trigger opportunity you’ve spent during this one song and regains this selection during the celestial steed special speed by +2 while attacks when you game session. half their hit points. preplay phase. mount (see below). charging. charge.

[Ward Off Evil] [Searing Light] [Heavenly Choir] [Aspect of the Eagle] [Spirit Charge] Angel Skill, Spell Angel Skill, Spell Angel Skill Angel Skill Angel Skill, Spell

Timing: Constant Timing: Major Timing: Minor Timing: Minor Effect: You may fly up Effect: Make a charge Effect: Your halo gains Effect: Your halo gains Timing: Constant to your speed while attack. Teleport up to the following effect until the following effect until Effect: You may spend charging. You float safely your speed instead of the end of the scene: the end of the scene: songs instead of hero to the ground and take moving normally. The “Allies in your aura have “Enemies in your aura points to pay the cost of no falling damage at the attack deals half damage +1 to all defenses.” are blinded.” spells. end of this movement. on a miss.

Celestial Steed Special Mount Speed 12, Strength +6, Armor +3, Need +0 Special: Celestial Steed may run across water and difficult terrain as though it were normal terrain 22 Animist

Basic Abilities: +1 Intelligence, +1 Charisma Combat Abilities: +1 Magic Attack, +1 Fortitude

Starting Skills: Spirit Stone, Magic Bullet Additional Skills:

Special Rule: Stone Type Skills; Skills with the stone type can’t be used unless you have placed at least one stone on the battlefield using the spirit stone skill. All stones referenced in the skill’s description are spent as a cost to use the skill.

[Spirit Stone] [Magic Bullet] Animist Starting Skill Animist Starting Skill Stone Timing: Minor Timing: Reaction Range: 10 Trigger: An enemy Target: Unoccupied moves through a space space occupied by a stone Effect: Place a stone Range: 10 on the target. It blocks Target: Single enemy line of sight. Roll: MAG vs. Reflex Your stone limit is [Level Hit: [M] electric damage +3]. 23 [Shrine Spirits] [Power Up] [Witch’s Broom] Animist Skill Animist Skill Animist Skill, Item

Timing: Constant Timing: Constant Effect: Your stones Effect:Whenever you count as creatures for spend a stone, place a purposes of determining power-up in its space Timing: Constant flanking. Heroes may spend Effect: Replace your You may move all of power-ups in their space normal mount with your stones up to your as a free action to gain 5 witch’s broom special speed as a minor action. temporary hit points. mount (see below).

[Prismatic Attack] [Spell Bomb] [Danmaku: the Animist Skill, Spell, Stone Animist, Spell, Stone Bullet Hell] Animist Skill, Spell, Stone Timing: Major Timing: Major Range: line 10 Timing: Major Range: Close blast X. connecting each stone to Range: Close burst 1, X= the number of stones another stone centered on each stone on the battlefield Target: All (in line) Target: All Target: All Roll: MAG vs. Reflex Roll: MAG vs. Reflex Roll: MAG vs. Reflex Hit: [M] light damage Hit: [M] sonic damage Hit: [M] fire damage Miss: Half damage Miss: Half damage Miss: Half damage

Witch’s Broom Special Mount Fly 6, Strength +2, Reflex +3, Need +0 Special: You may not fly higher than [Level] spaces above the ground. 24 Automaton

Basic Abilities: +1 Dexterity, +1 Constitution Combat Abilities: +1 Physical Attack, +1 Will

Starting Skills: Wind Up Additional Skills:

[Wind Up] Automaton Starting Skill

Timing: Constant Effect: Adjacent allies may give you a wind as a minor action. Your wind limit is [1]. You may spend winds during your turn to take additional major actions. 25 [Spring Loaded] [Music Box] [Revolver] [Rapid Fire] Automaton Skill Automaton Skill, Healing Puppeteer Skill, Item Puppeteer Skill

Timing: Constant Timing: Reaction Effect: Gain a weapon Trigger: An ally gives of your choice with the you a wind. gun modification and Effect: You may spend one extra modification Timing: Constant a song. If you do, you slot. You may change Timing: Constant Effect: Your wind limit is regain up to half your HP this selection during the Effect: You can reload [Level +1]. in hit points. preplay phase. guns as a free action.

[Clockwork] [Tune Up] [Heart Key] [Spinning Jenny] Automaton Skill Automaton Skill Automaton Skill Automaton Skill

Timing: Reaction Timing: Reaction Trigger: An ally gives Trigger: An ally gives you a wind. you a wind. Timing: Constant Timing: Reaction Effect: You gain a +1 Effect:You gain a +1 Effect:Select on ally Trigger: An ally gives bonus to attacks and bonus to all defenses during the setup phase. you a wind. damage until the end of until the end of your That ally can give you a Effect:Step a number of your next turn. next turn. wind from a range of 10. spaces up to your speed.

26 Demiurge

Basic Abilities: +1 Constitution, +1 Wisdom Combat Abilities: +1 Magic Attack, +1 Fortitude

Starting Skills: Additional Skills:

[Soulforge Weapon] Demiurge Starting Skill

Timing: Constant Effect:You may roll +MAG instead of +PHYS or vise versa when you attack. You may roll [W] instead of [M] or vise versa when you hit. 27 [Mighty Hammer] [Dragon Billows] [Titan Hammer] Demiurge Skill, Item Demiurge Skill, Spell, Fire Demiurge Skill, Spell, Timing: Constant Lightning Effect: Gain a weapon of your choice with Timing: Major Timing: Major the heavy [X]* Range: Close blast 3 Range: Close blast 3 modification and one Target: All Target: All extra modification slot. Roll: +MAG vs. REF Roll: +MAG vs. REF You may change this Hit: [M] fire, and push Hit: [M] lightning, and selection during the the target one space the target falls prone. preplay phase. Miss: Half damage Miss: Half damage

[Magic Weapon] [Magic Shield] [Void Quench] Demiurge Skill, Spell Demiurge Skill, Spell Demiurge Skill, Spell, Cold Timing: Minor Timing: Minor Range: 10 Range: 10 Timing: Major Target: Single Target: Single Range: Close blast 3 Effect: Choose a damage Effect: Choose a Target: All type. The target’s weapon damage type. The target Roll: +MAG vs. REF deals damage of that type gains resistance to that Hit: [M] cold, and the +1d6 on their next attack type equal to their shield target is dazed until the before the end of your next bonus until the end of end of your next turn. turn. your next turn. Miss: Half damage

28 Hellion

Basic Abilities: +1 Strength, +1 Intelligence Combat Abilities: +1 Physical Attack, +1 Will

Starting Skills: Sneak Attack Additional Skills:

[Sneak Attack] Hellion Starting Skill

Timing: Automatic Trigger: You hit an enemy with an advantage attack Effect: The attack deals an additional 2d6 damage.

29 [Jack-O-Lantern] [Jack Frost] [Throwing Star] [Disappear in Hellion Skill, Fire Hellion Skill, Cold Hellion Skill, Item Smoke] Timing: Constant Hellion Skill, Spell Illusion Timing: Automatic Timing: Automatic Effect: Gain a thrown Trigger: You hit Trigger: You hit weapon of your choice an enemy with an an enemy with an with the unlimited advantage attack advantage attack modification and one Timing: Minor Effect: The enemy gains Effect: The enemy gains extra modification slot. Effect: You become Fire Vulnerability +1 until Cold Vulnerability +1 You may change this invisible until the end of the end of your next until the end of your selection during the the scene or until you turn. next turn. preplay phase. attack.

[Flash Fire] [Cold Snap] [Haunting Cackles] [Gone in a Flash] Hellion Skill, Fire Hellion Skill, Cold Hellion Skill, Spell Hellion Skill, Spell Healing Teleportation Timing: Automatic Timing: Automatic Timing: Minor Trigger: You hit a Trigger: You hit a Range: Melee disadvantaged enemy disadvantaged enemy Target: Single (Enemy) Effect: The attack deals Effect: The attack deals Effect: All heroes an additional 2d6 fire an additional 2d6 cold flanking the target may Timing: Move damage, and the target damage, and the target spend a song and regain Effect: Teleport a is blinded until the end of is slowed until the end of up to half their HP in hit number of spaces up to your next turn. your next turn. points. your speed.

30 Oracle

Basic Abilities: +1 Intelligence, +1 Wisdom Combat Abilities: +1 Physical Attack, +1 Fortitude

Starting Skills: Additional Skills:

[Visions] [Foresight] Oracle Starting Skill, Spell Oracle Starting Skill

Timing: Minor Range: Close burst 5 Target: Single Timing: Constant Effect: The target may Effect:You and all allies spend a song to regain have a +2 skill bonus to up to half their HP in hit initiative. points. 31 [Guided Arrows] [Zen Archery] [Second Sight] [Time Walk] Oracle Skill Oracle Skill, Item Oracle Skill, Spell Oracle Skill, Spell

Timing: Constant Timing: Minor Effect: Gain a weapon Range: 10 of your choice with the Timing: Minor Target: Single (Ally) bow modification and Range: 10 Effect:If the target is Timing: Constant one extra modification Target: Single post-action, the target Effect:Your attacks slot. You may change Effect:The target gains becomes pre-action and ignore partial cover and this selection during the [Night Vision] until the takes an additional turn partial concealment. preplay phase. end of the scene. after this.

[Clairvoyance] [Psychometry] [Alternate Reality] Oracle Skill, Spell Oracle Skill, Spell Oracle Skill, Spell Timing: Reaction Range: 10 Target: Single (Ally) Timing: Automatic Timing: Automatic Trigger: An ally rolls a Trigger: You use the Trigger: You use the die, and you don’t like scout skill. identify skill. the result. Effect:You gain a +10 Effect:You gain a +10 Effect: The ally rerolls spell bonus on this skill spell bonus on this skill the die, and keeps the roll. roll. second result.

32 Pankrator

Basic Abilities: +1 Strength, +1 Dexterity Combat Abilities: +1 Physical Attack, +1 Will

Starting Skills: Additional Skills:

[Pugilism] [Combo] Pankrator Starting Skill Pankrator Starting Skill

Timing: Automatic Timing: Constant Trigger: You grab an Effect:Gain a combo point enemy whenever you spend a Effect:Deal [unnarmed hero point to roll an attack. weapon] damage to that Unspent combo points are enemy. lost at the end of the scene. Spend a combo point to add a +1 bonus to an attack roll. 33 [Interception] [Improved [Cestus] [Leg Sweep] [Flurry of Blows] [Theme Song] Pankrator Skill Unnarmed Strike] Pankrator Skill, Item Pankrator Skill Pankrator Skill, Combo Pankrator Skill, Combo, Pankrator Skill Healing

Timing: Reaction Timing: Constant Timing: Minor Trigger: An enemy Effect: Gain a weapon Timing: Major Effect:Spend three Timing: Automatic makes an attack that Timing: Constant of your choice with the Range: Melee Weapon combo points and a Trigger: You hit an doesn’t include you as a Effect:You count gauntlet modification and Target: Variable song. Regain all of your enemy with a melee target. two levels higher for one extra modification Effect: Spend X combo hit points, and gain a +1 attack Effect:Make a grab purposes of determining slot. You may change points and make that bonus to speed and all Effect:The enemy falls attack against the [unnarmed strike] this selection during the many attacks against combat abilities until the prone. triggering enemy. damage. preplay phase. one or multiple targets. end of the scene.

[Tackle] [Drag] [Stagger] [Dim Mak] Pankrator Skill Pankrator Skill Pankrator Skill Pankrator Skill

Timing: Automatic Timing: Automatic Timing: Automatic Trigger: You hit an Trigger: You hit an Trigger: You hit an enemy with a melee enemy with a melee enemy with a melee Timing: Constant attack attack attack Effect:You may grab Effect:Step one space, Effect:The enemy is Effect:The enemy is instead of bullrush and drag the enemy into slowed until the end of dazed until the end of whenever you charge. the vacated space. your next turn. your next turn.

34 Puppeteer

Basic Abilities: +1 Dexterity, +1 Charisma Combat Abilities: +1 Magic Attack, +1 Fortitude

Starting Skills: Additional Skills:

Marrionette Speed 6, Night Vision, Construct HP: Equal to half of yours Basic Abilities: Same as yours [Summon Combat Abilities: Same as yours, except that its Marrionette] physical attack becomes equal to your magic attack if Puppeteer Starting Skill, Summon your magic attack is higher Skills: Same as yours Weapon: Unnarmed Summoned; Marrionette acts on your initiative count. Timing: Setup It has no actions of its own, except that you can Range: 5 command it can take a move action as a free action Effect:You summon a when you take a move action. Otherwise, you may marrionette creature. Its command Marrionette to take any other action by level is equal to yours. spending an action of that type. 35 [Scissors] [No Strings on Me] [Bind] [Spider’s Kiss] Puppeteer Skill, Item Puppeteer Skill Puppeteer Skill, Spell Puppeteer Skill, Spell Timing: Constant Effect: Gain a weapon Timing: Major Timing: Major of your choice with Range: Range 10 Range: Range 10 the separating Target: Single Target: Single modification and one Timing: Constant Roll: MAG vs. REF Roll: MAG vs. Fort extra modification slot. Effect: You may Hit: [M] damage and the Hit: [M] poison damage, You may change this continue to control target is slowed (save and the target is dazed selection during the Marrionette, even while ends). (save ends). preplay phase. you are unconscious. Miss: Half damage Miss: Half damage

[Voodoo Doll] [Forest Dance] [Manipulate] Puppeteer Skill Puppeteer Skill, Spell Puppeteer Skill, Spell

Timing: Reaction Timing: Major Trigger: You take Range: Range 10 damage Target: Single Timing: Move Effect: Reduce the Roll: MAG vs. WILL Range: 10 damage by half. Hit: The target makes a Target: Self or Ally Marrionette takes physical attack against a Effect: Marrionette and that same amount of target of your choice. your target both fly up to damage. Effect: Slide the target their speed. up to its speed.

36 Psychopomp

Basic Abilities: +1 Constitution, +1 Intelligence Combat Abilities: +1 Magic Attack, +1 Will

Starting Skills: Name on the List Additional Skills:

[Name on the List] Listed Psychopomp Starting Skill You know the names and conditions of all creatures Timing: Minor you have listed. The first Range: 10 time a listed creature Target: Single takes damage each round, Effect:The target is starting after you list them, listed by you until it dies that creature takes an or until the end of the extra 2d6 damage. scene. Your listed limit = [1]. 37 [Long List] [Shadow Cloak] [Call of the Void] [Call of the Grave] Psychopomp Skill Psychopomp Skill, Spell Psychopomp Skill, Spell, Psychopomp Skill, Spell, Psychic Poison

Timing: Major Timing: Major Timing: Minor Range: Close Burst 10 Range: Close Burst 10 Minor: You become Target: All (Listed) Target: All (Listed) invisible to all creatures Roll: MAG vs. WILL Roll: MAG vs. WILL Timing: Constant you’ve listed until the Hit: [M] psychic Hit: [M] poison Effect:Your listed limit end of your next turn or Effect: The target is Effect: The target is = [Level +1] until you attack them. blinded (safe ends). slowed (safe ends).

[Dirge] [Grim Certainty] [Finality] Psychopomp Skill, Spell, Psychopomp Skill Psychopomp Skill Healing

Timing: Reaction Timing: Constant Trigger: A creature you Effect:You know the listed dies. positions of all creatures Range: 10 Timing: Constant you’ve listed. They can’t Target: Single Effect:Listed creatures benefit from hidden or Effect: Spend a song. can’t regain hit points concealed status from The target regains all or gain temporary hit you. their hit points. points.

38 Sentinel

Basic Abilities: +1 Dexterity, +1 Wisdom Combat Abilities: +1 Physical Attack, +1 Fortitude

Starting Skills: Additional Skills:

[Guardian] [Inescapable] Sentinel Starting Skill Sentinel Starting Skill

Timing: Constant Effect: Enemies in reach trigger your opportunity attack when they make attacks that don’t include Timing: Constant you as a target. Apply Effect: Enemies in reach a -2 penalty to the trigger your opportunity triggering attacks. attack when they step. 39 [Pinning] [Set Against Charge] [Halberd] [Phalanx] [Dragon Tooth] Sentinel Skill Sentinel Skill Sentinel Skill, Item Sentinel Skill Sentinel Skill Timing: Automatic Timing: Constant Timing: Constant Timing: Constant Trigger: You spend a Effect: Enemies in reach Effect: Enemies trigger Effect: Gain a weapon hero point to make an Timing: Automatic trigger your opportunity your opportunity attack of your choice with the additional attack Trigger: You spend a attack when they stand when they charge into long modification and Effect: All allies in reach hero point to attack one up from prone. your reach. one extra modification add your shield bonus to enemy in reach slot. You may change their Armor and Reflex Effect: The attack this selection during the defenses until the end of instead targets all preplay phase. your next turn. enemies in reach.

[Opportunity Step] [Vigilance] Sentinel Skill Sentinel Skill

Timing: Constant Timing: Constant Effect: Whenever Effect: You may add you would make an both Physical Attack opportunity attack, you and Magic Attack to may step instead. opportunity attack rolls.

40 Veteran

Basic Abilities: +1 Strength, +1 Wisdom Combat Abilities: +1 Physical Attack, +1 Reflex

Starting Skills: Additional Skills:

[Heroic] Veteran Starting Skill

Timing: Constant Effect: You gain one additional hero point at the beginning of each game session. 41 [Fray] [Multi-Attack] [Family Heirloom] [Ancient Grudge] Veteran Skill Veteran Skill Veteran Skill, Item Veteran Skill Special: You can’t use this skill if you used it Timing: Constant Timing: Constant during your previous Effect: Gain a weapon Effect: Name an enemy. turn. of your choice with the You gain a +[Level] Timing: Major Timing: Major bastard modification and bonus to damage against Range: Melee weapon Range: Weapon one extra modification the named enemy. Target: 1d8 (Enemies) Target: One or two slot. You may change You may change this Effect: You deal [Level] Effect: Make two this selection during the selection during the damage to each target. physical attacks. preplay phase. preplay phase.

[Defender] [Morale Booster] [Grognard’s Lore] [Grognard’s Sense] Veteran Skill Veteran Skill, Healing Veteran Skill Veteran Skill Timing: Constant Timing: Constant Timing: Automatic Range: 10 Range: 10 Timing: Reaction Trigger: An ally that can Effect: You, and all Effect: You, and all Trigger: An enemy rolls hear you spends a hero allies in range, gain a allies in range, gain a +2 an attack that doesn’t point to roll an attack. +2 bonus to identify skill bonus to scout skill rolls. include you as a target. Effect: The ally may rolls. In addition, you In addition, you have a Effect:Roll a physical spend a song to regain have a +1 skill bonus +1 skill bonus to attack melee attack against that up to half their HP in hit to attack rolls against rolls against scouted enemy. points. identified targets. targets.

42 [Acrobatics] [Athletics] [Perception] [Stealth] General Skills General Skill General Skill General Skill General Skill After selecting your two classes and their skills, you get two additional skill selections from the general skills list.

Timing: Constant • Acrobatics Timing: Constant Timing: Constant Effect: You gain a +2 • Athletics Effect:You gain a +2 Effect: You gain a +2 bonus to detect and Timing: Constant • First Aid bonus to balance, fall, skill bonus to climb, leap, scout skill rolls and a Effect: You gain a +2 • Lore and escape skill rolls. In and swim skill rolls. In +2 to your awareness bonus to sneak and hide • Perception addition, you can stand addition, increase your DC. In addition, you can skill rolls and a +2 bonus • Stealth up as a minor action. Speed by +1. detect as a minor action. to your hidden DC. • Tinker • Blacksmith [First Aid] [Lore] [Tinker] • Chef General Skill General Skill General Skill • Master Craftsman • Mason • Miner • Engineer Timing: Constant Timing: Constant • Prepared Effect: You gain a +2 Effect: You gain a +2 Timing: Constant • Strong Back skill bonus to stabilize skill bonus to identify Effect: You gain a +2 • Pack Rat skill rolls, and you can skill rolls, and you can bonus to disable skill stabilize as a minor identify as a minor rolls and you can disable action. action. as a minor action.

43 [Blacksmith] [Chef] [Mason] [Miner] [Prepared] [Strong Back] General Skill, Crafting General Skill, Crafting General Skill, Labor General Skill, Labor General Skill General Skill

Timing: Setup Timing: Setup Timing: Setup Effect: Create up to Effect: Create a stone Effect: Dig out a space [1] weight worth of Timing: Setup construction (such as up to 9 squares in area Timing: Setup Timing: Constant metal objects, including Effect: Create up to [1] a wall) up to 9 squares (to create a tunnel, pit, Effect: You may take up Effect: Increase your weapons and armor, weight worth of rations in area once per game or chamber) once per to two additional setup Encumbrance Limit by once per game session. once per game session. session. game session. actions besides this one. +3.

[Master Craftsman] [Engineer] [Pack Rat] General Skill General Skill General Skill

Timing: Setup Timing: Setup Effect: Choose a crafting Effect: Choose a crafting skill. That skill creates an skill. That skill creates an Timing: Constant additional [+1] weight additional [+1] weight Effect: Each container worth of items for every worth of items for every increases your inventory survivor aiding you* survivor aiding you* by an additional +1. once per game session. once per game session.

*You may be aided in crafting and laboring only by survivors following your hero. You can’t be aided by survivors following other heroes.

44 DARK GIFTS Dark Gifts You may take up to three dark gifts at character creation, 1. Dark Tarot or none at all. For each dark gift you take, you must in- 2. Demon Blade crease your doom score by one. 3. Berserker Armor 4. Chained Coffin Curses 5. Vampirism Each dark gift comes with a curse. The GM may spend a 6. Lycanthropy hero’s doom points to activate their dark gifts whenever 7. Chaos Warp they are applicable. 8. Eye of Death 9. Hand of Death 10. Stolen Fire 11. Book of the Dead 12. Warp Spasm

45 Dark Tarot Dark Gift, Spell

Timing: Minor Effect: Shuffle the dark tarot deck, and draw a card. Curse: Whenever you use this spell, the GM may spend one of your doom points. If they do, they may look at the top two cards of the deck before you draw, and put them on the top or bottom of the deck in any order.

[The Sun] [The Moon] [The Builder] [The Weaver] Dark Tarot Dark Tarot Dark Tarot Dark Tarot

Effect: +1 CHA for the Effect: +1 WIS for the Effect: +1 STR for the Effect: +1 DEX for the rest of the game session. rest of the game session. rest of the game session. rest of the game session.

[The Star] [The Fool] [The Weakling] [The Farmer] Dark Tarot Dark Tarot Dark Tarot Dark Tarot

Effect: +1 INT for the Effect: -1 INT, WIS, and Effect: -1 STR, CON, Effect: +1 CON for the rest of the game session. CHA for the rest of the and DEX for the rest of rest of the game session. game session. the game session.

[The Devil] [Ruins] [Void] [The Savior] Dark Tarot Dark Tarot Dark Tarot Dark Tarot

Effect: Gain three doom Effect: -1 to all basic Effect: Your highest basic Effect: Gain three hero points and one hero abilities for the rest of ability becomes +0 for the points and one doom point. the game session. rest of the game session. point. 46 Demon Blade Dark Gift, Item

Timing: Constant Effect: You gain the Demon Blade magic weapon. Curse: While the Demon Blade is equipped, the GM may spend one of your doom points during your turn. If they do, you must make a physical attack against a target of the GM’s choice using the weapon.

Demon Blade One-Hand Implement & Melee Weapon Weight: 2

Modifications: • Caster Weapon • Bastard • Heavy 3

Enchantments: • +1 to attack rolls • You may roll +MAG instead of +PHYS when you roll physical attacks with this weapon • Whenever you kill a creature with this weapon, you gain temporary hit points equal to half your HP

47 Berserker Armor Dark Gift, Item

Timing: Constant Effect: You gain the Berserker Armor magic armor. Curse: While the Berserker Armor is equipped, the GM may spend one of your doom points during your turn. If they do, you charge an enemy of the GM’s choice.

Berserker Armor Heavy Armor Weight: 3

Modifications: • Heavy Pauldrons • Bulky 3 • Light Weight

Enchantments: • +1 to Armor defense • You may add +Fort to Armor defense instead of +Reflex • +2 speed while charging

48 Chained Coffin Dark Gift, Spell, Summoning

Timing: Major Range: 5 Effect: Summon Tormented Soul of your level. Curse: While Tormented Soul is in play, the GM may spend a doom point during your turn to command Tormented Soul to perform any action except for an attack against you.

Tormented Soul Speed 8, Night Vision, Undead, Summoned

HP: Equal to half of yours Basic Abilities: STR +6, CON +6, DEX 6, INT +0, WIS +0, CHA +0 Combat Abilities: PHYS +5, MAG +3 FORT +5, REF +5, WILL +3 Skill: Eternal Torment (Whenever Tormented Soul takes damage, it gains +1 to all attack rolls until the end of its next turn.) Weapon: Spiked Chain (Two-hand melee, long, heavy 6, parrying)

49 Vampirism Dark Gift, Spell Timing: Constant Effect: You gain the [Night Vision] and [Undead] traits. Regain [Level] hit points every time you kill a creature. Curse: The GM may spend one of your doom points at the beginning of a scene. If he does, you take [Level] damage whenever you enter (the first time in a round) or end your turn in a space where a vampiric weakness is present.

Vampiric Weaknesses Vampiric weaknesses are damaging terrain features that only affect vampires and certain other forms of undead. The vampiric weaknesses are:

• Sunlight (applies to any space lit by the sun) • Moving water (such as from a river) • Holy Aura (Radiates 1 space out from holy symbols, 7 spaces out from holy temples) • Doorways (Only if your hero is not invited in) • Crossroads (Spaces where roads or paths intersect)

50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 Caretaker Redemptions Redemptions Redemption You may take up to three redemptions at character creation, or none at all. Reduce your doom score by one Geas: Care for a child. 1. Caretaker for every redemption you take. Prohibition: Harm or neglect a child, or allow an 2. Charity Every redemption has a geas and a prohibition. Gain ally to do the same. 3. Chastity a hero point at the end of the scene for each of your 4. Dietary Restriction redemptions if you triggered their geasa. Whenever you 5. Diplomacy trigger the prohibition of one of your redemptions, the 6. Loyalty GM may spend doom points to initiate a combat scene. 7. Mediator Charity 8. Mentor Redemption Allowing Allied Actions 9. Nature’s Friend “Allow” here means to knowingly and willingly support. Geas: Give money or items to an NPC in need. 10. Sacrament Any action taken with due dilligence to prevent an Prohibition: Steal from an NPC, or allow an ally 11. Scientific Method ally from triggering a prohibition counts as disallowing to do the same. 12. Wonder that action, even if the ally still performs the action successfully.

Chastity Redemption

Geas: Express chaste, chivalrous love for your beloved. Prohibition: Commit a depraved or wanton sexual act (rape, pedophilia, bestiality, necrophilia, use of prostitutes, etc.) or allow an ally to do the same.

58 Dietary Restriction Mediator Sacrament Redemption Redemption Redemption

Geas: Prepare a nuitritious meal for yourself and Geas: Attempt to peacefully resolve a conflict be- Geas: Perform a baptism, marriage, or funeral. your allies that does not contain foods shunned by tween Prohibition: Disrupt a baptism, marriage, or fu- you. allies. neral, or allow an ally to do the same. Prohibition: Consume your shunned food, or Prohibition: Attack an ally, or allow an ally to do allow an ally to consume the flesh of a human or the same. other sentient being.

Diplomacy Mentor Scientific Method Redemption Redemption Redemption Geas: Talk peacefully with potentially NPC’s, and Geas: Help teach another player to play correctly, Geas: Seek evidence or perform an experiment. don’t be the first to escalate a situation to vio- or give words of encouragement to an ally. Prohibition: Propagate falsehoods, blind faith, or lence. Prohibition: Steal from an NPC, or allow an ally superstition, or allow an ally to do the same. Prohibition: Escalate a situation to violence with- to do the same. out attempting to talk the situation out first, or allow an ally to do the same.

Loyalty Nature’s Friend Wonder Redemption Redemption Redemption

Geas: Declare loyalty to a leader, or obey your Geas: Act with kindness toward an animal. Geas: Take time to appreciate natural or leader’s command. Prohibition: Act with cruelty toward an animal, architectural beauty. Prohibition: Disobey your leader, or allow an ally or allow an ally to do the same. Prohibition: Destroy natural or architectural to do the same. beauty, or allow an ally to do the same.

59 Basic Abilities Fortitude Fortitude Defense You have six basic ability scores: Strength, Constitution, Fortitude is equal to your [Strength + Constitution]/2 Fortitude defense is [Fortitude + Level + 10] Dexterity, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma. Each one starts with a value of +0. By this point, you Reflex Reflex Defense should have a total of +4 points distributed between Reflex is equal to your [Dexterity + Intelligence]/2 Reflex defense is [Reflex +Shield bonus + Level + 10] them thanks to adjustments from your two character classes. Will Will Defense Will is equal to your [Wisdom + Charisma]/2 Will defense is [Will + Level + 10] You now get five points to allocate among freely among your ability scores any way you wish. The one caveat Physical Attack Armor Defense is that you can raise each ability score only up to a Physical Attack is equal to your [Strength + Dexterity + Armor defense is [Armor bonus + Shield bonus + Reflex maximum of +5. Wisdom]/2 +Level + 10]

Combat Abilities Magic Attack Hit Points You have six combat abilities: Physical Attack, Magic Magic Attack is equal to your [Constitution + Intelligence Your maximum pool of hit points is equal to [(Fortitude x Attack, Fortitude, Reflex, and Will. These are derived + Charisma]/2 Level) + 10] from your six basic abilities. Other Statistics Songs You have six statistics derived from your combat abilities. Your pool of Songs per game session is equal to [Will + Four of these are defenses, the other two are Hit Points Level + 3] and Songs.

60 Details You can continue to flesh out your character with Cardinal Tongues languages, a random name generator, and followers. North-Tongue, South-Tongue, East-Tongue, and West- Tongue are the cardinal languages spoken by humans Language from different lands. You start with a number of languages equal to your Intelligence score rolled or selected from the following Sign-Language is the language of the deaf and mute. It list. In addition, all players must work together to select is spoken in silence with gestures of the hands. one additional ‘common language’ shared by all player characters. Raven-Tongue is the language of corvids, specifically crows. Crows are more than willing to deliver messages Languages for the 1 North-Tongue 6 Spider-Tongue heroes across any distance in exchange for some bread. 2 South-Tongue 7 Raven-Tongue 3 East-Tongue 8 Serpent-Tongue Serpent-Tongue is the language of reptiles, specifically 4 West-Tongue 9 Rat-Tongue snakes. Snakes are keepers of esoteric lore; they know of 5 Sign-Language 0 Dragon-Tongue all things buried under the earth.

Spider-Tongue is the language of arachnids, specifically spiders. Speakers of Spider-Tongue can communicate via tactile feedback through lengths of thread; two speakers holding onto the same strand may speak silently through vibrations.

Rat-Tongue is the debased language of scavenging rodents. If there is an item to be found, the rats will tell you where to look for the price of some cheese.

Dragon-Tongue is the language of foul sorcery.

61 Names Male Names* Female Surnames You can use the accompanying table as inspiration for Names* your character’s name. You can pick names that appeal 1 Faust Alice Gazette to you, roll for them, or roll then revise. 2 Panzer Elisabeth Girugamesh You can roll twice for male and female names to deter- 3 Ainz Victoria Nightmare mine first and middle name. You can flip surnames with 4 Boris Malice Nine given names, or reverse the gender of gendered names. 5 Longinus Emily Mizer 6 Jager Dorothy Gackt 7 Gotz Anna Dir En Grey 8 Reiner Eren Moi dix Mois 9 Pierrot Brighella Versailles 10 Harlequin Camilla X 11 Caliban Cassilda Howard 12 Armitage Charlotte Dunsany 13 Gerhard Maria Lovecraft 14 Hans Beatrix Burroughs 15 Eric Sophronia Moorcock 16 Etienne Melissa Leiber 17 Arthur Morrigan Bronte 18 Jack Jane Chambers 19 Albert Lilith Bierce 20 Deckard Isabella Poe

62 Leveling Up Update Statistics III. Advancement Each hero has a pool of doom points. Your pool of doom You add your [Level] to all your defenses and attack

points can be depleted as the GM spends them to send rolls. Be sure to update the numbers on your character Core Concepts: monsters after you or as you abide by the geasa of your sheet to account for this. Redemptions. • Doom When you have no doom points remaining, you can Increase your HP as you level up. Your hit point pool • Hero Points reset your doom score up to your maximum doom pool is [10 + (Fortitude x Level)]. In other words, you gain • Levels to gain a level. This is called leveling up. additional hit points equal to your Fortitude whenever • Skills Leveling up is a setup action, though the GM may you level up. • Damage allow you to level up during a scene as a free action they

feel it is appropriate. Step up damage accordingly:

Gain Skills Damage by Level Whenever you level up, gain one new class skill from Weapon 1 2 3 4 5 6 either of your class skill lists. Gain one new skill from the Unnarmed d4 d6 d6 d8 d8 d10 general skill list. Off-Hand d6 d8 d8 d10 d10 d12 One-Hand d8 d8 d10 d10 d12 d12 Retrain Skills Two-Hand 2d8 2d8 2d10 2d10 2d12 2d12 Leveling up gives you an opportunity to revise your Magic 1 2 3 4 5 6 character. With GM approval, you may realocate ability Implement 2d4 1d4 3d6 2d6 1d6 3d8 points and trade off previously selected skills for different 1d6 2d6 1d8 2d8 skills.

63 IV. EQUIPMENT Inventory Currency A character’s inventory is all the items they have stowed The default setting of [Dragon Forest] assumes a dying Core Concepts: on their person. Items stowed in inventory can’t be used. world. There is no economy to speak of, and gold has An item must be equipped in order to use it. Items can no value. For this reason, items are not listed with any • Inventory be equipped from inventory by using the equip skill. monetary value. • Encumbrance In order to put an item into your inventory, you have to • Starting Equipment have a free inventory slot to keep it in. Characters have Encumbrance • Weapons 2 inventory slots by default. Containers add additional Though items do not have monetary costs, they do have • Implements inventory slots. weight. Each item is listed with a weight rating measured • Armor in fractions of a Bar; the Bar is an abstract measure of • Modifications Worn Items weight with no real-world referant. • Mounts Items with the [worn] tag are draped, fitted, or strapped The total number of Bars-worth of items a character is • Miscellaneous Items to a character’s body. Worn items include armor carrying is their Encumbrance. and garments. Worn items must be equipped to an appropriate body slot in order to use them. The body Each character has an Encumbrance Limit equal to their slots are: head, face, throat, shoulders, body, waist, [Strength x3] +3. arms, hands, legs, and feet. Each body slot can have When a character’s Encumbrance exceeds their only one item equipped to it. Encumbrance Limit, they take the difference as a penalty Worn items except for armor don’t count towards to their Speed and to certain skill checks where the GM Encumbrance while equipped. feels it is appropriate.

Held Items Characters have hands for holding items. Items can be equipped and used by holding them in a hand. Some items may be held only in the main hand, and some items require two hands to hold them. A hand that isn’t holding anything is a free hand.

64 Starting Equipment Heroes start with the following items at character creation:

• Two fully modified weapons • Implements may be take instead of weapons • One fully modified armor • One mount • Any number of miscellaneous items up to the mount’s Encumbrance Limit

65 Weapon Damage by Level Modification Improvised Weapons Grip 1 2 3 4 5 6 Slots Weight Any item you pick up off the ground can be used as a Unnarmed d4 d6 d6 d8 d8 d10 0 0 weapon. It is also possible to use weapons in ways that Off-Hand d6 d8 d8 d10 d10 d12 1 1/4 they weren’t designed to be used for. One-Hand d8 d8 d10 d10 d12 d12 2 1/2 Two-Hand 2d8 2d8 2d10 2d10 2d12 2d12 3 1 Improvised weapons follow the same rules as normal weapons except that you take a -1 penalty to attack rolls Weapons Grip Type with them. Improvised weapons do not benefit from Every weapon has an attack type and a grip type that Grip type determines how many hands are required to weapon modifications. determine reach, range, damage, modification slots, and equip the weapon, how much damage the weapon deals, cost. how many modification slots the weapon has, and the Starting Weapons The attack types are melee and ranged. Some weapons weapon’s base cost. The grip types are: unnarmed, off- You start with two weapons of your choice at character (such as thrown weapons and melee weapons linked to hand, one-handed, and two-handed. creation. Each of these weapons receives a number of ranged weapons) can have both attack types. modifications of your choice filling up all of the weapons Each character has two hands; a main-hand and an off- modification slots. Melee Weapons hand. Melee weapons can be used to attack enemies within a number of spaces equal to their reach. All melee • One-hand weapons must be equipped in the main- weapons have a base reach of 1 (the hafted modification hand. increases reach to 2.) • Off-hand weapons may be equipped in the off-hand or Unnarmed attacks are always melee type. the main-hand. • Two-hand weapons must be equipped in both hands. Ranged Weapons • Free hands without any other weapon equipped to Ranged weapons can be used to attack enemies within a them count as unnarmed weapons. number of spaces equal to their range. You trigger Opportunity Attacks from enemies when you make ranged attacks within their reach. Ranged weapons must have one of the following modifications: bow, gun, or thrown.

66 +Gun+ Weapon Modifications +Separating+ Weapon Modification: Ranged, Any Weapon Modification: Any, Two-Hand Each type of weapon comes with a number of modification slots as indicated on the grip type table Effect: +Range 10. Expend bullets as Effect: This weapon can split as a minor action above under ‘mods’. You may equip up to that many ammunition to use this weapons. Reload bullets into two identical off-hand weapons with all this modifications to the weapon. as a minor action. weapon’s modifications except for this one. A minor action recombines them.

+Bastard+ +Heavy [X]+ +Thrown+ Weapon Modification: Melee, One-Hand Weapon Modification: Ranged Weapon Modification: Any Effect: You may grip this weapon as a two- Effect: Add a +X bonus to this weapon’s damage Effect: You can throw this weapon as a ranged handed weapon. This changes the weapon’s rolls, and +X/4 to this weapon’s weight. weapon with Range 5. damage, but not its weight or number of modification slots.

+Bow+ +Long+ +Versatile+ Weapon Modification: Ranged, Any Weapon Modification: Melee, One-Hand or Two-Hand Weapon Modification: Any, One-Hand

Effect: +Range 20. Expend arrows as Effect: Reach +1 if this weapon is melee. Range Effect: You may grip this weapon as a one- ammunition to use this weapon. Relaod arrows as x2 if this weapon is ranged. handed weapon. This changes the weapon’s a free action. damage, but not its weight or number of modification slots.

+Gauntlet+ +Parrying+ Weapon Modification: Any, Off-Hand or One-Hand Weapon Modification: Melee, Any

Effect: The hand this weapon is equipped to Effect: This weapon grants a +1 shield bonus to counts as a free hand. You may use this weapon’s Armor and Reflex defenses. damage dice instead of unnarmed damage dice.

67 +Caster Weapon+ Implements Implement Modification Implement Modification: Any Whenever you hit a target with an attack, and the As implements must be equipped in a hand to use them, damage is noted as [M], roll damage according to your they have a grip type just like weapons do. Effect: This implement now counts as a weapon equipped implement. Implements also have modification slots just as weapons of the same grip type in addition to an implement. do, though they can only equip modifications made It can equip weapon modifications. • If you are not wielding an implement, [M] damage is specifically for implements. 3d4.

• If you are wielding an implement, deal damage +Great Staff+ according to your level. Implement Modification: Two-Hand

Effect: Ranged spells made with this implement Level Magic Damage Grip Modifications Weight don’t trigger opportunity attacks. 1 1d6 + 2d4 Off-Hand 1 1/4 2 2d6 + 1d4 One-Hand 2 1/2 3 3d6 Two-Hand 3 1 4 1d8 + 2d6 5 2d6 + 1d8 6 3d8

68 +Armor Spikes+ Armor Armor Modification: Any Basic physical attack rolls must equal your Armor Defense to hit. Your Armor defense is equal to [10 + Effect: This weapon as an off-hand weapon built Level + Reflex + Shield bonus + Armor bonus]. You must into it. You can attack with that weapon instead of wear armor to benefit from an armor bonus. a held weapon. It has 1 modification slot.

Armor Bonus Modification Weight Unarmored +0 0 0 Light +2 1 1 +Bulky [X]+ Medium +4 2 2 Armor Modification: Any Heavy +6 3 3 Effect: Assign a value to X when you gain this modification. Add +X to this armor’s bonus and weight.

+Heavy Pauldrons+ Armor Modification: Any

Effect: This armor grants a +1 shield bonus to Armor and Reflex defenses.

+Light Weight+ Implement Modification: Any

Effect: Reduce this armor’s weight by half.

69 Light Warhorse Mounts Unhorsed Mount Mounts are treated abstractly in this game. They aren’t Any effect that knocks you prone or subjects you to treated as creatures with their own hit points and forced movement also causes your mount to become Speed 10, Encumbrance Limit 15 actions, but rather as items that you can equip to a unequipped. Need +2 ‘mount’ slot. +1 Armor, +1 Physical Attack

• Equip a mount as a move action. Unequipped mounts are not placed in your inventory, but instead follow Medium Warhorse you around as independent entities. Mount • While riding a mount, use the mounts speed instead of Speed 9, Encumbrance Limit 15 your own for movement. Need +2 • Mounts have their own encumbrance limit. Use your +2 Armor, +1 Physical Attack mounts encumbrance limit instead of your own while riding the mount if the mount’s limit is higher. Your mount can also carry its own inventory even when you aren’t riding it. Draught Horse Heavy Warhorse • You count as a large sized creature while riding a Mount Mount mount (you occupy four spaces in combat instead of Speed 8, Encumbrance Limit 12 Speed 8, Encumbrance Limit 21 one.) Need +3 Need +1 • Some mounts can add bonuses to your combat +3 Armor, +1 Physical Attack abilities, or grant other special traits. • Normal mounts have a Need adjustment. Add this value to your Need rolls at the end of each exploration Riding Horse scene. Mount

Speed 10, Encumbrance Limit 18 Need +1

70 Containers Containers Type Effect Weight Containers are used to add additional inventory slots to Belt of Pouches Worn: Waist Inventory +2 0 your inventory. Rucksack Worn: Shoulder Inventory +4, Encumbrance Limit +1 0 An item with Inventory +[X] adds [X] slots to your Longcoat Worn: Body Inventory +1, Secret Inventory +1 0 inventory. Smuggler’s Boots Worn: Foot Secret Inventory +1 0 An item with Secret Inventory +[X] adds [X] secret slots Magician’s Hat Worn: Head Secret Inventory +1 0 to your inventory. Items stored in your secret inventory Hidden Arm Slide Worn: Arm Secret Inventory +1 (Off-hand weapon), you 0 can’t be taken from you. can equip the stored weapon as a free action Containers can be placed into other containers. Bandolier Worn: Waist Inventory +4 (Ammunition) 0 Words in parenthesis in the container’s description Saddle-Bags Worn: Mount Inventory +20 0 indicate that the container can only hold items of the Locked Chest Held: Two-Hands Inventory +8, includes an easy lock 1 noted type. Wineskin - Inventory +2 (Liquid) 0 Breakable Flask - Inventory +1 (Liquid) 0

71 Rations Rations Type Effect Weight The following items reduce your Need and/or Sadness Bread Consumable -1 Need 1/8 when you eat or drink them. Items with (Party) noted Cheese Consumable -1 Need 1/8 under their effects affect all heroes in the group; the rest Beer Consumable, Liquid -1 Sadness 1/8 affect only one. Tin of Biscuits (10) Consumable -1 Sadness 1/4 Jerky (10) Consumable -1 Need 1/4 Wine Consumable, Liquid -1 Sadness (Party) 1/4 Pie Consumable -1 Need (Party) 1/4 Tea Consumable -1 Sadness (Party), requires Tea Set 1/8 Curry Consumable -2 Need, requires Cooking Pot 1/8 Pancakes Consumable -1 Sadness, -1 Need, requires Frying Pan 1/8 Tobacco Consumable -2 Sadness, requires Smoking Pipe 1/8

72 Miscellaneous Items Type Effect Weight Tent - -1 Need once per rest scene 1 Musical Instrument - -1 Sadness once per rest scene 1/4 Cooking Pot - Required for Curry 1/4 Frying Pan - Required for Pancakes 1/4 Tea Set - Required for Tea 1/4 Smoking Pipe - Required for Tobacco 1/4 Block & Tackle - 1/2 Compass - 1/4 Flint & Steel - Light a fire as a major action 1/8 Rope, 50 ft. - 1/4 Chain, 10 ft. - 1/2 Grappling Hook - Can be thrown up to Strength x2 spaces 1/2 Hammer - 1/4 Hatchet - 1/4 Magnifying Glass - 1/4 Pitons (10) - 1/4 Prybar - 1/4 Spyglass - 1/4 Sewing Kit (200 ft.) - 1/8 Thief’s Tools - 1/4 Writing Tools - 1/8 Lock (Easy) - 1/8 Lock (Moderate) - 1/4 Lock (Hard) - 1/2 Gold Coins (100) - Worthless 1/4

73 Survivors V. Survival Each hero accompanied by a number of NPC survivors

equal to their Charisma score +1. Survivors have no Core Concepts: classes or skills, no dark gifts or redemptions, and all their ability scores are 0. They have no equipment save • Survivors for ragged clothes and whatever you give them. • Dreams Each survivor has a name. • Needs Survivors look to heroes to be their lords and saviors. • Sadness If treated well, survivors will serve your character • Foraging enthusiastically as loyal pages and butlers in exchange • Wonder for food and protection. • Peril Each survivor speaks one of the following languages:

Northtongue, Southtongue, Easttongue, Westtongue, or Sign Language.

For each survivor, select one other player to play the role of that survivor in scenes where their heroic character is not present.

If your character dies, you may promote one of your survivors to be your new character. The suvivor loses their dream, but gains classes, dark gifts, redemptions, skills, and abilities as appropriate.

74 Dreams Dream Each survivor has a dream, rolled or selected from the 1 Mother (Survivor wants her baby to be born healthy) accompanying table. You gain a hero point at the end 2 Merchant (Survivor hopes to open a shop) of the scene if you helped your survivor to attain their 3 Squire (Survivor wants to serve a hero) dreams during that scene, and you gain doom points 4 Warrior (Survivor wants to become an adventurer ) whenever you betray the survivors. 5 Maiden (Survivor wants to marry a handsome prince) When a survivor becomes a hero, they must abandon 6 Lost (Survivor wants to locate their family members) their dreams in order to fulfill their new role. 7 Mute (Survivor wants to regain their voice) 8 Trainer (Survivor wants to be the very best) 9 Scholar (Survivor wants to study ancient texts) 10 Craftsman (Survivor wants to create a masterpiece) 11 Bard (Survivor wants to sing about heroism) 12 Author (Survivor wants to publish a book) 14 Priest (Survivor wants to rebuild his church) 15 Trailblazer (Survivor seeks new frontiers to explore) 16 Settler (Survivor seeks a to call home) 17 Gourmand (Survivor seeks new foods to try) 18 Orphan (Survivor is a child in search of a family) 19 Old Man (Survivor seeks losure to his long life) 20 Insomniac (Survivor justs wants to rest)

75 Needs Sadness Survivor Tasks Existance is suffering. We suffer because we grow old Existance is suffering. We form attachments to tangible You may assign your survivors to perform tasks during and die, because we hunger, because we thirst, because objects, to sensory experiences, and to notions. We an exploration scenes. If you do, assign each survivor we fatigue, because we need. suffer when we lose the things we are attached to, or performing a task a number from 1 to 10. Each of your • You gain 1d6 points of Need at the end of each unable to survivors must have a different number. exploration scene; this represents the total hunger, attain them. thirst, and fatigue of your hero and all of the survivors • You gain 1d6 points of Sadness at the end of each You may assign survivors to forage for food. Each following him. Add your mount’s Need adjustment to exploration scene. survivor you assign to forage reduces your Need by -1 the roll. • While your Need exceeds your Wisdom ability, you during your next rest scene (if that survivor is still alive). • While your Need exceeds your Constitution ability, you take the difference as a penalty to noncombat ability take the difference as a penalty to noncombat ability and skill rolls, and to all your attack rolls. You may assign survivors to wonder at their and skill rolls, and to all your defenses. • When your Sadness exceeds your Charisma ability, surroundings, seeking inspiration in natural or • When your Need exceeds your Charisma ability, your your followers will stop and refuse to move until your architectural beauty. Each survivor you assign to wonder followers will stop and be unable to move until your Sadness is reduced to tolerable levels. reduces your Sadness by -1 during your next rest scene Need is reduced to tolerable levels. • You can reduce Sadness by using certain items, or by (if that survivor is still alive). • You can reduce Need by using certain items, such as singing songs. rations. Perils Sing the Sadness Away If you assigned survivors to perform tasks, roll 1d20 at Reduce Sadness by -1 whenever you spend a song the end of the exploration scene. If the number on the during an exploration or rest scene. die equals the number you assigned to a survivor, that survivor disappears. That survivor’s life will be at stake during the next combat scene this session; the heroes will have to fight monsters to rescure the survivor.

76 COMBAT Initiative VI. COMBAT During set up, each player and each group of like NPC’s

Set Up rolls 1d20 + Level + Reflex to determine turn order. Core Concepts: Combat begins with the set up phase. The GM sets The result of your roll is your initiative count. A round up the map for the battle’s terrainand places enemies of combat starts with the character with the highest • Setup appropriately. The GM should describe the terrain to the initiative count and ends with the character with the • Initiative players in detail, and set the mood. The GM should mark lowest initiative count. Once every character has taken • Turn Structure a starting position on the map for the players to place their turn, the round is complete, and the next round • Movement their starts again with the character with the highest initiative • Attacks characters. count. • Damage Each player may take one setup action during the setup Characters that haven’t taken their turn yet in a round • Hit Points phase. Setup actions include the basic skills Identify, are in a state called pre-action. • Death Detect, Hide, and Scout, and all other skills with a timing Characters that have already taken their turn during a • Cover of ‘setup’. round are in a state called post-action. • Concealment Each player character gains temporary hit points equal to • Advantage their Threshold ability.

Finally, roll for initiative.

77 The Turn Structure During Your Turn Major Actions Characters may take a minor action, a move action, • One major action • Physical Attack and a major action during their turn, and any number • One move action • Bullrush of free actions. A major action may be substituted • One minor action • Charge with an additional move action. A move action may be • Any number of free actions • Grab substituted with an additional minor action. • You may trade major actions for move actions • Escape If an effect would expire at the end of the character’s • You may trade move actions for minor actions • Stabilize turn, resolve that then end the turn. • You may use one auto action per major, move, or Free actions are mostly narrative things, such as talking, minor action that triggered it Move Actions and actions that require no effort such as looking • Run around or dropping items. Minor actions typically buff or Outside of Your Turn • Step otherwise prepare you for other actions. Move actions • You may use one reaction per round • Stand allow you to move a number of spaces up to your speed • You may use one opportunity action per turn across the terrain. Standard actions are typically used to Minor Actions attack. • Equip In addition to these actions, there are also auto actions, • Sing reactions, and opportunity actions. Auto actions are effects that augment your other actions when you trigger them. You may use any number of auto actions during a round, but you may use only one auto action per triggering action. Reactions are used outside of your turn when a character triggers them. You may only use one reaction per round. Opportunity actions exist specifically for the Opportunity Attack skill. You may use one opportunity action per turn when your Opportunity Attack is triggered.

78 Move Actions Forced Movement Move actions include run and step, plus all other skills Some skills and effects are able to subject you to forced listed as move actions. movement. The character using the skill determines Two more move actions of note are Stand Up and Crawl. which direction to move the target if the effect allows for Stand up and crawl are only used when your character is it. Being forcefully moved does not use up your actions in a prone state. or trigger opportunity attacks. Other move actions include jump, climb, swim, balance, Forced movement effects include: teleport, and fly according to terrain type and the character’s skills. • Push (When you push a creature, each space you move it must bring it farther from you) Opportunity Actions • Pull (When you pull a creature, each space you move Remember that you trigger enemy’s opportunity attacks it must bring it closer to you) when you move out of their reach, unless you use the • Slide (When you slide a creature, there is no step skill to do so, or unless you are subject to forced restriction on how you can move it) movement. When you trigger an Opportunity Attack from an enemy, that enemy makes a physical melee attack against you Prone as an opportunity action. Each character is limited to one Prone characters lay close to the ground where it is hard opportunity action per turn. for them to move around, but easier to avoid ranged attacks. You may drop prone as a free action. While prone, you can’t take any move actions except for the stand up and crawl actions. Standing up ends the prone state. Crawling allows you to move up to half your speed while remaining prone. You are disadvantaged against melee attacks while prone. However, you can benefit from cover if you lay prone behind certain obstacles.

79 Attacks Damage Missed Attacks Attacks are made by first selecting a means to attack Most attacks allow you to deal damage when you hit a Some attacks, usually magic attacks, deal half their (weapon attack, spell, etc.) then selecting a valid target target. damage on a miss. or targets for your attack. A valid target must be within If you are making a magic attack, it is usually because your weapon’s reach (if making a melee attack), range (if you are using a spell; the attack’s damage expression Damage Types making a ranged attack), or burst/blast area. You must will be listed under the spell’s description. Note that spell Many attacks, usually magic attacks or attacks with be able to draw line of sight to your target. damage increases at levels three and five. magic weapons, deal typed damage. Damage types If these conditions apply, roll [1d20 + Level + Physical If you are making a physical attack or attacking with a include: acid, cold, fire, lightning, poison, and psychic. Attack + bonuses] for a physical attack, or [1d20 + magic weapon, the attack deals damage according to Physical and Level + Magic Attack + bonuses] for a magic attack. If which weapons you are attacking with. magic are also damage types. Damage types do nothing the result is equal to your target’s defense (as specified Remember that you may attack with up to two weapons. in and of themselves, but they may interact with other under your skill’s description) the attack hits and it’s hit Remember also that weapon damage scales as you gain effects, specifically resistance and vulnerability. effects apply. level according to the grip type table in the weapon For a full description of different attacks, see basic skills. section of the equipment chapter. Resistance When you deal damage to a target of a type that target Multiple Targets Coup de Grace is resistant to, subtract the target’s resistance value from If your attack allows for multiple targets, roll your attack If you deal at least 1 damage to an unconcious each damage die. roll against each one separately, but roll damage only target, you can make a coup de grace against it once for all of them. as an automatic action. If you do, the target dies. Vulnerability When you deal damage to a target of a type that target is vulnerable to, add the target’s vulnerability value to each damage die as a damage bonus.

80 Charging Grab To charge, move a number of spaces up to your speed To grab an adjacent target, make a physical attack roll and no fewer than two towards the target of your charge against their Reflex defense. If you have two free hands, attack. Each space you move must bring you closer add a +1 bonus to the roll. You must have at least one to your target. You may not charge through difficult free hand to attempt a grab. terrain. If you end your movement within melee reach of If your grab attempt is successful, the target is your target, make a physical melee attack or a bullrush restrained by you until the grab is broken by a successful against the target with a +1 bonus to the attack roll. escape roll, the target teleports away from you, or the target is forcefully moved away from you, or when Bullrush you choose to end the grab as a free action. You must Make a bullrush attack as a physical melee attack, maintain contact with your target to maintain the grab. except that you roll against the target’s Reflex defense instead of Armor defense, and you push the target one Escape space instead of dealing damage. You may step into the If you are grabbed, you make a physical attack against vacated space. the grabbing creature’s Reflex as a major action. A successful escape attempt ends the grab.

Grabbing and Teleportation If you teleport somehow while grabbing or being grabbed by another creature, and you control the teleportation effect, choose one:

• The grab ends • The grab continues, and the grabbed or grabbing creature is forcefully teleported along with you.

81 Cover • Terrain features, such as walls, pillars, and closed Study the graphic to your right. The three heroes shown doors, count as obstructions and block line of sight. here (A, B, and C) are fighting a monster. • Allies do not count as obstructions, and do not block

line of sight. Notice that hero A can draw an unbroken line from one • Enemies do count as obstructions, and can block line corner of his space to a corner of his foe’s space. Hero A of sight to other enemies. has line of sight. • If the target has partial cover or partial concealment, You have line of sight to a creature if you can draw a the attacker takes a -2 penalty to their attack roll line from your space to one corner of your target’s space. • If the target has full cover or full concealment, the attacker takes a -5 penalty to their attack roll. Notice that hero C can’t draw a line to their foe without • If the attack is a burst or a blast, the attacker takes that line passing through a pillar. The monster has full the cover penalty only if the target has cover from the cover from hero C. origin point of the burst or blast. You have total cover from a creature if that creature can’t draw a line from any corner of their space to any corner of your space without that line passing through an obstruction. Concealment Notice that hero B can draw a line to the monster, but If the attacker can’t see their target because of terrain that line passes through the corner of the pillar. Hero and conditions that obscure vision, such as dim B has line of sight to the monster, but the monster has light, foliage, or precipitation, the target has partial partial cover from hero B. concealment. You have partial cover from a creature if that creature If the conditions are totally obscured, the target has can’t draw line of sight to you without that line passing total concealment. through the corner of an obstruction.

82 Advantage When you attack a disadvantaged enemy, or when you attack from a position of advantage over an enemy, your attack is advantaged. Advantage grants a +2 bonus to attack rolls against disadvantaged targets.

The following states grant advantage against targets: • Your target is prone • You are flanking the target • You have partial or total concealment from the target • You are hidden from the target • Your target is dazed or stunned

Flanking If you are positioned in a space adjacent to an enemy while an ally is positioned adjacent to the enemy on the oposite side, then your enemy is flanked by you and your ally. Your attacks are advantaged against enemies you Study the graphic above. Three heroes (A, B, and C) are flank. shown here surrounding a monster. Heroes A and B are in flanking positions with one another. Hero C is not in a flanking position.

83 Bursts To use a skill with a range of ‘burst’, select on space within range to be the origin space for the burst. If the text reads “Burst [X] within [Y]”, the burst’s origin must be placed anywhere within [Y] spaces of you and within your line of sight. If the text reads “Close Burst [X]” then the spaces or spaces you are occupying are the origin. The burst then affects all targets within [X] spaces of the origin except for you.

Blasts A blast affects all targets within an square-shaped area consisting of a number of spaces each side. For example, “Blast 2” would have a 2x2 space area, “Blast 3” would have a 3x3 space area, etc. If the text reads “Blast [X] within [Y]”, at least one space in the blast must be within [Y] spaces of you and within your line of sight. If the text reads “Close Blast [X]” then at least one space in the blast must be adjacent to you and cannot include a space you are occupying.

84 Hit Points Dying You have a hit point pool representing your maximum hit You enter a dying state when you hit point total equals point total and a hit point total equalling the amount of 0 or less. When this happens, you fall prone and hit points you currently have. You also have a Threshold unconscious, and you immediately become post-action. equal to half your hit point pool. You can’t take any actions except for free actions while When you take damage, subtract that many hit points dying. from your hit point total. If your hit point total equals 0 You must make Fortitude roll vs. your doom pool at the or less, you enter a dying state. end of your turn as a free action unless someone has When you regain hit points, add that many hit points to successfully used the Stabilized skill on you. your hit point total up to a maximum equal to your hit If you are hit with a Coup de Grace while dying, you die. point pool. Any hit points you would gain in excess of If your negative hit point total exceeds your negative your hit point pool are lost. Threshold, you die. If you fail your Fortitude roll vs. doom, you die. Temporary Hit Points If your hit point total becomes greater than zero, the In addition to hit points, you can also gain temporary hit dying state ends and you regain consciousness, but you points. Temporary hit points are tracked separately from are still prone. your hit point total. Your temporary hit point total can exceed your hit point pool. You gain temporary hit points equal to your Threshold during the setup phase at the beginning of every scene. Temporary hit points disappear during the cleanup phase at the end of every scene. When you take damage, subtract it from your temporary hit point total first if you have it. You can’t regain lost temporary hit points the same way you regain hit points. When you gain temporary hit points, the new amount of temporary hit points replaces your current number of temporary hit points if it’s higher. Otherwise, temporary hit points are not gained.

85 TERRAIN Key and Decisive Terrain VII. TERRAIN Every combat scene should have an objective that the OAKOC player characters are after. We refer to this objective as Core Concepts: Use the OAKOC acronym to stand for key aspects of the key, although it doesn’t need to be a literal key. This terrain building: Observation, Avenue of approach, Key should be placed on some edge or corner of the map • Observation and decisive terrain, Obstacles, Cover and concealment. opposite from player character’s approach. • Avenue of Approach • Key and Decisive Terrain Observation Obstacles • Obstacles How far out can the characters see? This will be The intervening space between the avenue and the • Light determined by the presence of cover and concealment, key should be populated not only by enemies, but also • Terrain Features and by the player character’s own wisdom and skills. by a variety of terrain features to obstruct the player • Props The GM will need to factor in lighting conditions, characters and make the scene more tactically engaging. atmospheric conditions, and all kinds of obstructions that Most obstacles will be placed along the map’s midpoint, block line of sight. and within the map’s “jungles”. The GM will need to determine observation for both the player characters and their enemies in order to determine who can and can’t see whom. Spaces on the map that the player characters can’t see should be covered up somehow.

Avenue of Approach When drawing the battlefield, designate one edge or corner of the map as the approach. This is where the players will place their character tokens during the setup phase.

86 Light Natural Light Other Senses Light sources help to dispel concealment. Each source Natural light must be considered in scenes that take Sight isn’t the only way to perceive one’s surroundings. of light has a bright light rating and a dim light rating. place outside. Characters may have other perceptive abilities such as A light source casts light out a number of spaces equal Sunlight casts bright light everywhere except where it is scent, echolocation, tremor sense, or even ESP that to its bright light rating. Those spaces are considered obstructed. Shady areas such as those under trees are allow them to observe the spaces around them. The GM brighly lit. Beyond those spaces, a light source casts dim dimly. will need to account for these in order to determine the light out a number of Moonlight casts dim light everywhere except where it is character’s observation and which spaces grant partial or spaces equal to its dim light rating. Those spaces obstructed. Shady areas such as those under trees are total concealment. are considered dimly lit. Spaces outside of that are dark. considered dark unless lit by a different light source. Observing characters add their wisdom score to a Atmosphere light’s bright light and dim light ratings for purposes Visibility can be impeded by weather conditions such of determining which spaces are brightly lit and which as rain, snow, fog and mist, or overcast, and by spaces are dimly lit. A space that appears dimly light other properties of the air such as smoke or debris. to one character may appear brightly lit to a more Spaces subject to atmosphere conditions grant partial perceptive character, and a space that concealment. appears dimly lit to one character may appear dark to a Atmosphere conditions may also have severity ratings. less perceptive character. Atmospheric severity ratings may be subtracted from light ratings and weapon range. Dark spaces grant heavy concealment. Dim spaces grant light concealment. Foliage Bright spaces do not grant concealment. Other terrain features such as flora, spider webs, or even artificial features such as tapestries or screen doors may also impede visibility. We refer to these kinds terrain features as foliage for convenience, even if they aren’t literally foliage within the game’s narrative. Spaces containing foliage grant partial concealment.

87 Avenue of Approach Key and Decisive Terrain The players will need to place their character tokens at Every combat scene should have some sort of objective some designated starting point at the beginning of the the player characters are after aside from simply killing scene. monsters. We refer to this objective as the key, even if it I recommend selecting an edge or corner of the map isn’t literally a key. to serve as an avenue, or starting point, for the player Keys must be either seized or secured. Seizing the key characters. requires that player characters attack enemies near the If you give the players an edge, they may place their key, position themselves around the key, and defend it. character tokens anywhere within one to three spaces Securing the key requires only that the player characters of that edge of the map (your choice, and depending on deny enemies the opportunity to seize or secure the key. how many characters there are) as terrain features allow. Combat scenes should have at least one or as many as If you give the players a corner, they may place their three keys to seize or secure. Keys may be placed in the characters anywhere within a 2x2 to 4x4 space (your middle of the map, on the edge or corner opposite from choice, and depending on how many player characters the avenue, or even in the same space as the avenue. there are) as terrain features allow. A key might be a lever that raises or lowers a drawbridge Larger groups of characters will require more space to or portcullis, or it might be a treasure or an NPC that setup, so keep that in mind when building terrain. needs to be rescued or protected, or it may simply be an exit.

88 Terrain Features Special Terrain Features Falling Damage Each space on your map should be made of one or more The basic terrain features noted above can be combined If you use varations in elevation on your map there will of the following terrain features: and customized in many different ways. likely be situations where characters fall or get thrown off of things. This is the most common form of damaging Normal Stairs (and other inclines) terrain. Normal terrain has no special features. Characters can Counts as difficult terrain going up, normal terrain going Falling damage is determined based on the distance move through it normally. down. fallen and the size of the falling creature. Large creatures such as elephants will take larger amounts of falling Difficult Flowing River damage due to their mass while smaller creatures such Each space of difficult terrain costs two spaces of Counts as complex terrain in that requires swimming to as cats will take far less. As a rough guide: movement to enter. pass through, and as shifting terrain in that it pushes you along the current if you fail your roll. You can set a DC of Creature Size Damage per Two Spaces Tiny 0 Complex easy for swimming with the current and a DC of hard for Small 1d4 Complex terrain require specific movement skills such as swimming against the current. Medium 1d6 Large 1d8 jump, climb, or swim to move through. Huge 1d10 Rocking Ship Colossal 1d12 Shifting Terrain The deck of a ship is similar to the flowing river in that Shifting terrain slides, pushes, and pulls creatures. Be it counts as both complex terrain and shifting terrain. Creatures take half damage when they fall into a pool of sure to note a direction of movement when drawing The rocking ship lists back and forth however, so the water at least two spaces deep. shifting terrain. direction of movement may change every other round or so. A successful balance check may be required to move Damaging Terrain through this terrain without sliding around. Damaging terrain deals damage of a certain type to crea- tures the first time they enter it during a round.

Obstacles Obstacles block movement and block line of sight.

89 Props Doors Terrain should be populated not only with monsters, but The most commonly encounterd props are doors. Doors also with traps, hazards, and destructable bits of terrain. function as obstacles; they block movement and line of We refer to these as props; they are similar to monsters sight while closed. in that they have their own hit points, defenses, and Doors can’t move except to open or close. even attacks, but we consider them to be a part of the Doors may be opened as a minor action if unlocked and terrain. unstuck. Locked doors may be unlocked with the disable skill. Prop abilities compare to similarly leveled enemies as Stuck doors may be broken down with a successful follows: attack roll. Doors can attack physically by swinging or slamming • Props are objects and can be made ineffective by the closed. Disable skill. Doors can attack with trap mechanisms such as poisoned • Props can function as terrain features. needles or electrified door nobs as a reaction when Props have one eighth the hit points of enemies characters try to open them. • Props may have a [Physical Resistance] trait based on their material. Props have no Fortitude or Will abilities, and can’t be affected by attacks that roll against Fortitude or Will. • All basic abilities of props are 0. Props may have Physical Attack or Magic Attack abilities, just like enemies. • Props may be fixed in place instead of moving, or move according to a set path.

90 Pulling It All Together I recommend an ‘arena’ style to building terrain maps for Place obstacles around the map. You can clump them combat scenes. together into walls or space them evenly as pillars. Place your approach and your key at opposite corners of You might make some of the obstacles ‘low’ obstacles the map. meaning that only prone characters can use them for Draw one line, or ‘gutter’ of normal terrain cutting cover. through the map straight from the approach to the key Create pits and elevations to create ledges for characters so that there is a straight but dangerous path from start to climb up for fall off of. to finsish. Make this gutter about 3-5 spaces wide. You’ll Figure out light. Is this space indoors, or outdoors. What place most of your enemies here. time is it? Is there any artifical lighting? Is there smoke? Draw two more gutters of normal terrain going around What are the atmospheric conditions? the edges of the map so that there are three gutters Place props and enemies. Props will help to impede leading from approach to key. Make these gutters about player progress while enemies make their move. Put 2-4 spaces wide. Player characters and enemies alike can some ranged attackers up on platforms, behind cover, or use these paths to skulk around. across pits. Let some quick melee guys charge through Make the large spaces between the gutters some the central gutter while some sneaky guys creep in combination of difficult, complex, shifting, or dangerous through the sides. Place a tough enemy or two guarding terrain. We’ll call these areas ‘the jungle’ even though the key. they don’t have to be an actual jungle. Don’t throw all the enemies at the players all at once. Keep some in reserve; wait to see how the players respond to the first wave of enemies, then send in the second wave.

91 Initiating Combat Combat Difficulty VIII. THREATS Whenever the players provoke violence, behave foolishly, The GM should spend at least one doom point from each

enter a hostile environment, use their dark gifts outside hero active in the combat scene to initiate a combat Core Concepts: of combat, or break the restrictions of their redemptions, scene at easy difficulty. the GM is free to end the current scene and begin a The GM may spend additional doom points from the • Initiating Combat combat scene. heroes in order to increase the combat’s difficulty. • Impending Doom Spend one additional doom point from one of the heroes • Combat Difficulty Impending Doom for a combat scene set at moderate difficulty. • Monster Creation If there is any doubt as to whether combat should begin, Spend one additional doom point from two of the heroes have each heroic player make an appropriate skill or for a combat scene set at hard difficulty. ability roll against a DC equal to their Impending Doom. Spend one additional doom point from three of the A hero’s Impending Doom is equal to their [Doom Pool heroes for a combat scene set at very hard difficulty. - current Doom Score]. It is up to the GM to determine what an appropriate skill or ability roll is. Count up the total number of failed rolls among all heroes in the group.

No failed rolls; Combat does not initiate One failed roll; An easy combat initiates Two failed rolls; A moderate combat initiates Three failed rolls; a hard combat initiates Four or more failed rolls; a very hard combat initiates

92 Monster Costs Making Enemies Minions It costs one doom point to add an enemy of the player To make an enemy, first decide on its level, then decide if Four minions cost the same as one normal enemy of the character’s level to a scene. the enemy is a minion, an elite, or a normal enemy. same level. Adding an enemy of greater level costs one plus the difference in doom points. I don’t recommend using Normal Enemies • Minions have only 1 HP each, but they are not enemies more than three levels higher than the heroes. You may spend one hero’s doom point to add a normal damaged by missed attacks and they are entitled to a You can spend doom points to add lower level enemies to enemy of that hero’s level to a scene. save to avoid being damage by damaging terrain. the scene; one doom point buys you a number of Alternatively, you may spend one doom of a hero’s doom • Minions get a number of skills equal to their level. monsters with total levels equal to the heroes level. I points to add a number of normal monsters to the scene Minions may not have spell-type skills. don’t recommend using enemies less than three levels with total levels equal to the hero’s level. • Minions may not have dark gifts. lower than the heroes. Alternatively, you may add higher level normal enemies to the scene by spending [X] of a hero’s doom points Elites where [X] equals [1 + Monster Level - Hero Level]. One elite costs the same as four normal enemies of the same level. • Normal enemies have [10 + (5 x Level)] HP. • Normal enemies get a number of skills equal to their • Elites have [40 + (20 x Level) HP [Level +1]. • Elites get a number of skills equal to their [Level +2]. • Normal enemies may have up to one dark gift. • Elites may have up to two dark gifts.

93 Enemy Abilities Traits Enemies should have combat abilities roughly as follows. Give monsters whatever traits you think they should • [Fly (X)] (This creature can move up to its fly speed Feel free to adjust as needed: have. They get the [Normal Vision], [Human Size], and through the air.) Attack (Physical or Magic); +5 + Level [Speed 6] traits by default. Monsters should have as • [Spider Climb] (This creature can always take 10 Average Damage; 8 + Level many traits as they need to fill their role, and no more. when using the climb skill, and can climb horizontally Fortitude, Reflex, Will; 12 + Level Four or five is a good number of traits; you can remove across ceilings) Armor; 14 + Level default traits (or reduce their ratings, as with [Speed • [Tremor Sense (X)] (Creatures within X spaces of HP (Normal); 10 + (4 x Level) 6] to make room for different ones, or add vulnerability this creature do not benefit from concealment against HP (Minion); 1 traits to justify additional beneficical traits. Just eyeball this creature.) HP (Elite); 40 +(20 x Level) it. Each monster theme describes traits commonly • [Slither] (This creature is at no disadvantage while associated with monsters of that type. prone; it can crawl at its full speed.) • [Aquatic] (This creature can always take 10 when • [Large] (This creature occupies four spaces instead of using the swim skill, and can stay under water one.) indefinately.) • [Night Vision] (Creatures in dark or dimly lit spaces • [Mindless] (This creature can’t be targeted with skills don’t benefit from concealment against this creature.) that roll against Will defense.) • [Elite] (This creature may spend one hero’s doom • [Swarm] (This creature is made up of a collective point per turn to take an additional action.) mass of smaller organisms. This creature takes • [Spellcaster] (This creature may spend hero’s doom half damage from single target attacks, and double points to pay the cost of its spells.) damage from burst and blast attacks. This creature • [(Type) Resistance (X)] (Whenever this creature can squeeze through any opening that its constiuent takes (Type) damage, subtract (X) from each damage organisms can squeeze through.) die and damage bonus of that type.) • [(Type) Vulnerability (X)] (Whenever this creature takes (Type) damage, add (X) to each damage die and damage bonus of that type.)

94 Example Monster: Big Bad Wolf Level 1 Normal HP: 14 Physical Attack: +6 Magic Attack: +1 Fortitude Defense: 14 Reflex Defense: 14 Will Defense: 11 Armor Defense: 15

Traits: Scent (counts as tremorsense 3) Weapons: x2 Claws (Off-hand, [d6]), Bite (Two-hand, 2d8)

Skills: Disguise (Minor, Scene); The Big Bad Wolf casts an illusion to make it appear as a human being. Successful use of the identify or detect skilsl against a DC of 12 dispels the illusion. Swallow Whole (Automatic, Scene); Triggers when the Big Bad Wolf hits with a bite attack. The target of the attack is removed from play until the Big Bad Wolf is killed. When the Big Bad Wolf is killed, the swallowed character returns to play occupying a space the wolf was occupying.

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