Basic Edition
Basic Edition
Version 1.3
DISCIPLES OF BONE AND SHADOW Basic Edition
Written and designed by Alex T.
Text Copyright © 2020 Blackoath Entertainment & Exalted Funeral
Interior illustrations by Suryas, Wassai Khan, Dave Levi and Ropig Art
Cover illustration by David Lopez - Gnomedesign
Map by Biljana Bralić
Character sheet by David Northcutt
Layout by Alex T.
Edited by Vi Huntsman
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any
form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without permission in
writing from the publisher
Thank you to the following people for playtesting and giving design input:
Miguel Suárez, Federico Moreno, Gonzalo Torres, Biljana Bralić, Arthur H.,
Vi Huntsman, tagger418, and the rest of folks in the Blackoath Discord
channel
Special thanks to Matt Kelley and Exalted Funeral.
ISBN: 978-1-951419-00-4
www.blackoathgames.com
blackoathentertainment@gmail.com
www.exaltedfuneral.com
exaltedfuneral@gmail.com
12 THE FRACTURED DOMINION
14 GETTING STARTED
16
17
19
24
29
32
THE PLAYER CHARACTERS
Attributes
Skills
Archetypes
Magic and Spells
Equipment
36
36
42
52
PLAYING THE GAME
Exploring the Fractured Dominion
Indoor Locations
Combat
58
58
62
66
70
BESTIARY
Vermin
Common Foes
Elite Foes
Tyrants
74 RESCUE PARTY
ALRED woke up with a sharp pain in the back of
his head. He opened his eyes to look around,
but in the light of his lantern he saw only
shadows flickering against the moldy walls of a
pit. His helmet lay safely on a pile of filth beside
him, but the frame of his bone shield had split
after softening his fall. Shaking his head, he
slowly rose to his feet inside the narrow pit.
After a moment of confusion, Alred
remembered what led him here. Following
weeks of searching after clues and rumors, he
had finally found the tomb of Kal-Tharas The
Bleak. He helped an old man from a backwater
Yarani town in exchange for being pointed in
the correct direction, and being told stories
about the man’s youth as a tomb raider. Along
the way he got slightly lost, which is the reason
he had picked up some help from the last
settlement he had visited (what was it, Ishran?
Eshrin?). His new guide was a young lad who
insisted he knew the area. Surprisingly, he had
only needed a couple of days to lead him to this
place, which was impressive enough that he
allowed the boy to come exploring with him
inside the tomb.
That had been his first mistake.
Still dazed by the fall, Alred picked the
lantern off the floor, and surveyed his situation.
If he was being honest, he was surprised to be
alive; these kinds of places were not famous for
being forgiving. He had heard horrific tales of
traps that would fill rooms with poisonous
fumes, killing you before you even realized
something was wrong... He had seen very
primitive but effective traps such as giant
boulders falling on top of comrades, or blades
rushing out from hidden holes in the wall... The
fact that he found himself in what appeared to
be a simple hole in the ground was almost
disappointing. If only the lad had been this
lucky...
They had been inside the cursed tomb for
what had felt like days, and Alred decided it was
time for a break. Stopping in what might have
been an embalming room, they cleared away
8
the rubble to share some cold rations while sitting in the shadows of their
lamps.
Ten minutes later, Alred felt it was time to move on. “Gather our stuff and
be ready to leave in five minutes, I need to take a piss”, he told the lad while he
exited the room. He was starting to like the kid; he was hard working and didn't
ask unnecessary questions.
Alred found a corner, relieved himself and tied his belt, heading back to the
room. “I think I know where we took the wrong turn, I-”, as he entered the
room, he immediately forgot what he was going to say. The lad was in a corner,
his back to the wall and hunting knife in hand. Looming over him was the kind
of abomination you pray only exists around a campfire. It was a monster of
vaguely anthropoid outline, but with a mass of feelers instead of a face. It had a
scaly, rubbery-looking body, prodigious claws on hind and fore feet, and long
narrow tails protruding from its back. The
creature looked as large as two men, with the
low ceiling forcing it to crouch on all fours. This
didn't slow it at all. With prodigious speed, it
rushed towards the lad, enveloping him in its
face-tentacles. The kid stabbed it on the neck
several times, but it didn't seem to even notice.
Alred took his sword and charged forward
before he realized what he was doing, stabbing
the creature in the back. With a hiss, the
abomination snapped its tails at him, sending
him flying across the room. Free of distractions,
it focused its attention back on the kid, who
was struggling against the monster’s tentacles
to no avail. Alred shook his head and looked
around for his sword, which had slipped away
from him. He rolled towards it, picked it up, and
prepared to charge the creature again.
Before he could though, he stopped in his
tracks. Horror invaded his mind as he watched
the creature pin the boy to the wall, open its
tails, stab him all over, and begin sucking out his
innards. The poor kid could do nothing but look
over in disbelief, his face becoming paler as his
life-force drained away.
Alred wasn't sure what happened next; he
vaguely remembered running without any
sense of direction, simply trying to get away
from that thing. After running for what must
have been hours, he fell on his knees, unable to
take another step. From the ground he realized
that somehow, he could still see and looking
down at his hand saw that he was holding his
lantern. A small rational part of his mind must
have made him grab it before running away, or
maybe it was his survival instinct kicking in. Who
cares; the fact was that he had run away, leaving
the poor kid to die alone. He told himself it was
too late to help him anyway and that if he had
stayed, he would have died too. It didn't help.
Better to think of something else. What was
that thing? Plenty of horrors had crossed his
path, from those disgusting snake-people with
their unnatural tools to the unnerving clackering
of a swarm of bloodfeathers. He thought he
knew what kind of terrors Uzrun could throw at
him. He had of course heard the rumors and tales
of ancient beings, creatures beyond time and
space that pacted to serve the tyrants in honor of
the Primordial Ones. Those tales did not prepare
him for the bleak reality now before him.
He had risen from his knees to survey his
surroundings. It seemed he had run in a random
direction; this wasn't the way they had come in.
The walls seemed older, made from a different
kind of stone than the rest of the tunnels. There
was no point trying to retrace his steps, and he
wasn't sure he wanted to, anyway. He picked a
tunnel with a slight upwards inclination and
started walking.
It was then that he had fallen, swallowed by
a suddenly non-existent floor.
Too late to lament my past actions now, he
thought. He needed to look for a way out this
hole, to find an exit and escape the horrors of the
tomb. Ideally, he would be leaving with that relic, but he was going to require
extra help to do so.
While he was untying the rope wrapped around his waist, saved for just this
type of situation, he thought he heard some distant noise. Stopping to listen, he
held his breath. There it was, a distant, faint rumble. What was that? Was it the
creature, chasing after him? He really needed to get out of here.
With a loud rushing noise, he felt something begin pouring over him, in a
relentless cascade. It was so sudden and violent that the lamp was knocked out
9
10
of his hand. Was it...sand? It was! Sand was pouring from somewhere above
him, quickly filling in the hole. It seems the actual trap had been delayed, giving
him a few minutes. Minutes he had just spent thinking of how he got into this
situation, instead of getting himself out of it.
Things didn't look good; in a matter of seconds the sand had reached his
knees. He tried pulling his legs out but couldn't. Fighting against panic, he
remembered a tale about having to roll your body over if you got trapped in
quicksand. He lowered himself, trying to liberate at least one of his legs. The
tales hadn’t taken into consideration there may be tons of sand pouring over
your head while you are trying to free your legs...
Dread began to consume him entirely, the sand now imprisoning him from
the waist-down as he realized this is how all his endeavors would end, with a
series of bad decisions...
After a muffled scream for help, silence returned to the tomb once again.
THE FRACTURED
DOMINION
12
The Twilight. The Never Realm.
Uzrun's Husk. The Fractured
Dominion is a place of many names,
as many and varied as the peoples
who inhabit it. This is not a friendly
place; food is scarce, death comes
swiftly and unexpectedly, and the
relentless winds have carved away
most of the land's distinctive
geographical features millennia ago,
leaving only desolate planes and
dunes the color of old bones.
Nomadic tribes of different nations
roam these lands, with settlements
being rare and separated by vast
distances.
In this place of eternal dusk, the
sun never truly sets or rises. A land of
perpetual shadow, the Fractured
Dominion is the only truly
inhabitable area in Uzrun, the
demon-world. In the North lies a land
of eternal sunshine and maddening
heat; those who wander too deep
into the Scorched Wastes rarely
come back. In the South lies the Land
of the Conquered Sun, a place of
never-ending darkness, with cold
and unspeakable horrors lurking in
its frozen landscape.
The Twilight’s horizons are
dominated by the solitary fortresses
of the Tyrants, which stand strong
and menacing. These colossal
buildings, constructed by thousands
of slaves that are always sacrificed
after they are no longer needed, are
the only constant; as soon as one is
left behind, the threatening
silhouette of another can be seen in
the distance. People live in a
perpetual state of terror, always in
fear of being taken away into one of
these horrific structures never to be
seen again. The masters of these
fortresses, generally known as
Tyrants, are beings of vast power.
Corrupted creatures that have struck
a deal with the terrible Primordial
Ones. For as long as anyone can
remember, they have ruled over the
land with fear, some of them (a very
few) with a semblance of control,
allowing a sliver of civilization to
appear in small pockets. However,
most of the land’s rulers are wholly
chaotic beasts, whose actions are so
far removed from normal human
behavior that they better resemble
forces of nature, with their wrath
striking as quickly and unpredictably
as a sandstorm.
Some say it was not always like
this. Obscure legends talk of a time
when Uzrun was a land of blessings
and growth, with seasons warm and
cold, days of light and darkness, a
place of both hope and life. There,
society flourished to levels not even
dreamed of today. Trade and
civilization embraced the globe
during a time when precious metal
could be found under the soil
without much effort. Nowadays
nearly everybody lives a nomadic
way of life, roaming the Twilight
looking for their next opportunity.
Metal tools and weapons are almost
never seen, the nomads making do
with bones and stones. This land is a
place where horrors abound,
stalking you down every path, even
those in your mind. For those
fearless (or stupid) enough, this is an
opportunity, a path to power.
Occasionally one such person may
find a relic of the past, and use it to
carve their name in red. They fight
their way through forgotten ruins
and hidden caves, finding tomes of
power filled with secrets which
slowly rot their minds. The majority
of these will become wild mindless
beasts. This is a place of death, fear
and suffering.
However, those who can resist
corruption, those who are brave,
strong and smart enough, they can
eke out a dangerous living. The
world is full of opportunities: ancient
temples with forgotten treasures to
be ransacked, hidden hideouts full of
bandit loot, and perhaps if one was
desperate enough to face the
horrors inside, even the mighty
fortresses of the Tyrants have their
rewards.
Most certainly, death awaits.
But isn't the alternative worse? A
short life full of uncertainty is the
only guarantee in the Fractured
Dominion.
Well, what are you waiting for?
“UZRUN, THE WORLD DEMON, THE
FATHER OF BEASTS. WE CRAWL OVER
HIS SKIN AS VERMIN, AND PRAY HE
DOESN'T GROW TIRED OF US AND
SHAKES US OFF INTO THE VOID...”
13
GETTING STARTED
14
Disciples of Bone and Shadow is a
role-playing game designed to be
played solo, although it could be
played with other players and even a
Game Master, if so desired. The
game takes place in a dark and
dangerous
place
called
The
Fractured Dominion where the only
constants are conflict, suffering and
the eternal Twilight. The player(s)
will make a group of characters to
explore a dark world full of peril and
adventure, slowly progressing in
power and taking on bigger and
bigger challenges. This is not a
simulation game, and as such there is
little to no preparation required prior
to the gaming session. The rules
presented in the following pages are
your guide for creating an exciting
and changing world in a matter of
minutes. There is very little you need
to play Disciples of Bone and
Shadow: You will need this book, a
pencil, some dice, and a few sheets
of graph paper (provided for you in
the back) before you’re ready to
generate and explore a whole world
full of enemies, dungeons, fortresses
and treasure. Your characters will
most likely die (a lot), but you can
create new ones and have them
ready to face new dangers in a
matter of minutes.
The Dice
This game uses several polyhedral
dice, annotated as D6, D10, D12, etc.
with the number indicating the
number of sides each die has. This
style of game is what’s called a “roll
under” system, meaning that you
will have a value from 1 to 100 in
several different Skills, or from 1 to
20 for Attributes, and when asked to
perform a Skill Test or Attribute Test,
you will need to roll less than the
given number in order to succeed.
Example: Zarna suspects there is
something off in the room she just
entered, so she decides to check it
thoroughly. For that she will use her
Perception Skill which is 45, meaning
she has a 45% chance of success. She
rolls two ten-sided dice, one for the
tens and one for the units place
(D100), and rolls a 34. Since this is
under 45, Zarna succeeds in her
search, finding a hidden stash of
books!
Throughout the book we will
use the following dice codes. These
examples use the ten-sided die
(D10), but the following can be
applied to any die:
- D10: Roll a die (ten-sided, in this
case).
- 2D10: Roll two ten-sided dice
and add the results.
- 2D10+X: Roll two dice, add
them together, and add X (the
specific number will be determined
by the rules) to the total.
- D10-X: Roll one die and subtract
X (the specific number will be
determined by the rules) from the
result.
- D10+L : Roll a die and add the
character’s level.
- D5: Roll a die and divide the
result by two, rounding up. Other
“half-dice” that may be used are D3
and D50.
- D100: Roll two ten-sided dice of
different color, reading the first as
“tens” and the second as “units” or
“ones”, generating a number from 1
to 100.
The Paper Grids
Later in this book you will find rules
for exploration, which will tell you
how to move your party of
characters across the landscape and
through adventure locations in the
Fractured
Dominion,
finding
challenges and opportunities along
the way. When traversing the land,
you will use a Hex Graph to choose
the direction you move, and to keep
record of what is in each area, or
‘Hex’. However, when delving into
caves, hideouts, or the mighty
fortresses of the Tyrants, you will
instead use an Adventure Grid.
If you enjoy this basic version of the rules,
you may consider upgrading to the Narrative
Playbook or the Disciples of Bone & Shadow:
Conquered Sun edition, which take these rules
beyond the basic dungeon/hex crawling,
turning the game unto a full-fledged RPG
that can even be enjoyed with others, while
still completely soloable.
More info at www.blackoathgames.com
15
THE PLAYER
CHARACTERS
16
You will start your journey exploring
the Fractured Dominion by creating
a party of characters. As a solo
player, start with two characters but
if the game is too challenging you are
free to make a third or fourth if you
choose. If there are more players,
you can each control two characters
or simply one each.
First you will need a piece of
paper to track each character’s
statistics. You may use a pre-printed
character sheet, or you may simply
use a piece of notebook paper. Use a
pencil to write down all information,
as any statistic may change during
play.
Besides the numbers generated
before play, your character exists
entirely in your mind. As such, you
may decide on a name, gender,
appearance, and background for
them if you wish.
No Classes
There are no classes in Disciples of
Bone and Shadow; during character
creation you create your characters
as you see fit by choosing which
stats to increase, and selecting items
from the available starting gear (as
long as you can afford it). Every
player character starts at Level 1
with 10 points on each Attribute and
a Max Corruption of 10. You also
begin with 20 points to distribute
among the Primary Attributes, and
200 points to spend increasing your
Skills up to a value of 50.
ATTRIBUTES
Attributes are the foundation your character is built upon. All player characters
(and some non-player characters) have the following Primary Attributes:
- Strength (STR): This determines how strong your character is, and how
capable they are of performing feats of physical might such as lifting something
heavy or breaking an object. It also determines how much gear you can carry
without being encumbered.
- Dexterity (DEX): This describes how good you are at doing things that
require you to be nimble or good with your hands, such as dodging and lock
picking.
- Constitution (CON): This measures how resistant your character is to
damage, and how well they fare against harmful effects such as poisons or
diseases.
- Will (WILL): This defines your mental strength and ego. As such, it is a key
attribute for anyone dealing with ancient pan-dimensional beings. It allows you
to stand your ground and increases the chance your endeavors with such beings
end well.
- Intelligence (INT): This shows how cunning and capable you are at mental
tasks. You will use it when you need to think things through before acting, or to
solve a puzzle or riddle.
- Charisma (CHAR): This tells you how likable you are. You will use your
charisma to get information, and gain advantages with NPCs.
In addition to the Primary Attributes described above, your character has
the following Secondary Attributes:
- Health Points (Constitution x 3): Health Points (HP) are a measure of how
much damage a character can take before they die. This number is derived from
Constitution, so a character with a Constitution of 12 will have 36 HP. Once a
character's HP reaches 0, they are dead. Characters regenerate 5 HP naturally
per day, and when you exit a location such as ruins, caves or a fortress, all
characters return to full health.
- Max Corruption: Max Corruption determines how many Corruption Points
(CP) you can accumulate before your character is lost to the Primordial Ones. A
character is lost when their Corruption equals their Max Corruption. We will talk
in detail about corruption in the section of this book dedicated to magic and
spells.
17
18
Occasionally, you will need to
complete an Attribute Test. To do
this, you roll a 20-sided die (D20),
attempting to roll less than the
indicated Primary Attribute to be
successful and pass the test. Keep in
mind though that a result of 1 is
always a failure!
Example: Awon-ra has been
captured by the Coven of the Setting
Sun and finds himself locked in a
room. The room's door seems to be
quite old, so Awon-ra thinks he can
smash it open. He performs an
Attribute Test against his Strength
(which is 15). He takes a D20 and rolls
a 13, enough to pass the check and
smash the door open!
Sometimes an Attribute Test will
have a positive or negative modifier.
This modifier changes your target
number and is calculated before
performing the test.
Example: After escaping his cell,
Awon-ra discovers a trip wire right
around the corner, by the proven
method of snapping it! He must
perform a DEX (-5) Test to avoid being
hit by a falling log. Awon-ra has a DEX
of 12, but with the modifier applied it
acts as a 7! He rolls a 1 on his D20, and
even though that was under the
modified target of 7, a 1 is always a
failure, meaning the log strikes him
right in the face.
SKILLS
Now that we know the innate capabilities of your characters, it's time we see
how their experiences have shaped them and what they learned in their past.
Skills represent a character's prowess in a variety of fields. This value can go
from 0 (complete incompetence) to 100 (total mastery). These are percentual
values, so if a character has 55 in the ‘One-Handed Melee Weapons’ skill, they
have a 55% chance of being successful when attacking with a knife. Whenever
you are asked to perform a Skill Test, roll a D100. If the result is below your skill's
value, the check is successful.
You will need to determine the starting value for each Skill in the list below.
Some skills are calculated using your Attributes, while others have a set starting
value indicated in parentheses. Calculate these before increasing skills during
character creation. When distributing your 200 points among the available
starting skills, you can increase any skill you wish up to a maximum of 50 points.
Increasing and Acquiring Skills
Your character starts with only a few skills but during gameplay they will be able
to learn new ones and improve the ones they have. Each time a character levels
up, they earn 2 Enhancement Points. With these points you'll be able to
purchase new skills and spells or increase the value of existing skills. If you
decide to spend EP increasing a skill, 1 EP equals 10 skill points. You may save EP
or distribute them as skill points, but you must distribute all 10 redeemed skill
points at a time and may not save them for later. The cost of each new skill and
spell is shown in the corresponding description.
19
Starting Skills
These are the skills all characters have access to when starting the game.
They are basic abilities possessed by all, as they are required for survival in
The Fractured Dominion.
20
- Dodge (DEX x 2): In hand-to-hand combat, knowing how to dodge an
enemy's blows will come in handy more than once. A crucial skill if you're
planning on engaging enemies in melee. Scoring a critical success with a
dodge means you immediately win the initiative next turn and gain a +5 skill
bonus to your next attack.
- First Aid (20): Knowing how to properly make a tourniquet or stitch up a
wound can literally save your life. If you successfully pass a First Aid Skill Test,
you may use a bandage you’ve purchased to remove the Bleeding condition,
or heal D6 HP. You may only heal a max of 50 HP per character each
adventure this way, and it may only be used outside of combat, once per
room.
- One-Handed Melee Weapons (STR + DEX): This measures your skill at
attacking with melee weapons that require the use of one hand such as
knives, swords, clubs, etc.
- Parry (STR + DEX x 2): This defensive skill may only be used by a character
wielding a melee weapon. Rolling a successful critical parry against an attack
allows you to immediately react with a free counterattack, dealing half your
normal damage. A critical fail while parrying with a bone weapon will break
the weapon.
- Perception (20): If you can't find them, it doesn't matter how many
powerful grimoires are hidden in the library. Your character will use this skill
whenever they need to find or be aware of something.
- Ranged Weapons (DEX): This measures your skill with any type of ranged
weapon, including bows and slings.
- Sneaking (DEX x 2): Occasionally, you will want to avoid combat instead of
confronting a dangerous enemy. This skill will allow you to do so, provided
the enemy is not yet aware of you. You will find more details on how to use
this skill on page 50.
- Throw (STR + DEX): A useful skill to have if you're going to be using javelins
or throwing the occasional knife.
- Two-Handed Melee Weapons (STR x 2): This measures your skill with
bigger, heavier melee weapons such as heavy swords, sledgehammers and
polearms.
- Unarmed (STR + DEX): Unarmed combat includes back-alley dirty fighting,
elegant martial arts mastery, and anything in between. This skill comes in
handy in all those situations when you don't have a weapon at hand. An
unarmed character deals D4-1 damage per attack (mininum of 1).
Advanced Skills
Most of the following skills are acquired by spending EP earned from
levelling up, after finding a trainer in a Settlement who will teach it to you in
exchange for a small monetary fee. The rest of the skills are instead acquired
by adopting a new archetype. If the skill can be learned, it will have an EP cost
beside the skill's name. Starting characters have 0 in all Advanced Skills, but
upon purchasing one calculate its value if noted below.
- Cleave (2 EP): A character starts with a value equal to their DEX+STR in this
skill. When attacking, deal half the damage of your melee weapon to all
additional enemies in front of you. May be used only with two-handed
weapons.
- Disarm Traps (1 EP): A character starts with a value equal to their DEX in this
skill. When encountering a trap, pass a Skill Test to disarm it. If you fail, you've
triggered the trap and it goes off. Successfully using this skill grants 20 XP.
- Haggling (1 EP): A character starts with a value equal to their WILL in this
skill. If you pass a Skill Test, you can sell your obtained loot for full price,
instead of the regular half.
- Lock-Picking (1 EP): A character starts with a value equal to their DEX in this
skill. This allows characters to use lock picks to attempt picking a lock.
Successfully using this skill grants 20 XP.
- Point Blank Shot (2 EP): A character starts with a value equal to their DEX in
this skill. This skill allows the character to shoot with a ranged weapon while
in melee range. Prerequisite: Only available to players with 50 or more in the
Ranged Weapons skill.
- Shield Bash (Archetype Exclusive): A character starts with a value equal to
their DEX+STR in this skill. Once per encounter, and only while equipped with
a shield, you can perform an extra attack that deals D10 damage.
21
Passive Skills
Once you learn a Passive Skill (via archetypes or with a trainer) you will be
able to activate it or benefit from its effects without performing a Skill Test.
You may pick each only once.
22
- Abomination Slayer (1 EP): A character with this skill deals 1 extra damage
per attack when fighting against abominations.
- Aggressive Stance (2 EP): As combat begins, you can activate this ability to
gain a bonus of +20 to offensive skills while taking a penalty of -20 to
defensive skills. You may toggle this on or off before entering combat, but
not during.
- Beast Slayer (1 EP): A character with this skill deals 1 extra damage per
attack when fighting against beasts.
- Blood of the Ancients (1 EP): When performing a CON Test, roll two dice
and choose the lower result.
- Brawny (1 EP): Increase your available Gear Slots by 5.
- Bridle the Darkness (Archetype Exclusive): Increase your Max Corruption by 1.
- Defensive Stance (2 EP): As combat begins, you can activate this ability to
gain a bonus of +20 to defensive skills while taking a penalty of -20 to your
offensive skills. You may toggle this on or off before entering combat, but
not during.
- Dual Wielding (3 EP): You may perform a bonus off-hand attack every turn,
with a penalty of -40 applied to the second attack.
- Field Medic (1 EP): You heal an extra D4 HP each time you use the First Aid
skill.
- Foraging (Archetype Exclusive): This character consumes half as many
supplies per day, thanks to their ability to find sources of food and water in
the wild.
- Fortify (1 EP): The next time you are hit by an attack, it deals the minimum
possible damage. For example, a D6+1 attack will deal 2 damage. You must
relinquish your turn in order to activate this talent.
- Hold Back the Darkness (1 EP): When rolling against a spell's Corruption
Level, roll with +1.
- Iron Will (1 EP): When performing a WILL Test, roll 2 dice and choose the
lower result.
- Leadership (Archetype Exclusive): When rolling for initiative, add +5 to
your result.
- Magic Resistance (1 EP): While performing WILL Tests against magic, add
+5 to your WIL.
- Marksmanship (1 EP): You may relinquish your turn to aim with a Ranged
Weapon, doubling the damage of your next attack.
- Night Vision (Archetype Exclusive): This character doesn't need a source
of light and receives no penalties when fighting in the dark.
- Primal Strength (1 EP): When performing a STR Test, roll two dice and
choose the lower result.
- Rapid Fire (3 EP): You may fire a ranged weapon twice on the same turn,
with a penalty of -40 to the second shot.
- Snake Blood (1 EP): When making a CON Test versus poison, add +5 to your
CON.
- Shield Expertise (1 EP): Allows this character to use a shield without the
combat penalty, or in the case of Heavy Shields a reduced penalty.
- Undead Slayer (1 EP): A character with this skill deals 1 extra damage per
attack when fighting against undead enemies.
- Weapon Specialization (1 EP): Choose a One-Handed Weapon from the
weapon list. All your attacks with that weapon deal +1 damage. This skill may
be picked several times, once per weapon.
- Well Coordinated (1 EP): When performing a DEX Test, roll 2 dice and choose
the lower result.
23
24
ARCHETYPES
Archetypes are player character templates with predetermined Skills and
Attributes that you can choose to start with, or that you can acquire through play.
These archetypes represent the most common roles and play styles, and they can
serve as a guide for when you are unsure of what to do with your characters.
There are also added benefits to using archetypes: they each have one exclusive
perk in the form of a stat bonus, an exclusive skill or spell, or even access to
unusual equipment. Ideally, you will spend your EP as you level up so that you
meet the conditions described on each of the archetypes, thus “collecting” any
archetype you are interested in and gaining new and exclusive skills.
Free-form characters (those that do not choose to use a starting
Archetype) start the game with 100 to spend as they will.
Starting Archetypes
Although you are free to create a character from scratch and distribute your
points as you want, choosing one of the starting archetypes is a great idea if
you’re looking for a place to start, or you don't want to worry as much about
balancing your stats. Starting archetypes are slightly more powerful than
what a beginning free-form character can be, since their starting stats are
very cost-efficient. Starting archetypes also begin the game with some gear
suitable to their skills and enough provisions to last a week. The attribute
values given are not a minimum, you must have exactly the value required.
You are free to spend the remainder of your 20 starting points on the other
Attributes as you wish.
Acolyte
Prerequisites: CON 14 / WILL 16 / CHAR 15
- Max Corruption +1
- Spell: Shadow Flames (1 daily use)
- Starting Gear: Mace, 1 Bandage, 2D20 .
An Acolyte is someone who has seen the power of the Tyrants and wants it for
their own. They have stumbled upon secret knowledge and started a path
towards ascension... or madness.
Brawler
Prerequisites: CON 16 / STR 16
- Skill: Aggressive Stance
- Starting Gear: Any one-handed weapon and a shield, or a two-handed
weapon, 3d10 .
A Brawler is a character used to the rough life of the Never Realm; They know
how to give a beating, and how to take one as well. They also know their life will
probably be short, bloody and miserable, but plan on going out swinging.
Burglar
Prerequisites: DEX 18 / INT 14 / CHAR 12
- Skill: Lock-Picking
- Skill: Disarm Traps
- Starting Gear: Lock picks, any one-handed weapon, 3D10 .
Wherever any semblance of civilization rises, the arrival of thieves and burglars
is guaranteed. A Burglar knows how to avoid harm and get into places they
don’t belong, making them perfect for adventuring.
Hunter
Prerequisites: DEX 16 / CON 12 / STR 14
- Skill: Foraging
- Skill: Marksmanship
- Starting Gear: Short bow and quiver, any one-handed weapon, 1 bandage,
2D10 .
Hunters act as civilization’s backbone for many of the diverse peoples of the
Fractured Dominion. Playing the role of providers and defenders, they are wellliked and respected anywhere they go.
Vitalist
Prerequisites: CON 10 / INT 18 / WILL 18
- Spell: Cauterize (2 daily uses)
- Spell: Cleanse Poison (1 daily use)
- Starting Gear: Any one-handed weapon and a shield, 4D10 .
A Vitalist has chosen to restore what the agents of the Primordial Ones have
taken away, healing ailments and taking the role of witch doctor or medicineman among the desert tribes as they risk their mind with every wound healed.
25
26
Advanced Archetypes
The following list shows players the kind of characters they can strive
towards playing. Each archetype lists the attributes, skills and spells which
are required to qualify for the unique bonuses of each. In the case of
required attributes, the values given are the minimum amount necessary,
characters may surpass them. Once your characters acquire a specific
archetype, the benefits that come with it are permanent even if they reach
the requirements for a second archetype.
Apothecary
Prerequisites: First Aid: 70 / Spell: Cauterize / Weapon Specialization: Mace
Each time an Apothecary kills an Elite Foe, they may collect its essence. They
use these to craft unique concoctions:
- 3 Elite Essences: Healing Salve. Once per day/adventure apply this salve
to heal D20 Health Points.
- 3 Elite Essences: Poison Salve. Apply this to become immune to
poisons for a whole adventure.
- 4 Elite Essences: Agility Salve. You may use this to apply a bonus of +20
to a character's defensive stats during an adventure.
An Apothecary has learned how to harvest beasts that have been twisted by
dark energies to create useful remedies and potions. Their work is very
appreciated among those who dare oppose the Tyrants and their forces,
providing a much needed edge against them.
Bloodsage
Prerequisites: CON 18 / First Aid: 80 / Parry: 60
Requires knowing any two spells, one of which must be a Blood spell.
A Bloodsage may drain another character's wounds and inflict them upon
themselves. Once per day/adventure, a Bloodsage may heal any number of
HP from another character, with the Bloodsage receiving an equal amount
of damage. They will then regenerate 1 HP per room or corridor explored
until fully healed.
There is power in blood, and the Bloodsage has learned how to use it for the
greater good. By sacrificing their flesh (and more of often than not, their soul),
they desperately work to make the Fractured Dominion a better place.
Executioner
Prerequisites: Weapon Specialization: Two-handed axe / Two-Handed
Melee Weapons: 70 / Parry: 50
Once per Settlement visit, an executioner may ask the elders for work. Roll
a D10. On a roll of 1-8 there is an execution to take care of, earning D100 .
Feared in almost any civilized place, executioners transform their skills in
wielding heavy weapons into a profitable way of life.
Mender
Prerequisites: CON 14 / First Aid: 80
No EP may have been spent on spells before becoming a Mender.
Once per day/adventure, a Mender may heal D10 HP from a character.
A Mender is a traditional healer, respected by the community for their
insistence on using traditional healing methods instead of resorting to dark
arts.
Penitent
Prerequisites: CON 16 / Weapon Specialization: Club / Passive Skill: Blood of
the Ancients
No EP may have been spent on defensive skills before becoming a Penitent.
As a Penitent, after losing 10 Health Points in the same combat your next
attack deals an extra +5 damage. This bonus does not persist between
fights and must be used immediately.
A Penitent knows they have sins to atone for, repenting by purposely putting
themselves in dangerous situations. They then channel the pain and shame
they suffer into pure rage, cleansing themselves of their past mistakes.
Pugilist
Prerequisites: Unarmed 60 / Dodge 60
Once per adventure, a pugilist may perform a focused uppercut that deals
20 damage; use the character's Unarmed skill to determine if it hits.
When things start heating up, a Pugilist decides to leave all weapons aside and
trust their fists over anything else. Years of training in the tough streets of the
Fractured Dominion have given them a honed edge, one that applies against
any opponent, be it from this world or another.
Purifier
Prerequisites: WILL 16 / Passive Skill: Magic Resistance / Weapon
Specialization: Staff
A Purifier ignores the Defense of magic-casting creatures.
Once a character becomes a Purifier, they are not allowed to learn or cast
spells of any kind.
Having witnessed too many times the corruptive effects of magic, a Purifier is
a character that decides to take matters into their own hands, hunting down
any spellcaster and swearing to cleanse the blight of magic from this land.
27
28
Scholar
Prerequisites: WILL 16 / Passive Skill: Magic Resistance
Requires knowing any four spells.
Becoming a Scholar grants an extra daily use of any known spell.
Scholars are always found in abandoned ruins and forbidden places. They
search for secret knowledge left behind by the mad and the powerful, halfknowingly descending towards the same dark place in their minds that
destroyed their predecessors.
Slave Master
Prerequisites: CON 16 / Any Offensive Skill: 60 / Any Defensive Skill: 50 /
Passive Skill: Iron Will
Becoming a Slave Master grants the Leadership skill.
A Slave Master is accustomed to making others follow their commands, a
surprisingly useful trait in the middle of a bloody melee.
Stalker
Prerequisites: Passive Skill: Snake Blood / Spell: Invisibility / Dodge: 70 /
Weapon Specialization: Dagger
Becoming a Stalker grants the Night Vision skill.
Stalkers learned their trade in the Land of the Conquered Sun, and it is in those
familiar shadows that they find themselves most comfortable. Their pact with
the night grants them predator-like abilities, making it no wonder they are
feared across the whole of the Fractured Dominion.
Watchman
Prerequisites: Any Defensive Skill: 50 / Passive Skill: Defensive Stance /
Passive Skill: Shield Expertise
Becoming a Watchman grants the Shield Bash skill.
As soon as a settlement starts to grow, the necessity of hiring Watchmen
becomes clear. These specialized warriors rely on their shield to keep them
safe from the frequent assaults of pillagers and the occasional drunken bar
fight.
MAGIC AND SPELLS
Magic is a very dangerous and fairly
rare thing in the Fractured Dominion.
It is usually associated with Tyrants
and their masters the Primordial
Ones, which means that a person
seen casting a spell near civilization
will be immediately killed. Those
who deal in these forbidden arts will
doubtless end their days as one of
the countless abominations that
roam the Savage Sands... Despite
this, power calls to many who search
forgotten ruins hoping to find tomes
of power containing the secret to
becoming a Tyrant themselves, or at
least to living a longer, easier life.
The only way player characters
can obtain a spell (aside from some
starting archetypes) is by finding a
scroll or tome of spells. Once a
character finds a spell they want to
learn, they must spend the EP cost to
obtain it. This will grant the character
a single use of that spell per day or
adventure. Further daily uses may be
purchased at a cost of 1 EP,
regardless of the initial EP cost. If a
character doesn't have enough EP to
learn a spell right away, they may
simply keep the scroll or tome in
their inventory until they are ready
to learn it. Only one character may
utilize a scroll or tome to learn a
spell, and the object is destroyed in
the process.
A darker and even more
forbidden form of magic is Blood
Magic. This twisted art requires the
caster to spill their own blood to cast
spells. This is done by sacrificing
Health Points, as described in each
Blood Magic spell.
Corruption
Each spell has a Corruption Level
(CL). Each time a player character
casts a spell, they must roll against
this number, targeting the number or
above. For example, the CL of
Shadow Flames is 6, which means
the character must roll a 6 or more
with a D10. If the character fails the
roll, the spell still works (unless the
result was 1) but they also gain 1
Corruption Point (CP). There are a
few ways of keeping corruption at
bay, but the most common ones are
defeating a Tyrant or completing a
task. Player characters that defeat a
Tyrant or successfully complete a
task may remove 2 CP. Once a
character reaches their Corruption
Maximum, they are irredeemably lost
and should be considered dead. They
may not be resurrected in any way
because they are not actually dead,
they have simply become another
pawn of the Primordial Ones.
Learning a Spell
Once a character obtains a spell they
want to learn and have the EP
necessary to learn it, they must
perform an INT Test. If they pass,
they learn the spell. If they fail, their
mind is flooded by visions not
intended for the human mind, and
they gain 1 Corruption Point. They
may re-try learning the spell 24 hours
later. If this is the end of your gaming
session for the day, you may simply
roll until the character passes the
Skill Test, adding 1 CP per failure.
Note that EP is not spent until
the spell is successfully learned.
29
S���� T���� (D12)
30
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Bind Death
Breath of C'athrhi
Cauterize
Elemental Immunity
Cleanse Poison
Find Traps
Invisibility
Orb of Light
Pain Transfer
Regeneration
Shadow Flames
Viper Strike
Spell Descriptions
- Bind Death (1 EP): CL7. Blood Magic. Tentacles of blood shoot from the
caster's arms. For each Health Point the caster sacrifices, they deal 2 direct
damage to an undead enemy.
- Breath of C'athrhi (2 EP): CL8. Blood Magic. A red mist manifests and
embraces nearby enemies, poisoning them. The caster sacrifices 5 HP, and
deals D8 damage to each enemy.
- Cauterize (1 EP): CL4. A searing, hellish heat closes the character's wounds.
Heal D10+L from one character.
- Cleanse Poison (1 EP): CL4. The caster summons a black needle that digs into
the character's flesh, cleansing it from poison. Remove the Poisoned effect
from one character.
- Elemental Immunity (2 EP): CL6. You feel a shift within you, as a burst of flies
pour out of your mouth. For one combat you are immune to all elementalbased effects and conditions (Burning, Chilled, etc.).
- Find Traps (1 EP): CL4. A nauseating sensation invades the caster while in the
proximity of a trap. During the remainder of the adventure (if in an interior
setting) or a full day (when outside), the character can detect any traps
before they are activated. Notice that this does not mean the trap is
neutralized. The party will still need to find a way to disarm it, or they may
simply avoid the area where the trap is located.
- Invisibility (1 EP): CL6. The caster's shadow envelopes them, making them
disappear to the naked eye. The caster becomes invisible and may sneak
behind the enemy. Your next attack is an automatic critical success, and
enemies can't target you that turn.
- Orb of Light (1 EP): CL6. An orb of bleak light appears, floating in front of you
like a sick, otherworldly firefly. This spell allows you and your party to see in
interior settings and during the night without torches or lamps. Its effects
last for a whole adventure.
- Pain Transfer (2 EP): CL7. Blood Magic. The caster slowly crosses their arms
with a sharp blade, letting the blood drip to the floor where it bursts into
flames. For each Health Point the caster sacrifices, 1 direct damage is dealt
to an enemy.
- Regeneration (2 EP): CL5. A crust of living shadow forms around the caster's
wounds, pulsating but soothing the pain. The caster heals D10+L of their own
Health Points, at a rate of 2 per turn.
- Shadow Flames (2 EP): CL6. Flames made of shadows jump from the darkest
corners of the room, engulfing the target. Shadow Flames deals HP damage
to an enemy, equaling the caster's INT.
- Viper Strike (1 EP): CL4. Immediately apply Poison to one enemy.
31
EQUIPMENT
32
What little metal there is in the
Fractured Dominion is not wasted
making coins. Instead, seashells are
the
main
currency
among
settlements and nomadic tribes.
Somewhat rare, these can be found
in certain areas of the wastes, telling
a tale of a much more pleasant past
in which the southern oceans were
not yet frozen. Some of the shells
are plain but polished seashells while
others have a settlement's sigil or
even a Tyrant's name and personal
seal carved into them. Sometimes
precious and semi-precious stones
are used instead of shells, since they
are smaller and more practical.
When a character has wealth
measured in thousands of shells, it is
presumably being carried in the form
of precious stones such as diamonds
and rubies. For gameplay reasons all
values are measured in shells.
For weapons and tools,
substitutes for metal can be found in
combinations of bone, stone, leather
and wood. The items listed below
are made of these standard
materials. Only rich merchants,
nobility and some elite troops are
seen carrying metal weapons or
armor, although there is always the
chance a lucky scavenger has
managed to find a relic from the past
buried in the ruins.
Characters may purchase any
item from the list below from any
settlement of the Fractured
Dominion. They may also sell their
own equipment and loot from their
travels at half the standard market
price.
Tracking Weight
A character can only carry a certain
number of items at once. This
number is indicated by their Gear
Slots (GS), which is equal to their
STR. Items with a ‘GS’ value in their
description occupy Gear Slots to
simulate their weight. Luckily, small
items such as trinkets, potions, etc.
do not count towards the maximum
amount of gear you may carry. For
each GS a character fills beyond their
maximum, they will receive a
cumulative -1 to all DEX Tests.
Optional Rule: Provisions
Players wanting a bit more realism
and danger in their games can
introduce the concept of provisions.
Characters need to carry provisions
(food and water) with them to
survive. A player character will need
to consume 1 Ration per day to be in
optimal condition. If they do not do
so, they will suffer a -10 to all skill rolls
after three days without provisions,
until they eat again. If a character
goes for a whole week without
provisions, they will die.
E�������� ����
Antidote – 20
Bandage – 5
Healing Tincture – 150
Heavy Armor – 100 – 5 GS
Heavy Shield – 15 – 2 GS
Horse – 250
Lantern – 10 – 1 GS
Light Armor – 50 – 3 GS
Lock Picks – 10
Long Bow – 30 – 2 GS
Mule – 150
One-Handed Weapon – 15 – 1 GS
One Day Rations – 5
Rope – 10 – 1 GS
Shield – 20 – 2 GS
Short bow – 15 – 1 GS
Two-Handed Weapon – 30 – 2 GS
- Antidote: A character who drinks
this may remove the Poisoned
condition.
- Bandage: Each use of the First Aid
skill requires having 1 bandage, so it
is wise to stock up on these when
you get the chance.
- Healing Tincture: As its name
indicates, this is a remedy that any
character may use to heal their
wounds, returning them to full
health. It may be used in combat
instead of attacking or casting a
spell. Only one may be used each
day/adventure.
- Heavy Armor: Assorted pieces of
leather and bone sewn together in
layers,
offering
much
more
protection than the standard leather
light armor, but allowing less
freedom of movement. Absorbs 3
damage per attack, penalty of -2
DEX.
- Heavy Shield: A sturdy frame of
bones, bark and leather that covers
half of the character's body. Gain +20
to Parry but requires a free hand.
Penalty of -20 to attack skills if the
character doesn't have the Shield
Expertise skill, and a penalty of -10 if
they do.
- Horse: This sturdy animal is a beast
of burden, able to carry 20 GS worth
of items. It also allows characters to
traverse terrain at twice the normal
speed, effectively halving the
Rations required during travel.
33
34
- Lantern: A basic source of light, a
lantern is indispensable to anyone
planning to explore caves and other
dark places. A lantern occupies one
free hand, meaning the character
will not be able to equip two-handed
weapons, bows or shields. Not
carrying a light source while fighting
in the dark will result in a -30 to all
Skill Tests.
- Light Armor: This handmade armor
is composed of leather and other
light materials like strong plant fibers
and hollow bones. It offers a
measure of protection while not
inhibiting a character’s movement.
Absorbs 2 damage per attack.
- Lock Picks: A basic tool used to get
into places you’re not supposed to
be. This is required for a character to
attempt picking a locked door or
container.
- Long Bow: This weapon allows a
character to attack from a distance.
Ideal for outdoor encounters, but
not very useful while fighting in
caves or ruins. Deal D6 damage on a
hit, and you can make a free attack
with a penalty of -20 to the Ranged
Weapons skill before the first round
of a fight. Only usable in outdoors
encounters, except for characters
with the Point Blank Shot advanced
skill.
- Mule: A common sight among the
nomad
tribes,
mules
allow
characters an extra 20 GS to store
items.
- One-Handed Weapon: Any tool or
weapon used primarily with one
hand. They range from a dagger to a
pickaxe.
�Cestus: A leather battle glove
that can be used in unarmed combat.
Add a D4 to the damage roll of an
unarmed strike, meaning that a
character equipped with a cestus will
deal 2D4-1 damage on a hit. Cannot
be used to parry.
�Dagger: A dagger is any bladed
weapon shorter than a human’s
forearm. Quick and deadly. Deal D4
damage on a hit. Gain a bonus of +1
to initiative, and penalty of -10 to
your Parry skill.
�One-Handed Sword: The most
common weapon across the
Fractured Dominion, this weapon
may be carved from a single piece of
bone or cobbled together with sharp
pieces of obsidian and wood. Deal
D6 damage on a hit. Gain a bonus of
+10 to your Parry skill.
�One-Handed Axe: A common
tool found almost everywhere, used
in combat by those preferring a
more direct approach. Deal D6+1
damage on a hit.
�One-Handed Mace: Although
one may find a carefully put together
mace, beautifully made of carved
wood and bone, this will more likely
be a big stone tied to a stick. Deal D6
damage on a hit. Gain a bonus of -10
to your enemy's Defense, and a
penalty of -10 to your Parry skill.
- Rations: All characters need a
minimum of 1 ration per day. Rations
consist of dried fruits and meats, and
more importantly, water.
- Rope: One of the most versatile
items a character may carry, rope
allows a character to climb out of
holes and over walls, or even tie
someone up, if it were necessary.
- Shield: A practical frame of bones
and leather is often all that separates
a warrior from certain death. A
Shield grants a bonus of +10 to your
Parry skill, a occupies your free hand.
A character who doesn't have the
Shield Expertise skill suffers a -10 to
attack skills.
- Short Bow: A more common type
of bow, this is used by hunters to kill
small prey all over the Fractured
Dominion. Deal D6 damage on a hit,
and you can make a free attack with
a penalty of -20 to the Ranged
Weapons skill before the first round
of a fight. A short bow allows the
character wielding it to attack from
behind two characters in corridor
encounters, but it causes a
permanent -10 to the Ranged
Weapon skill when used.
- Two-Handed Weapon: The biggest
and deadliest weapons fall into this
category. These must be wielded
with two hands.
�Spear: One of the most
universal weapons, it can range from
a simple sharp stick to a beautifully
carved bone-tipped pole. A spear
allows the character wielding it to
attack from behind two characters in
corridor encounters. Deals D6
damage on a hit.
�Two-Handed Sword: This giant
blade is both deadly and difficult to
use. Deal D10 damage on a hit.
Wielding it gives a penalty of -10 to
the character's defensive skills.
�Two-Handed
Axe:
An
intimidating weapon, partially due to
its popularity among executioners.
Deal D10+2 damage on a hit. Gain a
penalty of -20 to the character's
defensive skills.
�Two-Handed
Mace:
The
ultimate statement of brutality and
power. Deal D10 on a hit. Gain a
bonus of -20 to your enemy's
Defense, but a penalty of -20 to your
character's defensive skills.
35
PLAYING
36
THE
GAME
So, you have a couple of adventurers ready to explore the twilight lands of the
Fractured Dominion. Now you will need to know how to explore, what you will
find during your travels, and how to deal with what you find.
EXPLORING THE FRACTURED DOMINION
To begin your adventure, start with
your party on Hex #1 of the
Overworld Hex Map. This first hex is
considered empty, so choose a
direction to travel and roll on the
Hex Exploration Table once per hex.
Each hex takes a full day to explore
and travel through, and each feature
you uncover is permanent so you
may return if needed. This is
important to know for when your
group finds a point of interest such
as a town and they need a place to
rest between excursions. Use the
Map Log to write down what you
find on each hex. Once you have
filled up a hex map, simply print out
another one and start again on the
Hex #1. The Fractured Dominion is a
big place!
When backtracking through
previously explored terrain, roll a
D10 in each explored hex (except for
settlements and oases). If the result
is a 1 or 2, the party is attacked by an
enemy rolled on the Random
Encounter Table.
H�� E���������� T���� (D20)
1
Rugged Terrain. The party spends twice as long traversing this hex (2 days on foot, 1 day mounted).
Settlement. The party may stop here to recover from their wounds, buy and sell equipment, and
2-3
maybe pick up a new task to complete. Check the Settlements section below for more details.
Old Corrupted Temple. The characters find a ruined place of worship dedicated a god who is now
4
lost to time. It is currently the home of a beast. Roll on the Elite Foes Table. If your party manages
to defeat the creature, they have cleansed the place allowing them to remove 1 CP.
Graveyard. You come across what appears to be an old graveyard which was abandoned centuries
ago. Even in this state it may be worth it to look around. Perform a Perception Skill Test; if you
5
succeed you may roll on the Loot Table as you pull out a rotten bag buried in one of the tombs.
Unfortunately for you, something wicked emanated from the tomb; you gain 1 CP.
Night Assault! While your party is sleeping a group of enemies attack their camp, attracted by the
6
smell of food. Roll on the Common Foes Table, enemies attack first.
7
Vermin. A group of small, hungry creatures attacks the party. Roll on the Vermin Table.
Minion. The party finds themselves facing a group of wandering enemies. Roll on the Common Foes
8
Table.
Wild Apple Grove. A leftover from a gentler past, this apple grove has survived despite the harsh
9
conditions. Each visitor is given a gift of D10 Rations and has the chance to sell or buy equipment
from the friendly local peoples.
Witch of the Hills. You follow a trail of smoke to a small camp, where you find a dark figure dressed
in rags bent over a stone cauldron. It is a woman of indeterminate age, who beckons you to follow
her inside the tent behind her. Hesitantly, you follow her inside where she awaits with a selection
of rare concoctions and potions. Healing Salve – 50 shells. Once per day/adventure you may apply
this salve to heal D20 Health Points. Poison Salve – 50 shells. Apply this to become immune to
10
poisons for a whole adventure. Agility Salve – 100 shells. You may use this to add +10 to a character's
defensive skills during an adventure. She also offers the possibility of resurrecting a fallen comrade,
if the body is brought to her and no more than a week has passed since death. Resurrection Ritual
– 1,000 shells: roll a D10. If you roll less than the character's level, the character comes back to life,
but suffers a permanent -1 to their Max Corruption from a lingering shadowy influence.
11 Ravine. A narrow, steep-sided valley halts the party's advance. Impassable terrain.
Elite Encounter. The party is unfortunate enough to find a roaming monstrosity. Roll on the Elite
12
Foes Table.
Cave. A half-visible trail leads the party to a seemingly natural cave. If the party decides to explore
13-14
it, use the Indoor Location generation rules described below.
Ruins. The party comes across a vestige of the past, half buried by the sands. If they decide to
15-16
explore it, use the Indoor Location generation rules described below.
Caravan. A group of friendly nomads offer to trade some goods. The party may trade as if they were
17 at a settlement, but when you leave this hex the caravan will move along as well. Re-roll this Hex if
the party comes back to it.
Abandoned Stock. Half buried on the side of a forgotten road the party finds the scattered
18
remnants of a caravan. They find 2D20 shells worth of trade goods.
Storm. On the horizon, you see one of the terrible Twilight storms heading your way. These violent
weather assaults are famous for wiping entire settlements off the face of Uzrun in a matter of
19 hours. Fortunately for you, you find a potential shelter nearby: a cave. Roll a D10: on a result of 8+,
you are not the only one seeking shelter here; roll on the Random Encounter Table. The storm will
last D4 days, during which you'll have little to do but wait and spend your rations.
Tyrant Fortress. The most threatening sight in the Fractured Dominion. Most people run in the
opposite direction if they get too close to one of them, even though it's hard to be far from one at
any given time. Some Fortresses are ruled by somewhat benign tyrants (those few that possess a
20 strong enough will to resist the pull of the forces of chaos), which has allowed settlements to grow
around them creating a semblance of civilization. Of course, this isn't all that different from living
next to an active volcano, where tragedy can strike when you least expect it. Use the Indoor
Location generation rules to explore it, if you dare.
R����� ��������� T���� (�10)
1-4
5-8
9-10
38
Vermin
Common Foes
Elite Foes
Settlements
As shown on the Hex Exploration
Table, characters will occasionally
find one of the Dominion’s friendly
settlements, which are scattered
across the wastes. This is the ideal
place to buy and sell gear, recover
health, and find some work in the
form of tasks. It is also the only
place a character will be able to
find a trainer. Trainers will teach
the player characters new skills,
provided they have enough shells
and the required EP for it. Each
time your party arrives at a
settlement, roll a D10. On a roll of 5
or more, you find a person willing
to teach you. Each skill training
costs 100 shells. Pick a skill
available to your character (active
or passive), spend the required EP
and add the skill to that character’s
sheet.
Random Events
While visiting a settlement you will
run into all sorts of people and
situations, both positive and
negative. Roll on the Random
Events Table below each time you
visit a settlement.
R����� ������ T���� (�10)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
A fight erupts in front of you, and you quickly find yourself in the middle of its
arguing antagonists. In the swirling melee you get a swift kick somewhere soft
and a broken nose. If you go on a mission, start with D6 less HP.
A person bumps into you, quickly apologizing and leaving in a hurry. Minutes later
you realize you’ve been robbed! You lose D100 .
A local rushes up to you as you tend your horse. They seem impatient, looking over
their shoulder often, and quickly offering to buy your steed for twice its worth. If
you have an animal, the suspicious local will buy it for twice the price listed. If you
agree to sell it, they quickly jump on and disappear in a cloud of dust. Roll a D6: On
a 1, the settlement's watch arrives and arrests you for helping a wanted criminal.
You are held for a whole week (no need to spend rations during that time) and
are finally released after paying D6x20
(or all the money you have, if you can't
afford it).
As you round a corner, you see a crowd of angry Uzrun locals marching down the
street, straight towards you. They seem to be protesting, but you can hardly
understand what they're shouting. You are caught up and carried along by the mob
until you're pinned against a wall down the street as you see the local guards
preparing to “negotiate” with the crowd. Perform a DEX Test. If you succeed you
manage to break free and sneak down an alley seconds before violence begins. If
you fail, you are beaten by a guard and thrown into a cell. You are released after
paying D6x20 (or all the money you have, if you can't afford it).
The town's supplies are running low due to some problems with bandits on the
road. Supplies are running low, so prices are up. All prices today are +10 .
Walking down an alley, you see a figure sneak behind you. You're being attacked!
You must defeat some Bandits that are trying to rob you.
Nothing of interest is going on, just another day in the Fractured Dominion.
Things have been calm around here lately, so there are supplies available for
everybody. Items worth at least 20 sell for 10 fewer shells today.
An Absolver is in town, and you cannot miss this opportunity. It is said that the
members of this rare society are trained to extricate a person’s corruption! For the
price of 100 you may remove 1 Corruption Point. This only works once a month,
so if you've recently been healed by an Absolver, ignore this event.
A tax collector is in town who wants you to pay your due to the local Tyrant. You
might try to convince the tax collector that you're just passing by with a CHAR
Test. To comply, or if you fail the CHAR Test, you must pay 50 or else risk being
beaten up by the tax collector's guards. If you refuse to pay, you'll face 4 Guards
(use the stats for Bandits).
40
Gambling
The world may have died and gone
to hell long ago, but gambling is still
very much alive. Each time you visit a
settlement you may opt to gamble
your hard-earned shells to see if your
luck has changed for the better.
The most popular game, one
that is so simple its rules are pretty
much the same wherever one may
be, is called Pot. A game of Pot is
played as follows:
- The player declares how much
they are willing to bet. A standard
bet is 10 shells per roll.
- The player rolls 2D10. If you roll
doubles, roll a third time and get a +/1 on the betting roll.
- Arrange the dice on the table
with the lower result to the left and
the higher to the right.
- Now the player needs to guess
if the chicken will land in the pot (a
number inside the two rolls), or
outside of it (a number outside the
two rolls) and rolls another D10.
- If the third die rolled matches
any of the previously rolled numbers,
the player loses. If their guess was
correct, they win.
- A traditional game of Pot
consists of 3 rounds of betting.
Tasks and Missions
Sometimes the adventurers will
come across an individual who asks
them to complete a specific task,
generally in exchange for a reward.
This gives the characters (and the
player) a goal to keep in mind when
going out to explore. You do not
need to complete most tasks
immediately; time moves slow in the
Twilight and whatever you need to
do will still be there when you decide
to tackle it.
You may only roll once per
settlement. If you don't like the task
offered, you may come back a week
later and re-roll. Characters must
return to the settlement where they
were given the task to collect the
reward.
Completing a task grants 100
Experience Points (XP), divided
among the party as the player sees
fit. The characters may also remove
2 Corruption Points each upon
completion.
T���� � M������� T���� (�10)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
The Tyrant Must Fall! The settlements around the nearby towering Fortress have had
enough. They can't allow their children to be taken and their crops to be cursed any
longer. Your party is tasked with bringing them the head of the Tyrant. Reward: 1,000 , 1
scroll containing a random spell.
Taken! A crying mother asks you to recover her missing son, who was taken by a group of
minions. Each time you encounter a group of Common Foes, roll a D10+X where X is the
number of Common encounters since acquiring the task. On a 10 or more, you find the
missing child. Reward: The characters may remove one CP.
Artifact Hunting. While sitting at camp and sharing water with some nomads, you
overhear a conversation. Somewhere in this area are the ruins of two twin settlements,
each with one half of a very powerful artifact. Put together, it grants enormous power to
the wielder. The next two ruins you explore each have one half of the artifact in the last
room, guarded by an Elite Foe. Reward: Roll on the Artifacts Table.
Finding Help. A rich merchant has hired you to take his sick wife to the nearest settlement,
where they have the best healers in the region. If you do not help soon, she will be taken
by the sickness; this task must be done quickly. The party has 7 days to find a settlement
(one that wasn't previously discovered), or the merchant's wife will die. Reward: 500 if
successful.
Lost. The party is asked to find a group of migrants that were expected to arrive days ago.
The characters must explore the region, rolling a D10 in each hex they explore. On a roll of
1-2, they find a clue. Once they find 5 clues, the next Hex they enter will contain the
entrance of a cave, where the migrants have been taken. The migrants will be found in the
last room, guarded by an Elite Foe. Reward: Roll 2 times on the Loot Table.
Looters and Pillagers. The town's leadership asks the player characters to get rid of
several roaming bands of creatures harassing the Settlement. The party must find and slay
10 groups of minions in the outdoors (minions found in caves or buildings don't count).
Reward: 200 to each character, and the party may sell their loot at full price in this town,
instead of half.
Find the Witch! A tribal leader has recently lost his only son and heir to the crimson plague.
He begs the party to take the body with them and find a Hill Witch to bring him back to life.
He doesn't have any money (the characters will have to pay for the ritual themselves), but
he offers the party an ancient relic as payment. Reward: Roll on the Artifact Table.
The Mapmaker. The characters are hired by a mapmaker who needs help charting the
area. The characters must explore every hex in the region's map and return to the
mapmaker with what they have learned. This quest may only appear once per region, reroll in this table if you have already completed it. Reward: 1,000 . The mapper used to
work for a Tyrant and knows its weakness; next time the party fights against a Tyrant in the
region their attacks will deal and extra D10 damage per attack.
The Thing in the Ruins. The town's council has hired the characters to eliminate an
abomination that has been terrorizing the area for several months. They must find the
nearest ruins, clear them, and in the last room they will find a Spawn of Vhol'est (check the
Elite Foes Encounters). Reward: The town is too poor to offer anything of value, but the
characters receive twice the normal amount of experience points from completing this
task.
Assault! The party is hired to defend the settlement from an incoming raid. They must roll
5 times on the Minions Table, resolving one encounter after another without a rest. If they
survive, roll once on the Elite Foes Table to face the raid's leader. Reward: 100 , as many
supplies as they can carry (but only 10 Bandages each).
INDOOR LOCATIONS
42
When exploring or completing tasks,
the player characters will inevitably
find themselves delving into caves,
exploring ancient ruins, or even
assaulting a mighty Tyrant Fortress.
Following the rules explained in this
section, you will be able to generate
each location's layout, its contents,
and its inhabitants, all on the fly.
Just like the rules for Outdoor
Exploration, when the party returns
to a room or corridor they have
already explored, they must roll a
D10. On a roll of 1 or 2, they
encounter a wandering enemy rolled
on the Random Encounter Table.
This is important because once you
complete your task inside an interior
location or you simply decide that
you want to leave, the party still
needs to retrace their steps to exit
safely.
Caves
It is not hard to find subterranean
passages that have been and still are
populated by beasts, bandits and
unspeakable horrors. These caves
may be the remnants of mining
operations, beasts' lairs or simply
natural formations, but no matter
their origin they are all equally
dangerous. Remember that a party
needs a source of light in order to
explore a cave properly, otherwise
they will suffer a -30 to all skill tests.
While drawing a cave's map, you
should draw the walls irregularly and
with no sharp angles, to reflect the
fact that this is not a man-made
place (or at least, not a building's
interior).
Ruins
All over the Shattered Dominion,
ruins are scattered as a reminder of
what the world used to be like. From
expansive palaces to forgotten
temples, they offer plenty of
opportunities to find treasure and
ancient artifacts. These places also
attract all kinds of creatures and
greedy explorers, searching for
shelter or the ancient secrets that
can be found buried among the
rubble.
Fortresses
If a party decides to explore a
Tyrant's Fortress, it usually means
they are there to kill the Tyrant itself.
They will need to do so in order to
get out of the Fortress alive, so the
last room in the Fortress will always
have the Tyrant as an enemy.
Experience-wise, a Tyrant counts as
an Elite Foe. Defeating a Tyrant
grants 2 rolls on the Loot Table, and
1 roll on the Special Loot Table.
Special Conditions
Each time you enter one of these
locations, you must roll a D6. On a
roll of 1, the place is unique (and not
in a good way). You earn double the
XP from killing enemies in this place,
but you must roll on the Special
Conditions table shown on the next
page.
S������ C��������� T���� (�8)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Tyrannical – Elites have 50% more health.
Unstable – Every 4 rooms explored, the ground shakes. All
characters lose D4 HP from the falling rubble.
Empowered – All enemies deal an extra +1 damage per attack.
Fearless – Enemies encountered here will never flee due to low
numbers.
Toxic Blood – When slain, this enemy splashes the player
characters with toxic blood. Pass a CON Test or lose 2 HP per
enemy killed.
Bolstered – When a fiend dies it enrages the other members of its
group, who deal an extra +1 damage per attack.
Necrotic – Successful enemy attacks infect the players with a
necrotic disease that reduces all healing received during combat
by 50%.
Armored – All enemies here have suffered a mutation that covers
them in armored plates, which absorb 5 damage per attack.
43
44
Mapping Interior Locations
Once the party enters an interior
location, you will need to start
figuring out the place's layout and
contents. Interiors are randomly
generated using the tables and rules
found in the following pages. All you
need is a pencil, a few dice and some
grid paper. Alternatively, for your
first foray into the Fractured
Dominion, you can use a printed
copy of the location adventure map
found in this book.
A diagram of the interior exploration sequence
Entrance Rooms
This is the first room your party
encounters when they enter a cave,
ruin or fortress. Roll a D10 and draw
the corresponding entrance at the
bottom center of the location grid.
This room contains nothing, so you
do not need to roll on the Room
Contents Table. To start exploring
past the entrance, use the rules for
Doors below.
46
Doors
While looting the vestiges of the
past civilizations, it is not rare to find
locked doors. Roll for the number of
exits on the Exits Table, then roll to
determine if the exit has a door, and
if it is locked. Roll a D10: 1-3 no door,
4-7 open, 8-10 locked. If the party is
exploring a Fortress, roll a D10: 1-6
open door, 7-10 locked door. Caves
have no doors. Place the exits as
centered as possible on any wall you
want, trying to make a logical layout
and adapting it to the needs of the
map. For example, if your corridor
runs into the map’s left border,
placing a door there would make no
sense because you can't draw any
rooms in that direction, so you
would place it on another side.
E���� T���� (2�10)
2-10
11-14
15-17
18-19
20
None
One
Two
Three
Four
If a door is locked the characters
must successfully perform a STR Test
to bash it open, or use the LockPicking Skill and Lockpicks to pick
the lock. Each failed lockpicking
attempt temporarily decreases your
Lockpicking Skill by 10. You may only
attempt to bash the door once per
character. After traversing the
entryway, roll on the Interior
Exploration Table to find out if the
exit leads to a room or to a corridor,
then roll on the Corridor Table, or the
Room Layout Table.
I������� E���������� T���� (�10)
1-7
8-10
Room
Corridor
Corridors
If you find yourself going through a
corridor, you will learn its shape by
using the Corridor Table. Corridors
have no contents, but you need to
roll a D10 to see if there are any
enemies. On a roll of 1 or 2 roll on the
Random Enemy Table as your
progress is interrupted. Corridors
always have a width of 1.
C������� T���� (�10)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Parallel corridors going D6+1 squares to the left, then D6+1 squares to the right
Straight ahead D6+1 squares
Corridor to the right for D6+1
Corridor to the left for D6+1
Straight ahead D6+1, then veers to the right for D6+1
Straight ahead D6+1, then veers to the left for D6+1
Corridor to the right for D6+1, then veers to the right again for D6+1
Corridor to the left for D6+1, then veers to the left again for D6+1
Corridor to the right for D6+1, then veers to the left for D6+1
Corridor to the left for D6+1, then veers to the right for D6+1
Rooms
Most things of interest to the characters will be found in rooms. Roll below to
find out the shape of the room and roll for exits again with the Exits Table. After
this, roll to determine its contents on the Room Contents Table below.
R��� L����� T���� (�10)
1-5
6
7
8
9
10
Square (D6+1 high, D6+1 wide)
Circle (D6+1 across)
Hexagon (D6+1 across)
Oval (D6+1 high, D6+1 wide)
Triangle (D6+1 per side)
Trapezoid (D6+1 high, D6+1 base wide, D6+1 base top)
Now that you know the shape, roll below for the contents of the room. If
you choose to flee from an enemy found in a room, it will be there next time you
enter the room, if you return. Traps that are deactivated stay deactivated.
R��� C������� T���� (�10)
1
2
3
4-5
6
7
8
9
10
Trap. Roll on the Traps Table
Loot. Roll on the Loot Table
Trapped Loot. Roll on the Traps Table, and once resolved, roll
on the Loot Table
Special Feature. Roll on the Special Features Table below
Empty. There is no loot, but at least there are no enemies
Treasure. Stash of semi-precious stones worth 2D20
Vermin. Roll on the Vermin Table
Enemy. Your advance is interrupted, roll on the Common
Foes Table
Monstrosity. You’ve walked into a beast's lair. Roll on the
Elite Foes Table
47
S������ F������� T���� (�10)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
A crack in the ceiling above the middle of the north wall allows a trickle of water to
flow down to the floor. The water pools near the base of the wall, with a small
rivulet running along the wall and out into the hall. The water smells fresh. The
party obtains D6 Rations.
The party stumbles upon a poorly hidden weapons stash. Characters may take any
weapon available in the equipment list.
This room is filled with bottles, pipettes and other tools that an alchemist would
need. Everything here is covered in a thick layer of dust, but in a corner under some
ragged piece of cloth the characters find D4 bottles with a green, viscous liquid. If a
character dares to test its effects, roll a D10; 1-5: the concoction is so old it is now
poisonous; pass a CON Test or lose D20 HP. 6-10: the bottles contain a simple
healing potion. Heal D20 HP, usable in combat.
As soon as you step into this room, a feeling of calmness invades you. This place
seems to be completely removed from the influence of the Primordial Ones. Each
character removes 1 CP.
A sensation of dread invades you the moment you step into this room. Flashes of
horrific visions fill your mind, bringing you to your knees. They know you are here.
Pass a WIL Test with each character or they will gain 1 CP.
A series of small statues line a wall. Behind them there is a mural, telling what
appears to be the story of a people's exodus. You discover small levers behind each
statue, allowing them to rotate. If you try to solve this puzzle, perform an INT Test.
If you succeed, roll on the Loot Table. You may only try once per character.
This room was previously an immense library. Now piles of half-rotten tomes gather
dust in every corner, collapsed shelves creating a landscape of lost knowledge. The
party may spend a whole day here sifting through the books, hoping on even the
slightest odds that there is something of worth. Perform an INT Test with each
character. For each that passes, roll a D10. On a 1-2, you find a scroll containing a
random spell.
A horrendous, overwhelming stench wafts from the room before you. Lining the
walls are cages containing small animals and large insects. Some of the creatures
look sickly and alive but most are long dead. Their rotting corpses and unclean cages
no doubt cause the place's foul odor. A cat mews weakly from its cage, but the other
creatures just silently shrink back into their filthy prisons. The players may choose
to release the animals; if they do, they can remove 1 CP, but will have to fight
against those that are too scared or far gone. Roll twice on the Vermin Table and
fight against both groups at the same time.
A foul stench begins to seep from the floor cracks; the smell is nigh unbearable. The
fumes originate from deep within the earth, carrying a smell not unlike rotten eggs.
Better to move along. For each turn the characters stay here, they must
successfully perform a CON Test, or lose D6 HP.
There is a nefarious influence in this room. A shadow suddenly invades each
character's mind and holds fast to their thoughts. Characters fight the rest of the
adventure with a -10 to all defensive skills, unless they give into the darkness and
gain 1 CP in the process.
Traps
Traps are, unfortunately, very common in the kinds of places your characters
will frequent. Recent or ancient, their goal is to harm, maim or kill any intruder.
Surviving will require luck and skill as you attempt to avoid their effects.
Once your party enters a room with a trap in it, choose a character to
perform a Perception Skill Test. Success means you notice the trap; you may
choose to retreat and avoid the room (if possible), or disarm it if you have the
Disarm Traps skill. However, you will not know what type of trap it is until you
trigger it!
T���� T���� (�10)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Poison Darts. Characters must pass a CON Test or gain the Poisoned condition (see page
52).
Trapdoor. Characters must successfully pass a DEX Test or lose D10 HP. If the whole party
falls inside, they will need a rope to escape the pit, or they will die of starvation inside of
it.
Sand Trap. A wall closes behind the characters as soon as they enter this room, and sand
begins falling in from the ceiling. They have 10 attempts at deactivating this trap with the
Disarm Traps skill or by successfully passing a DEX (-6) Test, or they all die.
Collapsing Ceiling. The ceiling above the party collapses on top of them. Characters must
each successfully pass a DEX Test or lose D20 HP.
Noxious Gas. A wall closes behind the party, and toxic gas is released in the room.
Characters immediately lose 2 HP, and they lose another 1 HP each time they fail to
disable the trap using the Disarm Traps skill or a DEX (-6) Skill Test until a successful
attempt is made, disabling the trap.
Spears. Sharp spears slide from the walls, stabbing at any character who fails to pass a
DEX Test. They are targeted by D6 attacks that deal 2 damage each.
Vermin Pit. A pit opens underneath the characters, teeming with vermin. The characters
must succeed on a DEX Test or lose D10 HP, after which they will face the vermin inside.
Roll on the Vermin Table. Luckily, once the vermin are dealt with, it's not too difficult to
climb back up.
Bear Trap. A random character steps on a hidden bear trap. Roll a DEX Test to avoid
getting caught in it. A trapped character must succeed on a STR Test to free themselves,
or else they will not be able to move. One attempt per character is allowed. A trapped
character will not be able to play for the remainder of the adventure but may be rescued
once the place is cleared. If they are the last survivor, they may try to pry the trap open
one last time. If the trapped character manages to be released, they will have their Dodge
Skill halved for the remainder of the adventure.
Net Trap. A net falls from the ceiling, pulling the characters into the air unless they pass
a DEX Test. If they are trapped, they must roll a successful DEX (-5) Test to cut down the
net. After each failed release attempt, roll a D10. On a 1 or 2 a wandering enemy from the
Common Foes Table hears the commotion, and attacks. The characters will be
automatically hit by the enemy until they can free themselves.
Fire Trap. Huge flames roar from the walls the moment the characters step into this
room. Roll a DEX Test to avoid the flames or lose D10 HP and gain the Burning condition.
You fight with a -20 to your attack skills until the wounds caused by the fire are healed.
49
L��� T���� (�10)
1 or less
2
3
4
5
6
7
50
8
9
10 or
more
No treasure found
D10
D20+5
2D20
D6 Healing Tinctures
D10 Rations
A piece of jewelry worth 5D10
A One-Handed Iron Weapon. Roll a D4: 1 Sword, 2
Hammer or Mace, 3 Axe, 4 Dagger. This weapon deals +1
extra damage than its bone counterpart and will never
break while parrying. Sells for 50 . 2 GS
A piece of mail armor. Absorbs 3 damage per attack, -1
DEX. Sells for 300 . 3 GS
Roll on the Special Loot Table
S������ L��� T���� (�10)
1-2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
A scroll containing a random spell. May be sold for 100 . 1 GS
An exceptionally well forged One-Handed Steel Weapon. Roll
a D4: 1 Sword, 2 Hammer or Mace, 3 Axe, 4 Dagger. Deals 10
more damage than its bone counterpart and will never break
while parrying. Sells for 100 . 2 GS
An exceptionally well forged Two-Handed Steel Weapon. Roll
a D5: 1 Sword, 2 Hammer or Mace, 3 Axe, 4 Staff, 5 Spear.
Deals +2 extra damage than its bone counterpart and will
never break while parrying. Sells for 150 . 3 GS
Reinforced Steel Mail. This is a true relic of the past, perfectly
crafted and preserved. Absorbs 3 damage per attack. Sells for
500 . 3 GS
Steel Breastplate. The craftsmanship on this piece speaks to
the glory of the past. Absorbs 5 damage per attack, -20 to all
your defensive rolls, -2 DEX. Sells for 700 . 6 GS
Steel Shield. +20 to Parry. Sells for 100 . 3 GS
Darkness Well. A plain-looking stone that allows the person
carrying it to store 2 CP inside. Once the well is full, it glows
slightly. Cannot be re-used, but it can be sold as a curiosity for
3D10 .
A pair of rare metal fist weapons affixed with short blades.
Add +20 to Unarmed skills. Sells for 100 . 2 GS
Roll on the Artifact Table
A������� T���� (�10)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Horse Figurine. A small statue of a horse made of some unidentifiable black
material that, when whet with blood, grows to the size of an actual horse. Sacrifice
10 HP to be able to travel at double speed in outdoor zones. 1 GS
Amulet of Vythrhos. A dark green stone is framed by what appears to be fossilized
hair. Once worn it pulsates slightly, matching the wearer's heartbeat. Once per
adventure, if the character carrying this receives a death blow, they will instead
fall unconscious to 1 HP, alive but unable to participate in the rest of the fight.
Maw of Vhozha. This slick leathery blue bag seems to tremble when nobody is
looking at it, as if something were trying to come out. This bag allows a character
to carry an extra 10 GS in weight.
The Sineater. This legendary artifact was once wielded by Athros, Bane of the
Ancients. With it she managed to challenge the reign of many Tyrants, until under
mysterious circumstances she lost the Sineater. Without this object, she became
corrupted and Tyrannical, reigning over the Rhatrej region for 800 years. This sharp
black crystal absorbs the next 5 CP the character would receive, after which it
becomes dormant for the next three adventures. 1 GS
Rod of Shrath. This device, once belonging to a Sharani High Priest, is an
asymmetric mass of ethereal crystal which can be activated to recover from grave
wounds. Individuals who possess the device and use it repeatedly develop fine
scales over parts of their body. The user may cast Regeneration once a day/
adventure without gaining corruption. 1 GS
The Everlasting Shadows. This ancient tome has a tainted aura, no doubt a result
of it being bound in human skin. A foul sense of dread invades the reader when it is
first opened. Contains 3 random spells. 1 GS
Feather of Kul'Pheg. A shimmering feather, which reflects light in a million colors
even during the darkest of nights. The shaft is cold to the touch and seems to be
made of metal. This item gives the party +2 to initiative.
Taintnut. A small wooden seed encircled with runic bands. The nut looks to be
bulging around them as if a force were pushing from the inside, contained only by
the symbols. If a character swallows this seed, their Max Corruption will be
increased by 1.
Crystallized Ice of Alnavis. This appears to be a stalactite made of pure ice, but
somehow it is not affected by any heat. Instead, a little bit melts with each use until
it disappears. Deal D20 damage to all enemies in front of the caster. It takes the
character's whole turn to use it. 20 charges. 1 GS
Staff of Scars. This wooden staff looks pristine, as if it were just finished by a skilled
artisan. The more its powers are used however, the more twisted and gnarled it
becomes. The person wielding this staff may sap it of energy, thus healing the
wielder or an ally. Once it has been drained of energy, it loses its power, becoming
little more than a branch. Contains 200 points worth of HP. Deals D4 damage if
used as a weapon. 2 GS
COMBAT
52
Exploring the world of the Fractured
Dominion brings with it a guarantee
that you will encounter beasts,
monsters,
aberrations
and
abominations that will try to kill you
out of self-defense, hunger, or
madness. Combat in Disciples of
Bone and Shadow is fast and brutal;
you will usually be able to solve your
encounters in a matter of minutes.
The goal of combat is to reduce
the opponent's Health Points to 0.
Each weapon, spell and ability deals
damage (expressed in HP loss)
specified by the type of weapon
being used, and combatants will take
turns attacking each other until one
of them collapses.
When confronted with a combat
situation, the first thing you need to
do is roll for Initiative. All enemies
have an Initiative stat that goes from
1 to 20; to gain the initiative (and
thus attack first) you need to roll
above the enemy's Initiative with a
D20. The combat order changes
every turn, so you will need to roll for
initiative again after each person has
taken a turn. If you are facing
enemies with different Initiative
values, simply compare your roll with
their respective values and arrange
the turn order accordingly.
When facing enemies that
appear in groups of several
individuals (such as Vermin), you
only need to roll Initiative once for
each set of Vermin, not each
creature in the swarm.
Avoiding Combat
If the player wins the initiative roll
before the first turn (called the
engagement turn), they may choose
to avoid the combat by attempting
to sneak past the enemy. All enemies
have an Awareness stat that is
subtracted from the character's
Sneaking Skill. For example, if a
player has a 50 in Sneaking, and the
enemy has 20 Awareness, then the
player must roll under 30% with a
D100 to pass the test. When facing
several enemies with different
Awareness values, use the highest
value; if the enemy with the keenest
senses can't hear you, it's assumed
that the rest will not be able to
either.
Surprise
If the PCs win the engagement
round’s initiative by 5 or more (for
example, rolling an 18 or more
against an enemy with Awareness
13), the PCs enter combat with the
element of surprise. This allows
them to perform their first attack
with a bonus of +20 to their attack
skill. On the other hand, if the PCs
lose the engagement turn's initiative
by 5 or more, they suffer a -20 to
their defensive skill (whichever they
choose to use) for that first turn.
Attacking and Defending
Enemies don't roll for attack or
defense; you will not need to roll to
play out the enemy's actions.
Instead, the player will roll during
their turn to attack with their
weapon or spell of choice, then
during the enemy’s turn the player
will roll with their character’s Dodge
or Parry Skill to avoid being hit by
each enemy's attack. When the
player fails an attack roll it's
assumed that they missed or the
target avoided it, while when the
player is successful at a Dodge or
Parry test, it's assumed they avoided
the attack or that the enemy missed.
All enemies except Vermin will
have a Defense and Offense stat. An
enemy’s Defense is used when you
are attacking to subtract it from
your Attack skill. Its Offense is used
when you are rolling for Parry or
Dodge, when you subtract the
enemy's Offense from your
Defensive stat.
Lastly, remember that it’s likely
your party is comprised of more
than one character, so you must
distribute incoming attacks evenly
among your party. For example, if
your party is comprised of 2
adventurers facing 4 enemies, each
adventurer will be assigned 2
enemies. In case of odd enemy
numbers, randomly determine
which adventurer is attacked.
Remember though that while
fighting in corridors only 2
adventurers may be in the front row,
any other adventurers will not be
able to attack (unless they're using a
spear or short bow) or be attacked
(unless specified). Enemies with
multiple attacks will spread their
attacks evenly among the character
players.
Fighting Vermin
In order to simulate how a single
swing may take out several smaller
creatures at once, all excess damage
dealt to a single individual from a
vermin group is transferred to the
next one. So if, for example, a single
Centipede’s total HP is 15 and a
character deals 25 damage to it, they
will kill that first Centipede and deal
10 damage to the next one.
Combat example: Mara is exploring some forgotten, twisted ruins when
she suddenly sees a figure approaching from the end of the hallway. It's a
Sharani, so she prepares for combat. The Sharani has an Initiative of 16; Mara
rolls a 17, which means she will attack first. Since it's the first turn and she has
won the initiative roll, Mara may choose to avoid the combat all together and
sneak past the Sharani. She decides she’s ready to fight though, and takes out
her trusty sword. Face to face, she performs an attack using her One-Handed
Melee Weapons Skill. She has a value of 43 in the skill and the Sharani has a
Defense of 20, meaning her target number is 23 or below. She rolls a 67, failing
the attack. It's now the Sharani's turn to attack! Mara has a Dodge skill of 46,
and the Sharani's Offense skill is 20 so her target number is 26. She rolls a 24,
diving out of the way of the Sharani's blade. Mara is going to have to keep her
luck going if she wants to get out of this alive.
53
54
Combat Actions
A character may take actions besides
attacking during their turn in a
combat situation: They can swap
weapons, use an active skill, cast a
spell, use any item, or interact with
anything. These are all actions that
take the whole turn to perform,
which means the character will not
be able to attack.
Conditions and Other Effects
During a fight (and sometimes outside
of it), certain situations may harm
your character in a way that differs
from direct damage; spells, attacks
and other things may inflict negatives
statuses that can only be removed in
specific
ways.
The
following
conditions are the most common:
- Bleeding: This condition will
make a character lose 1 HP/turn. If a
weapon deals its maximum possible
damage (for example, dealing 12
damage on a weapon that attacks
for D10+2), the target will gain the
Bleeding condition. Use the First Aid
Skill to remove the Bleeding
condition from a character.
- Burning: A burning character
will lose 2 HP/turn for D10 turns.
- Chilled: Suffering from this
condition causes a character to
always lose initiative tests. Pass a
CON Test to remove this condition
after the first turn. If failed, try again
every turn until successful.
Poisoned:
A
poisoned
character will lose 1 HP/turn until
healed. Pass a CON Test to remove
this condition after the first turn. If
you fail, the only way to remove this
condition is with a spell or an
antidote (or some special artifacts).
- Stunned: When a character (PC
or NPC) rolls doubles after a
successful attack (or a PC rolls
doubles after failing at a defensive
maneuver), they have been stunned,
losing their next turn.
- Blinded: While fighting or
searching in the dark, all characters
(unless they have special equipment
or are under the effects of a spell or
skill) suffer a -30 to all stats. This
includes combat and any sightrelated skill. Use common sense
when applying this rule!
Anyone, whether they are a Player
Character, an NPC or an enemy of any
kind,maybeaffectedbytheseconditions.
Follow the rules above regardless of who
is suffering the condition (unless the
character in question is immune to a
specific condition).
A player character may attempt
to remove a condition once per
room. This means that if they are
suffering from several conditions,
they may attempt to remove each
condition once per room. All
conditions are removed once you
exit an adventure location.
Critical Success and Failure
While in a combat situation, a
character may perform in such a
fantastically good or bad way that it
will result in special outcomes. When
a PC is trying to avoid damage from
an enemy's attack by using the
Dodge or Parry skills, if they were to
roll a critical failure (a roll of 96+),
they will immediately receive the
maximum damage possible, no
damage roll required. That means a
PC critically failing to dodge an
attack that would have inflicted
D10+5 damage would receive 15 HP
of damage. If you are unfortunate
enough to get a critical failure while
attacking you will drop the weapon,
deal no damage, and you will need
to spend next turn recovering it.
On the other hand, when a PC
rolls below 10% on an Attack skill, the
attack becomes a critical hit and
deals the maximum damage
possible. Critical successes also
apply to defensive rolls. A critical
success while parrying an attack
allows you to counterattack
immediately, granting you a free
attack with the same weapon which
deals half the normal damage.
Scoring a critical success with a
dodge guarantees you win the next
initiative and grants you a +5 to
attack skills next turn.
Example: Adisa has an Unarmed
skill of 43. He is facing a Bandit armed
with a short sword. The enemy
attacks first, and Adisa rolls a 96!
Despite having a skill of 98 in Dodge,
this is an instant failure, and he
receives 25 HP damage (due to the
enemy's damage of D10+15).
Stumbling (and Bleeding from taking
maximum weapon damage), he
throws a punch, rolling a 3. This is less
than 10, meaning he also scored a
critical hit, dealing max damage to
the Bandit.
These rules only apply to
combat-related skills (including
Passive Abilities), not to spells.
Enemy Morale
When an enemy loses more than half
their total health (when facing a
single enemy), or half their total
numbers (in the case of groups),
they must perform a morale test.
Roll a D10: 1-5 they flee, 6-10 they
stay. If the enemies flee, the player
characters automatically win the
fight, gaining the XP and loot as if
they had killed their opponents.
Some enemies will not retreat, in
which case it will say so in their
description. This test is only
performed once.
Retreating
Sometimes things will get too ugly
for your characters and you may
decide it is best to simply run away
from a confrontation. If your
characters are engaged in combat
and decide to retreat, they will
immediately suffer one attack each
that cannot be avoided, with only
their equipment (such as armor or
special items) counting towards
determining how much damage they
receive.
Damage and Death
Death comes swiftly in the Fractured
Dominion; if a player character loses
all his HP, they are dead. The rest of
their party may try to find a way of
bringing them back to life, but this is
never easy (check the Witch of the
Hills encounter in the Hex
Exploration Table). In addition to
healing
from
using
potions,
bandages, spells, and other sources,
a character will recover all their HP
once they exit the adventure
location—regardless of how much
HP the character lost within it.
55
56
Leveling Up and Experience
With a bit of luck and skill, the player
characters will slowly increase in
power and prowess. This is reflected
in
Experience
Points
(XP).
Characters start at level one and
earn 2 Enhancement Points (EP)
each time they reach a new level.
These EP can be spent on stats, skills
and spells as described in the
previous chapter. In order to level
up, characters will need to accrue
enough XP. This is done mainly
through combat, although some
other activities may reward the
characters with XP as well.
Each time your party defeats a
creature from the Vermin table they
will earn 5 XP (for the whole group);
Common Foes will earn you 10 XP.
Defeating an Elite Foe grants 100 XP,
and a Tyrant 150 XP. If an enemy has
a modifier to the amount of XP the
characters earn when they kill it, it
will be written in their description.
Each player is free to distribute
experience points as they see fit
among
the
characters
that
participated in the fight.
A character requires 100 XP to
increase one level. There is no level
cap, so in theory a character may
level up indefinitely (if they manage
to survive that long).
Seasoned Characters
As you become more powerful and
experienced, your enemies will grow
in power to match you. After visiting
your first settlement after reaching
level 20, you will face greater
threats. You have become a
seasoned adventurer. This means
you will apply the ‘seasoned’
bonuses found in each enemy’s
description.
Once the player characters
reach level 30, aside from applying
the Seasoned bonuses, you must
also roll on the Veteran Traits table
(page 69) each time you encounter
an enemy.
“Farthun is a small city built in the shadow of the
infamous Red Keep, home to the tyrant Mostur
of the Setting Sun. T his town is one of the last
ones in the north of the Fractured Dominion, close
to the Scorched Wastes. While theoretically still
rulled by Mostur, he lost his humanity long ago
and the cult that tends to him, the Coven of the
Setting Sun, are the de facto rulers of the region.”
BESTIARY
58
The Fractured Dominion is home to
many dangerous creatures. While
most are endemic to the region,
others are the product of dark
magic, or come from different
realities altogether. Thousands of
years of adaptation in this harsh
world have taught most living (and
nonliving) creatures not to mess
around; they will attack unprovoked,
and the player characters will have
to learn how to deal with the
innumerable threats that will cross
their path.
Look closely at enemy
details, as some have modifiers to
Morale and Loot rolls. Keep those in
mind while facing them!
VERMIN
Vermin are small creatures that come in groups. While they are typically simple
animals without malicious intent, they are nonetheless extremely dangerous if
underestimated. They offer no XP, and almost none offer loot, but are easy to
kill as individuals.
V����� T���� (�10)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Giant Ants
Madari Rats
Fire Bats
Night Beetles
Sabershadows
Centipedes
Spawnlings of Vhol'est
Dustsaurs
Greylings
Bloodfeathers
Giant Ants
These relentless creatures roam the wastes looking for any organic matter to drag
back to their colonies, dead or alive. Small settlements commonly turn to ghost
towns overnight after a swarm of giant ants finds it and carries everyone away.
Type: Insect. Morale +1. No loot.
- Number: 2D8
- HP: 1
- Awareness: 20
- Initiative: 8
- Damage: 1
- Against Seasoned Characters: +1 HP.
Madari Rats
These giant rats were originally bred at the Madari Arena, hundreds of years ago.
They were used to feed the giant lizards and other beasts which fought in forced
combat during the reign of Ghatr the Execrable. Following the fall of Madari, they
escaped and have since thrived all over the region.
Type: Beast. Morale -1. No loot.
- Number: 2
- HP: 2
- Awareness: 20
- Initiative: 14
- Damage: 1
- Against Seasoned Characters: +1 HP.
Fire Bats
An unfortunately common sight in most caves and ruins, these flying nightmares
have a very painful bite that can easily become infected if not tended to
immediately.
Type: Beast. Morale -1. No loot. If wounds caused by Fire Bats are not fully
healed before leaving the room, the character will lose that same amount of
max health, permanently.
- Number: D4
- HP: 1
- Awareness: 10
- Initiative: 12
- Damage: 2
- Against Seasoned Characters: +1 damage.
59
60
Night Beetles
When these giant carnivorous insects attack, they swarm and go after prey much
larger than themselves, usually taking them down with ease using their powerful
mandibles.
Type: Insect. No loot.
- Number: D4
- HP: 2
- Awareness: 10
- Initiative: 8
- Damage: 1
- Against Seasoned Characters: Numbers are D4+2.
Sabershadows
These feline beasts are small enough to sneak past any camp guards, and
intelligent enough to know to attack while their victims are asleep. They hunt in
small packs but make up for their numbers with sharp minds and sharper claws.
Type: Beast. No loot.
- Number: 2
- HP: 20
- Awareness: 30
- Initiative: 16
- Damage: D4
- Against Seasoned Characters: Deals D6 damage.
Centipedes
Even one of these fearless and silent killers is quite dangerous, hardly needing any
help to overpower a distracted looter or to take down some lost cattle.
Type: Insect. No morale test. No loot.
- Number: D6
- HP: 2
- Awareness: 10
- Initiative: 14
- Damage: 1
- Against Seasoned Characters: +1 HP.
Spawnlings of Vhol'est
While the origin of these twisted and ever-changing creatures is unknown, it is
clear they are not native to any region known to man. Somewhat weak in their
infancy, they survive by hunting in groups which decrease in number as they age,
as they betray their own and devour one another. The survivor will then become a
terrifying (and lethal) sight for anyone unfortunate enough to cross its path.
Type: Abomination. No morale test. Loot -2.
- Number: D6
- HP: 2
- Awareness: 10
- Initiative: 8
- Damage: 2
- Against Seasoned Characters: +1 HP.
Dustsaurs
Sleek, fast and deadly, Dustsaurs are sometimes hunted for their flesh even though
their ferocity and resilience make them dangerous prey. They are small and
bipedal, with a single large claw in their left arm that they use to defend
themselves. Their protective carapaces become harder and harder with age, with
the shells of older creatures becoming veritable armor.
Type: Beast. Morale -2. No loot.
- Number: D8
- HP: 2
- Awareness: 30
- Initiative: 18
- Damage: 2
- Against Seasoned Characters: Numbers are D8+2.
Greylings
Among the few scholars studying the creatures of the Fractured Dominion, there
is much discussion regarding Greylings. Some suggest their fascination with shiny
things is an indication of intelligence, while others dismiss them as simple beasts.
Whatever the case, these sneaky humanoid creatures are attracted to human
camps, where they try to silently kill everybody before getting away with any
random baubles the unfortunate travelers may have had in their possession.
Type: Humanoid. Morale -1. Loot -1.
- Number: D4
- HP: 25
- Awareness: 20
- Initiative: 16
- Damage: D4
- Against Seasoned Characters: Numbers are D8.
61
62
Bloodfeathers
The sight of a Bloodfeather swarm is enough to make even the most experienced
nomad hide in the closest ruins. These tiny bloodthirsty animals appear in huge
numbers, swarm around any living creature, and bleed them to death.
Type: Beast. Players roll at -10 to hit due to their confusing numbers and small
size. No loot.
- Number: D10+10
- HP: 1
- Awareness: 15
- Initiative: 12
- Damage: 1
- Against Seasoned Characters: +1 HP.
COMMON FOES
The following list contains the most common serious threats the inhabitants of
the Fractured Dominion encounter during their travels. Beasts, humanoid
horrors, and magical abominations abound in these lands, and none of them will
hesitate to attack a group of wandering adventurers.
Common Foes come in smaller numbers than vermin, but are much
tougher to kill, due to their intelligence, equipment and power.
C����� F��� T���� (�10)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Sharani
Burrow Dwellers
Bandits
Burrowers
Dustborn
The Lost
Crawlers
Barean
Harpies
Shadow Hounds
Sharani
Nobody knows the origin of this ancient
race of snake people, but they are a
relatively common sight in the Fractured
Dominion. Most of them live in small tribal
groups that roam the planes looking for
their next meal.
Type: Humanoid. Normal loot.
- Number: 1
- HP: 15
- Awareness: 30
- Initiative: 16
- Damage: D10
- Against Seasoned Characters: Enemy
has +10 HP / Defense: 20 / Offense: 20.
Burrow Dwellers
These are twisted human remains, reanimated by foul magic long ago. They are
relentless in their advance, often standing back up after suffering devastating
wounds. The dead never rest in the Fractured Dominion, and their numbers only
seems to grow with the passing of time.
Type: Undead. Normal loot. Each time a Burrow Dweller is defeated, roll a D10.
On a 1-3, it comes back to life, fully healed.
- Number: 2
- HP: 12
- Awareness: 5
- Initiative: 6
- Damage: 2D4
- Against Seasoned Characters: Enemy has +5 HP / Defense: 20 / Offense: 30.
Bandits
Travelers seldom go on their journeys alone, mostly due to the abundance of
bandits. These wild tribes thrive in the hills, setting ambushes and traps and
striking from the shadows, rarely taking any survivors.
Type: Humanoid. Normal loot.
- Number: D4
- HP: 15
- Awareness: 10
- Initiative: 11
- Damage: D4
- Against Seasoned Characters: Enemy has +5 HP / Defense: 10 / Offense: 10 / Roll
once on the Veteran Traits Table.
Burrowers
Accounts of tentacles springing out of the sands and grabbing a traveler's ankles
only to drag them below never to be seen again, are quite common. Nobody has
seen more than a Burrower's tentacles, leading some to suspect they may all
return to a single creature.
Type: Abomination. No loot.
- Number: D4
- HP: 10
- Awareness: 10
- Initiative: 15
- Damage: D10
- Against Seasoned Characters: Enemy has +10 HP / Defense: 20 / Roll once on
the Veteran Traits Table.
63
64
Dustborn
With their scaly tails, clawed hands and prominent beaks, these creatures appear
to be biologically similar to the smaller Dustsaurs. Nobody knows for sure if they
are the same beast or simply another creature which adapted to wasteland life in
a similar fashion. One thing is for sure, their screeching voices will send chills down
the spine of any opportunistic ruin raiders.
Type: Beast. No loot.
- Number: 1
- HP: 20
- Awareness: 25
- Initiative: 16
- Damage: D8
- Against Seasoned Characters: Enemy has +5 HP / Defense: 30 / Offense: 30.
The Lost
Many are the adventurers who delve too deeply into the horrors of the
underground, study too hard the maddening tomes of forbidden arts, or simply
are unlucky enough to encounter some terrible abomination. Those individuals
become little more than drooling, dangerous beasts that roam the planes,
searching for a way to spread their anger and misery to the world.
Type: Humanoid. Normal loot. Roll player Initiative at +1.
- Number: D4+1
- HP: 10
- Awareness: 10
- Initiative: 5
- Damage: D4
- Against Seasoned Characters: Enemy has +4 HP / Defense: 20 / Offense: 20.
Crawlers
These armored beasts like to hide in dark, closed places like ruins and caves, where
they find mosses and other vegetable matter to eat. Extremely territorial, they will
immediately charge anyone or anything that comes near them. Their giant pincers
can tear apart a grown man in minutes, so travelers tend to simply run away
instead of confronting them.
Type: Beast. No loot.
- Number: 1
- HP: 20
- Awareness: 15
- Initiative: 10
- Damage: D6+1
- Against Seasoned Characters: Enemy has +5 HP / Defense: 30 / Offense: 20.
Barean
Some say the Barean brought down the Age of Bone upon us by summoning their
god Hraki'i and unleashing it upon the world, allowing them to thrive and their
influence to grow. Indeed, the dog-like Barean seem extremely well adapted to life
in the Twilight, and if it were not for their barbaric practices, they would have
conquered the entire region long ago.
Type: Humanoid. Normal loot.
- Number: D6
- HP: 12
- Awareness: 25
- Initiative: 16
- Damage: D4+1
- Against Seasoned Characters: Enemy has +3 HP / Defense: 30 / Offense: 30.
Harpies
Nesting around rock formations and ruins, harpies are a common sight in the
wastelands of the Fractured Dominion. They tend to hunt in groups for any solitary
prey, usually avoiding larger caravans or tribes, and favoring ambushes over open
attacks.
Type: Beast. Normal loot.
- Number: D4
- HP: 10
- Awareness: 20
- Initiative: 16
- Damage: 3D4-2 (1 minimum)
- Against Seasoned Characters: Enemy has +5 HP / Defense: 20 / Offense: 30.
Shadow Hounds
Shadow Hounds are terrible servants of the Tyrants, unleashed upon the world to
do their bidding. Sometimes they are seen dragging their victims back to a
Fortress, other times they simply tear to pieces anything that crosses their path.
With their bluish hue and smooth, eyeless face, these beasts are clearly foreign to
this world.
Type: Abomination. No loot. Roll player Initiative at -1.
- Number: D4
- HP: 14
- Awareness: 25
- Initiative: 18
- Damage: D6
- Against Seasoned Characters: Enemy has +2 HP / Defense: 30 / Offense: 40.
65
ELITE FOES
E���� F��� T���� (�10)
1
66
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Dusk Bear
Spawn of Vhol'est
Sharani Priest
Giant Spider
Bonefiend
Blessed One
Monstrous Scorpion
Archelon
Veteran Water Reaper
Stone Golem
Elite Foes are those that can singlehandedly defeat a whole group of
player characters. They pose a huge
threat and must be dealt with very
cautiously. The rewards for doing so are
usually worth the trouble, though many
beast-hunters have met their end at the
hands (and claws) of these most
dangerous creatures. Elite Foes always
appear alone, but many of them may
perform several attacks per turn.
During combat, remember to assign an
equal number of attacks to each
character,
as
you
would
for
confrontations with several enemies.
Each time you face an Elite Foe, you
must roll on the Veteran Traits Table.
Dusk Bear
These enormous beasts roam the land searching for their next meal, occasionally
terrorizing towns and caravans. Their giant claws and jaws make them one of the
apex predators of the Fractured Dominion.
Type: Beast. No loot.
- HP: 35
- Awareness: 20
- Initiative: 12
- Damage: D10
- Against Seasoned Characters: Enemy has +5 HP / Defense: 40 / Offense: 40.
Spawn of Vhol'est
After devouring and assimilating its brethren, a Spawn of Vhol'est will grow to
the size of two men, with maws opening all across its body and tentacles
shooting from unexpected places. Their purpose and goals unknown, they roam
the wastes killing anything that crosses their path.
Type: Abomination. Loot +1.
- HP: D20+10
- Awareness: 10
- Initiative: 14
- Damage: 2D4 / 2 attacks
- Against Seasoned Characters: Enemy has +D20 HP / Defense: 40 / Offense: 40
/ Attacks cause Poison.
Sharani Priest
Following traditions older than the birth of mankind, a Sharani priest must travel
the world in solitude for some time, until they earn the power and the right to rule
over their tribe.
Type: Humanoid. Loot +2. Roll a D10 each turn. On a 1-3 the Sharani Priest's
wounds start to close, self-healing 2 HP.
- HP: 20
- Awareness: 20
- Initiative: 18
- Damage: D12
- Against Seasoned Characters: Enemy has +5 HP / Defense: 40 / Offense: 40.
Giant Spider
These terrible beasts lurk in the deepest of caves and ruins, hidden in corners while
waiting for their next meal to appear. Once a victim is trapped in their web, there
is little to no hope for escape...
Type: Beast. No loot. Roll initiative with a penalty of -2. Roll a D10 every turn, on
a roll of 1-2, the giant spider spits sticky webs to a random character instead of
performing an attack. The character performs a DEX Test. If they fail, they are
trapped and cannot attack, and The Giant Spider will focus on the other
characters. Each turn, the trapped character may roll against DEX (-3) to release
themselves. If all characters become webbed, the giant spider will attack them
until they are all dead. While trapped, characters may not use Defense bonuses,
only armor bonuses are applied.
- HP: 25
- Awareness: 30
- Initiative: 18
- Damage: 3D4, all its attacks cause Poison
- Against Seasoned Characters: Enemy has +10 HP / Defense: 30 / Offense: 40.
Bonefiend
Some sorcerers transcend their own death using the power of the Calamitous
Ones. Most of the time though, the result is a mindless creature left only with the
desire to drain the life force of any creature that crosses its path.
Type: Undead. Loot +1. If a player character is killed, the Bonefiend will spend a
turn raising them as one of The Lost, which will immediately attack its former
comrades.
- HP: 20
- Awareness: 40
- Initiative: 12
- Damage: D6 to all characters
- Against Seasoned Characters: Enemy has +5 HP / Defense: 40 / Offense: 40.
67
68
Blessed One
A Blessed One is a true disciple of the Primordial Ones, an acolyte of the dark
powers, slave to its own ambition. Its mind is fragmented but the pieces are still
threaded together, leaving a sliver of humanity. These are some of the most
dangerous spellcasters a player character will find during their travels.
Type: Humanoid. Loot +2. On the Blessed One's turn, roll a D10. On a 1-4, it casts Ice
Flames instead of attacking (20 damage). All attacks inflict the Chilled condition.
- HP: 30
- Awareness: 20
- Initiative: 12
- Damage: 2D4, Chilled
- Against Seasoned Characters: Enemy has +5 HP / Defense: 30 / Offense: 30.
Monstrous Scorpion
These giant scorpions are not a common sight, but the unfortunate few who have
crossed paths with one of these ancient beasts speak of enormous claws, black
chitin hard as the strongest metal, and a stinger capable of impaling a horse. It is
rare to hear these tales, as so few come back alive from such encounters.
Type: Beast. No loot. On the Monstrous Scorpion’s turn, roll a D10. On a 1-3, it
attacks with its stinger instead. It deals the same damage, but on a hit, the
character is poisoned.
- HP: 30
- Awareness: 20
- Initiative: 14
- Damage: D8+1 / 2 attacks
- Against Seasoned Characters: Enemy has +5 HP / Defense: 10 / Offense: 50.
Archelon
A true relic of the past, these giants have somehow survived and adapted to life on
land. Similar in shape to the smaller turtles that can be found near bodies of water,
an Archelon towers over even a mounted human. Their formidable shells make
them nigh unkillable, while their beaked mouth can easily tear through any armor.
Type: Beast. No loot. Roll player Initiative at +1.
- HP: 40
- Awareness: 10
- Initiative: 8
- Damage: D10
- Against Seasoned Characters: Enemy has +5 HP / Defense: 50 / Offense: 20.
Veteran Water Reaper
The Water Reapers are the most feared assassins in the Fractured Dominion. As
part of their payment, they are promised the right to harvest the fluids of their
victims for unknown purposes, leaving shriveled, dried-up corpses behind.
Although usually hired by rich and powerful Tyrants to wage their secret wars
against each other, it is not uncommon for merchants and other wealthy
individuals to trade gems for their services, even at the risk of being associated
with this vile order.
Type: Humanoid. Loot +2. A Veteran Water Reaper will not spread its attacks
among player characters, focusing on one at a time instead. Roll player Initiative
at -2.
- HP: 25
- Awareness: 40
- Initiative: 18
- Damage: D10 / 2 attacks
- Against Seasoned Characters: Enemy has +5 HP / Defense: 30 / Offense: 40.
Stone Golem
With the correct spells and incantations, sorcerers may infuse a statue with part of
their own life-force, granting the resulting creature the ability to follow simple
orders. These creatures often stand as guardians in ruins and forgotten
catacombs, still awaiting their master’s return.
Type: Magic Fiend. Normal loot. Roll player Initiative at +1.
- HP: 30
- Awareness: 20
- Initiative: 12
- Damage: D10 / 2 attacks
- Against Seasoned Characters: Enemy has +5 HP / Defense: 60 / Offense: 20.
69
70
TYRANTS
Tyrants are unquestionably the most feared creatures in the whole of the
Fractured Dominion. According to legend, it was them who brought the world
to its knees, nearly destroying it in the process. Bearing unrivaled power, they
rule the land and although revolutions against them and their agents are
frequent, very few change anything at all. It is only through the machinations of
rival Tyrants that change happens, as they place a puppet in place of their
defeated rival. Although semi-benign Tyrants do exist, the majority act without
concern for anybody or anything.
When your characters encounter a Tyrant, roll on the Elite Foes Table. The
Tyrant will have the stats and abilities of the resulting creature with some
additional abilities unique to Tyrants. On each of the Tyrant's turns, roll a D10.
On a 1-3 it will cast one of the following spells instead of performing a normal
attack.
Each Tyrant will also roll twice on the Veteran Traits Table.
T����� S����� T���� (�6)
1
2
3
4
5
6
Regeneration: The Tyrant heals D4 HP per turn for the next 2 turns.
Hellfire: This spell deals 2D20 damage to the characters, split evenly.
Enthrall: A random character must succeed a WIL Test or become
enthralled by the Tyrant. An enthralled character will fight against their
comrades until the Tyrant dies, or until the character dies.
Enfeeblement: A random character suffers -10 Attack and -10 Defense for
the rest of the combat. The effects of this spell may stack with others,
including if the spell is cast several times.
Poisonous Mist: Characters must roll a CON Test or gain the Poisoned
condition.
Elemental Fury: The characters must perform a WIL Test successfully or
suffer from both the Burning and Chilled conditions.
V������ T����� T���� (D20)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Fear. Each character must perform a WIL Test every turn. If they
fail, they suffer a -20 penalty to all actions that turn.
Transfixing Stare. The characters may not run away from this
creature.
Incombustible. Immune to Burning.
Snake Blood. Immune to Poisoned.
Southern Kin. Immune to Chilled.
Bloodless. Immune to Bleeding.
Thick Skull. Immune to Stunned.
Vampiric. This creature heals D4 HP each time it deals damage to
a player.
Berserk. Upon reaching 25% remaining health points (rounding
up), they deal 1 extra damage per attack, but receive a -10 to their
Defense.
Negate Death. Ignore all damage caused by an attack that would
otherwise be fatal. Only works once.
Fire Affinity. All damage inflicted by this creature has a 50% chance
(roll with each attack) to cause the Burning condition.
Heart-Stopping Aura. This creature applies the Chilled condition
to all characters in its proximity.
Toxic. All damage inflicted by this Veteran has a 50% chance (roll
with each attack) to cause the Poisoned condition, due to special
equipment or mystical abilities.
Regeneration. This creature heals 2 HP automatically each turn.
Armored. This creature is protected by a thick skin that allows it to
ignore 2 damage per attack received.
Shroud of Darkness. This creature is surrounded by a permanent
cloud of darkness. All characters (except the creature itself) suffer
the effects of the Blinded condition, unless they have some light
source or spell.
Repelling Force Nimbus. This creature is immune to ranged
weapons attacks, thanks to a constant field surrounding it that
stops all projectiles.
Disarming Tentacles. Once per turn, the characters must perform
a DEX Test to avoid being disarmed. If failed, they lose their
weapon and must spend a turn recovering it.
Thorns. If fighting in melee range, the player must perform a DEX
Test every turn or suffer D10 damage.
Endurance. This creature may lose no more than 10 HP per attack.
Adding Variety
As an optional rule, you may roll on the following table after you encounter an
enemy of any kind, to add a bit more variety:
NPC T����� T���� (�10)
72
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Strong. Has +5 Offense
Weak. Has -5 Offense
Fast. Always wins the initiative
Slow. Always loses the initiative
Fragile. Receives 2 extra damage from all
attacks
Sturdy. Ignores 2 damage per attack received
Brutal. Deals 2 extra damage per attack
Cautious. Has -10 to Offense
Bold. Has -5 to Defense, but +5 to Offense
Fearful. Has +10 Defense, retreats at 75%
health (consider it defeated)
“Little is known about the lands to the south of
the Twilight. It is said that some still inhabit the
frozen wastes, somehow surviving below the thick
ice. Rumors of a city near a lake of liquid fire
have ignited the minds of the populace, who spread
tales of a life beyond the reach of the Tyrants and
their masters. Alas, this is all but lies, created to
give hope to those living under the yoke of tyranny
and despair.”
- Prenwal Guin, Lorekeeper of the Children of
Rebellion
RESCUE
74
“Rescue party” is an introductory
adventure designed to ease the
player into the game's rules, without
having to worry about generating a
location to explore. Simply follow the
steps and descriptions below. It's a
short and engaging adventure that
will lead the characters to the
dangerous Tomb of Kal-Tharas. The
first time the player characters
encounter a settlement (as per the
rules of Hex Exploration), this
settlement will be the town of Eshran.
P��� 1
“Just another dust-covered town”
After days of roaming the empty
landscape, partially following an old
road, you see the familiar shapes of
civilization in the distance. It appears
to be some sort of settlement, the
first you have encountered in a
while. This will be a great
opportunity to hunt for rumors and
get some warm food. A few hours
later you cross the decaying gates,
where an old, bored guard stares at
you with suspicion, but not enough
to question you. He lets you pass
unchallenged. This “town” is no
more than a few ruined houses, with
very few people coming and going.
You overhear the name of the town:
Eshran. It seems that the only reason
this place exists is because it's close
enough to a trade route to be
appealing to weary travelers. Before
long you find an inn, get some rest
and grab something to eat.
PARTY
While you are finishing a stew of
questionable quality, you start to
feel relaxed enough to check your
surroundings.
Nobody
would
mistake this place for a bustling
urban tavern, but you do see other
travelers sitting at some nearby
tables, as well as a bunch of locals
huddled close together in furtive
conversation. Their voices raise now
and then, as they discuss something
very heatedly while trying not to
attract
any
attention.
This
immediately makes you pay more
attention.
“...and I told her, I told her not to
let the lad go with him! I knew this
would happen; you cannot trust a
foreigner to take care of your kid. He
may be a clever boy, but we all know
what horrors roam these lands,
especially around the ruins...”. You
hear murmurs of approval, and see
the other men nodding. The man
speaking seems to be in his late
fifties, and he has the appearance of
someone who has been working this
harsh land his whole life. He has
strong muscled arms, dirt under his
fingernails and a permanent scowl
on his face. He suddenly turns his
head toward you, his eyes narrowing
when he realizes you've been
listening to their conversation.
“Didn't your mother teach you not
to listen to other people's
conversations?”, he says, infuriated.
He faces toward you, the other men
following behind. Before he can say
another word though, a woman
coming from the kitchen interferes.
“Leave the customers alone, you old
geezer! Things are already bad
enough around here without you
starting a fight!”. The woman is in
her thirties and has the tired and
swollen eyes of someone who has
been crying for several days. You can
also tell by her eyes that though she
is suffering and knows this won’t be
the last time, she is holding tight to
her resolve. She approaches your
table, standing between you and the
men. “My apologies, traveler”, she
says, “the past days have been
rough, and we are all on edge”. Your
curiosity now genuinely piqued, you
gently ask what happened. Barely
holding back tears, the woman
speaks. “Not even a week ago a man
came here. He was a traveler, an
explorer, looking for directions. My
boy Rhal was serving tables that day,
and somehow convinced the man he
could guide him to the ruins. We all
know about the ruins, they were
there before Eshran even existed,
but we don't talk about them or
acknowledge their existence. It's
bad luck, that place is cursed!” Her
voice breaks while she starts to sob,
but regaining control she continues,
“But Rhal is a stubborn boy, a brave
boy... He was so full of enthusiasm
when he asked me for permission,
planning all these things he was
going to do with the payment the
man was going to give him. I couldn't
say no. I know he would have
sneaked out anyway... You know he
would have, right, Staud?”, she looks
over her shoulder at the man she
berated before, looking for support.
“Of course he would have, he’s an
independent one, that one”, the
man says while resting his hand on
the woman's shoulder. “There is no
controlling that boy once he's
decided
he
wants
to
do
something...”.
The woman looks back to you, a
spark of hope in her eyes. “But you!
You are also a traveler and judging by
your weapons you are used to facing
danger. My boy has been gone for
almost a week, so he must be in
trouble! I beg you please, please go
to that place and bring him back
home. I'll do whatever you want,
give you everything I own. But
75
please! You must help me!” By the
time she finishes talking she is on her
knees, begging you with tears in her
eyes. The room is quiet, and
everybody is staring at you.
This did not go as you had hoped
it would. She leaves you with no
option but to agree; things are
already heated enough here without
you refusing to help a poor mother
find her lost boy... Besides, who
knows what treasures you will find?
You smile and accept.
Wiping the tears off her eyes,
the woman thanks you with a smile,
offering you free accommodations
and as much food and drink as you
want. You quickly prepare for the
next morning, when you meet a local
man who agrees to take you to the
aforementioned ruins.
Whathaveyougottenyourselfinto?
P��� 2
Traveling to the Tomb
Once you leave the town, go to the
closest unexplored hex. Roll a D10;
on a roll of 1-8 you find the ruins
(your guide has a pretty good idea
where they are, but he has never
actually been there). If not, go to the
next unexplored hex. Once you find
it, you are left alone as your guide
heads back home as fast as he can.
and spoil the adventure!
- One of the player characters
will need to be carrying a light
source, otherwise the party will
suffer the penalties for fighting in
the dark, found in the Combat
section (page 52).
- The normal wandering enemies
rule applies to the tomb; each time
your party goes through a corridor
or explored room, roll a D10. On a roll
of 1-2 a wandering enemy appears.
- Most rooms have no door, but
some do as indicated on the map.
Follow the standard rules for locked
doors (page 44).
- Each time the party enters a
room (including the entrance), roll
2D10+X where X is the number of
rooms you have explored past room
1. On a roll of 20 or more, the Spawn
of Vhol'est roaming the tomb
appears and attacks the party. If
defeated, you find a trapezoidal
stone made of a quartz like material
buried in the creature's chest, in
addition to normal loot. Assign this
stone to one of your characters.
- Once you are done exploring
the place (or simply want to leave),
remember that you will need to
retrace your steps and roll random
encounter checks for each room and
corridor in order to exit safely!
P��� 3
Exploring the Tomb
- While exploring the inside of
the tomb, simply follow the map.
The party will start in position
number 1, but from there you are
free to explore the place as you see
fit. Read each room's description as
you enter it but try not to read ahead
The Tomb
1. The half-buried entrance of the
tomb leads into an empty chamber.
You see the remains of long-dead
animals scattered around, but you
ignore them in favor of a trail of
footprints. They are relatively recent,
not older than a couple of days. You
are in the right place.
77
78
2. Roll on the Room Contents Table.
If you get a Special Feature result,
ignore it and roll again.
7. Roll on the Room Contents Table.
If you get a Special Feature result,
ignore it and roll again.
3. A crack in the ceiling above the
middle of the north wall allows a
trickle of water to flow down to the
floor. The water pools near the base
of the wall, and a rivulet runs along
the wall and out into the hall. The
water smells fresh. The party obtains
D6 rations.
8. Rounded green stones set in the
floor form a snake head pointing
toward the doorway you stand in.
The body of the snake flows toward
the wall to go round about the room
in ever smaller circles, creating a
spiral pattern on the floor. Similar
green-stone snakes wend along the
walls seemingly at random heights,
their long bodies making wave
shapes. After several minutes
studying the place, you find no
purpose to it and may leave.
4. Roll on the Room Contents Table.
If you get a Special Feature result,
ignore it and roll again.
5. This chamber of well-laid stones
holds a wide bas-relief of a pastoral
scene. In it you see what appears to
be a thriving city. After a few
minutes of examination, you
recognize the location thanks to
carved
mountains
in
the
background. The area depicted has
no cities nowadays though, just
some small scattered farms. This
depiction must be many thousands
of years old, perhaps from before
the Cataclysm.
6. This room appears to have been a
library of sorts. Stacks of half-rotten
tomes gather dust in the corners and
fall from shelves into piles against
the walls. The party may spend a
whole day here sifting through the
books to see if there is anything of
interest. All characters perform a
WIL Test and if they pass, roll a D10.
On a 1, they find a scroll containing a
random spell.
9. Looking into this chamber, you're
confronted
by
a
thousand
reflections of yourself looking back.
Mirrored walls set at different angles
fill the room. The path through the
room seems to go through the
mirrors before leading into the next
room. Mirrors are extremely rare;
and this is in fact the first time you
have seen one. After a few minutes
of trying to dismantle one so that
you may take it with you, you give up
and decide to continue.
10. Roll on the Room Contents Table.
If you get a Special Feature result,
ignore it and roll again.
11. A foul stench seems to be seeping
from the floor cracks; the smell is
nigh unbearable. The fumes seem to
originate from the depths, carrying a
smell similar to rotten eggs. Better
to move along. For each turn the
characters stay here, they must pass
a CON Test or lose 2 HP.
12. This room is a crypt. Stone
sarcophagi stand in five rows of
three, each carved with the visage of
a warrior lying in state. In their
center, one sarcophagus stands
taller than the rest. Held up by six
squat pillars, its stone bears the
carving of a beautiful woman who
seems more asleep than dead. The
carving of the warriors is skillful but
seems perfunctory compared to the
love a sculptor must have lavished
upon the lifelike carving of the
woman. There is no treasure here, as
all the sarcophagi lie open, their
scattered bones making it clear their
riches were ransacked long ago.
13. Roll on the Room Contents Table.
If you get a Special Feature result,
ignore it and roll again.
14. As soon you enter this room, the
smell of blood overwhelms your
senses. Something gruesome clearly
took place in this room, there's
blood sprayed all over the floor and
walls. It seems it wasn’t that long
ago, either. Overcoming your urge to
leave the room, you take a closer
look around. An explorer camped
here recently. There's still some food
inside a pot over a cold campfire. You
also find a knife and a lamp, and
some cooking utensils scattered
across the room. You find no corpses
though, so whatever happened
here, someone (or something) came
out alive from it.
15. Roll on the Room Contents Table.
If you get a Special Feature result,
ignore it and roll again.
16. The second you enter this room,
you sense a dark oppressive energy,
as if the air itself were trying to
escape your lungs and the room. You
immediately pinpoint the source of
such nauseating energy: a matte
black stone sarcophagus in the
center of the room. As you approach
it, the sense of dread increases. Roll
against magic (WIL). If you fail the
test, gain 1 CP. Approaching the
sarcophagus, you see that is a
completely
featureless
black
rectangle almost three meters long,
made of a stone you can’t identify.
Despite how plain it looks, it's
obviously the work of a master
stonemason. At the top center of the
thing, something catches your eye: A
socket, as if a piece has been taken
from the lid.
- If you have defeated the spawn
that roams the tomb, you have the
stone it was carrying. It fits perfectly
in the socket, and the sarcophagus
slides open without a noise.
- If you don't have the spawn's
stone, you will need to find another
way to open it. If Alred is with the
party, he will find one; otherwise
perform a Perception Skill Test
successfully to find it. “Here, there's
a crack separating the lid from the
sarcophagus”, says Alred while he
kneels close to it. He seems
unaffected by the place. You look
where he is pointing at and you see
that there does seem to be a way of
opening this thing. The question is,
should you? If you attempt to open
it, roll a STR (-5) Test. Only one
attempt per player character is
allowed.
79
80
Once the sarcophagus opens
(one way or another), you see a tall,
skeletal figure inside of it. In the
skeleton's chest, there is a black
pulsating heart. Before you can
decide what to do with it, the
skeletal figure starts to shake and
tremble. To your horror, you see the
old bones reanimate before you. It
stands itself upright inside the
sarcophagus as you retreat a safe
distance away from it. It seems to
stare at you, and then attacks. Treat
this encounter as a Bonefiend (Elite
Foe).
If you manage to defeat the
skeletal guardian (who you suspect
was none other than Kal-Tharas
himself), the bones will dissolve into
a pile of dust, leaving behind The
Heart
of
Kal-Tharas.
Alred
approaches it and cautiously picks it
up. He then wraps it in a piece of
cloth and deposits it inside his bag.
“I think it's about time we exit this
place. Let's go”.
17. Roll on the Room Contents Table.
If you get a Special Feature result,
ignore it and roll again.
18. At first glance, this room is just
another empty chamber full of
cobwebs and dust. Cautiously
moving across the chamber, as the
light of your torch casts shadows on
the walls, you find something
unusual: a small mound of sand,
seemingly out of place. You
approach it with caution, and a shine
of light is reflected off a piece of halfburied metal, catching your eye. Still
unsure, you get on your knees and
start removing the sand. It seems to
be... a helmet! It's quite stuck, so you
dig a bit more. This is then when you
realize that the helmet is still
attached to a head! Your first
reaction is to jump away, thinking
you just uncovered some old
remains (or something worse), but
once you take a minute to look
better, you see that this is no old
corpse. As a matter of fact, you could
swear this person is still alive! Could
this be the boy you're looking for?
Ten minutes later, you realize
that it is not. You have exhumed a
middle-aged man, dressed in leather
armor and an eclectic mish mash of
clothes from tribes all around the
Dominion. After a few minutes of
basic First Aid and reanimation
techniques,
the
man
starts
coughing. He opens his eyes,
removes some sand from his face,
and spits a mouthful of it nearby. He
looks up at you, fear crossing his
eyes before he regains control of his
body and sits up. “Who are you?” he
groans, “What are you doing here?”
You introduce yourselves and
explain to him the reason you're
there. When you mention the boy, a
shadow crosses his eyes and he
looks down.
Shaking the remainder of the
sand from his hair and clothes, the
man stands up. “I'm Alred. Thank
you for getting me out of that hole, I
owe you one for that. As for the
lad...” He shakes his head. “I'm afraid
he didn't make it. And I'm not sure if
we'll make it, either. There's this...
thing here, it killed the lad and
almost got me too. I... I tried to help,
Uzrun knows I did, but there was
nothing I could have done.” He looks
at you, as if measuring your worth
with a single look. “But now that
you're here... I have a chance. We
have a chance.” Confused, you ask
him what he's talking about. Since
the boy is dead, there's nothing to
do but to go back home. Maybe find
the body, but that's it. “Yes, yes, I
guess we could find the body... if
there is one. But no, I wasn't talking
about that.” He approaches a nearby
stone altar and sits on it, while taking
a sip of a small flask he had in a
pocket. He swallows, looks back at
you, and starts talking, “You see, this
is no ordinary tomb. This is the tomb
of Kal-Tharas, a Tyrant that ruled
over this region 3,600 years ago. As
tyrants go, he wasn't anything
special. He reached power, lost his
mind, then terrorized the region for a
few hundred years until someone
killed him and took his place. You
know, typical Tyrant story.” He stops
to take another sip of the flask, then
continues. “There was one thing he
had of interest though, one thing
that separated him from others. His
successor, Almubaran the Yellow,
trapped Kal-tharas' power in a stone
relic the old tomes call the Heart of
Kal-tharas. For some reason us
mortals will never understand, he
placed that relic in this tomb, and
sealed it. Were we to retrieve this
Heart, well… I don't need to tell you.
They say the power in this relic is
enough to challenge a Tyrant!”. Alred
smiles at you, an honest smile that
makes you want to smile back. “We
could free this region from the grip
of Fh'Thal the Breeder, let the people
choose their own destiny, rule their
own land! Can you imagine?”
No, you can't imagine, you say to
yourself. This kind of thing has been
tried before and it always ends the
same way. People die. But a
powerful relic... You’re not the kind
of people who say no to that kind of
thing. You nod and tell him that
you're interested in helping him.
“Fantastic!” says Alred, “Now we
only need to find it. It should be here,
somewhere... I'm sure we’ll be able
to find it, together.”
Alred walks toward the pile of
sand, and after a few minutes he digs
out a backpack. “I'm afraid I'll not be
of much use if we need to fight, my
sword is still buried down there,
somewhere... I'll stay out of the way,
but I can heal some of your wounds
if needed. Let's go!”
You follow him into the next
room.
-Alred can cast Cauterize twice
during the adventure, on any player
character who needs it.
19. Dozens of dead winged beings lie
scattered about the floor, each
about the size of a cat. Their broken
bodies are bat-like and bug-like at
the same time. Their forms are little
more than dried husks now, and
there's no sign of what killed them.
You tread carefully, trying not to
step on them, just in case.
P��� 4
Conclusion
Once you exit the tomb, Alred offers
you two options: You may keep the
heart and try to figure out how to
use it, or he may keep it and take it
back to the organization he works
81
82
with, the Children of Rebellion.
Everybody has heard this or that
rumor about the Children. Some
people think they are the only
chance the Dominion has of freeing
itself from the grip of the Tyrants,
others think they are just a bunch of
organized bandits taking advantage
of gullible peasants. Still others say
they are a tool of the Tyrants to keep
tabs on what the populace is doing,
acting to rein in any feelings of
rebellion. Whatever their goals, you
never really paid any attention to
their activities, thinking that if they
did exist, they were a bunch of
idealists that would only get a lot of
people killed.
- If you give the Heart to Alred,
the Children of Rebellion will owe
you a favor which can come in handy
in the future. You never know when
a network of operatives may be
useful.
- If you keep the Heart, you will
need to figure out how to use it.
Each time you encounter ruins
during your travels, roll a D10. If you
clear the ruins (fully explore the
location), on a roll of 1-2 you find a
ritual that explains how to use it. This
is a dangerous operation that will
require you to find a skilled sorcerer
willing to perform the operation. The
procedure
itself
involves
substituting the heart of one of the
player characters for the Heart of
Kal-Tharas. See below to learn the
consequences of doing this. Finding
and hiring a sorcerer willing to
perform the ritual will cost 1,000
shells.
- When you return to Eshran
with news of the boy's death, each
player character may remove 1 CP.
The grieving mother will stoically
thank you for bringing her the news,
and life will go on in this harsh corner
of the Dominion. Alred will stay a
while, making reparations for his role
in the boy's death by helping around.
He thanks you once again for saving
him and promises you will meet
again in the future.
The Heart of Kal-tharas
This ancient relic will bestow upon
the owner the power of cheating
death. The next time that player
character with the heart implanted
dies, they automatically come back
to life fully healed. They will lose 1
Max Corruption in the resurrection
process, and this effect may only
happen once. The next time the
character dies, they will die for good.
Another character may harvest the
heart to transplant it onto their own
body.
Carrying the heart attracts
powerful foes. Each time you are
about to face vermin, roll a D10. On a
result of 8+, you will roll on the
Common Foes Table instead.