H E RO E S O F A DV E N T U R E
referees
guide
THE NAMELESS DESIGNER
1
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R E F E R E E S G U I D E TO H E RO E S O F A DV E N T U R E
CONTENTS
CHAPTER 1 - RULES
Introduction
Rules
CHAPTER 3 - CAMPAIGNS
Page 05
Page 06
CHAPTER 2 - HERO OPTIONS
Creating a Hero Class
Multi-Classing
Hero Class Abilities
Page 11
Page 11
Page 12
CHAPTER 3 - RUNNING ADVENTURES
Game Session
Checks
Wilderness Travel
Exploration
Encounters
Settlements
Downtime
Combat
Survival
Rewards
Page 15
Page 16
Page 17
Page 18
Page 19
Page 20
Page 21
Page 22
Page 24
Page 25
Page 55
Page 56
Page 57
Page 58
Page 59
Page 60
Page 61
Sample Adventure (Mezraks Foundry)
Page 62
(Click on the above titles to jump to relevant page in the pdf document)
ABOUT HEROES OF ADVENTURE
Heroes of Adventure is a fantasy medieval adventure game
inspired by classic role-playing games of yesteryear.
The Heroes of Adventure Referees Handbook is Core
Rulebook II of the Heroes of Adventure role-playing game
system. The Referees Handbook provides information and
guidance for referees looking to create a run an adventure.
This book covers the following subjects:
CHAPTER 4 - CREATING ADVENTURES
Adventure Elements
Wilderness Map
Creating Settlements
Rumours
Quests
Adventure Site
Adventure Site Tables
Adventure Theme Tables
Random Encounters
Monsters
Human Non-Player Characters
Non-Human Non-Player Characters
NPC Advancement
Challenges
Treasure
Artefacts
Resources & Components
Campaign Play
Sandbox Play
Fronts
Factions
Warbands
Property & Enterprises
Domains
Page 27
Page 28
Page 30
Page 32
Page 33
Page 34
Page 36
Page 38
Page 40
Page 41
Page 42
Page 44
Page 45
Page 46
Page 47
Page 48
Page 50
Rules
• Game overview
• The rules of the game
Hero Options
• Creating new Hero classes
• Multi-classing optional rules
Running Adventures
• Procedures and explanations for running the game.
Creating Adventures
• Tools for creating your own adventures.
Campaigns
• Tools and advice for creating wider story arcs in your
background setting.
RESOURCES
LICENCE
The Heroes of Adventure Referees Handbook is Core
Rulebook II of the Heroes of Adventure role-playing game.
Heroes of Adventure Referees Guide text © 2023 by The
Nameless Designer is licensed under CC BY 4.0.
For more free Heroes of Adventure resources, please visit
https://nameless-designer.itch.io/heroes-of-adventure.
This license allows you to distribute, remix, adapt, and build
upon the material in any medium or format, even for
commercial purposes with credit to the author.
All art generated by MidJourney with text inputs from the
Nameless Designer.
2
Referees Guide
HEROES OF ADVENTURE
CORE RULEBOOK (VERSION 2)
HTTPS://NAMELESS-DESIGNER.ITCH.IO/HEROES-OF-ADVENTURE-REFEREES-GUIDE
DESIGN & LAYOUT
THE NAMELESS DESIGNER
HTTPS://NAMELESS-DESIGNER.ITCH.IO
WORLD MAP
CREATED USING WONDERDRAFT
DUNGEON MAP
CREATED USING DUNGEONSCRAWL
PLAY TESTERS
THANKS TO DARREN, JONTY, PAUL & PETER
PROOF READER
AZAULE
ART
CREATED USING MIDJOURNEY AI
3
CHAPTER 1 : RULES
INTRODUCTION
RULES
PAGE 05
PAGE 06
4
REFEREES GUIDE | CHAPTER 1 | RULES
INTRODUCTION
ABOUT HEROES OF ADVENTURE
REFEREE’S ROLE
•
•
•
•
Inspired by classic role-playing adventure games of
yesteryear.
The three core rulebooks; Players Handbook; Referees
Guide and Monsters Compendium contains all the rules
you need to play the game.
Semi-compatible with other ‘OSR’ (old school revival) type
games.
•
•
The referee is the storyteller, narrator and controls the
inhabitants in the world.
The referee also adjudicates the rules of the game.
The referee’s primary aim is to provide an engaging
experience for the group.
REFEREEING PRINCIPLES
•
HOW TO PLAY
Heroes of Adventure is a role-playing game where players take
on the role of heroes in a fantasy medieval setting who band
together to undertake quests. A referee presents the world, the
story and controls the inhabitants to the players.
•
•
The game is played with the referee presenting a scene; the
players then make a decision on their course of action and the
outcome of these actions are determined. Play then moves on to
the next scene. The player’s actions and choices will determine
how the adventure plays out.
•
•
The majority of the game is narrated by the referee, with the
players discussing and agreeing on their actions. When the
players attempt something risky, uncertain or when the action is
opposed then they may be asked to make a check.
•
•
A check is made by rolling a d20 die to equal or exceed a target
number (target check) or beat a d20 die roll made by an
opponent (opposed check).
Create a living world for the players to explore and interact
with. Apply a level of plausibility to the world so things
make sense.
Constantly give players decisions to advance the story
ensuring they have sufficient information to consider
options, risks and consequences.
Give players the freedom to accomplish tasks in a manner
of their choosing and reward creative thinking and clever
plans.
Potential dangers should be sign-posted and sudden
deaths avoided. The biggest risks should be bad decisions,
bad luck or depletion of resources.
Dice rolls are not always required, if an action has a low
risk of failure then it works.
Make rulings where necessary to keep the game moving
using common sense and good judgement.
Give rewards when progress is being made and objectives
have been completed.
SHARED WORLD BUILDING
•
The game continues until the adventure is completed or the
players are defeated or retreat to survive another day. The
players can earn rewards for their heroes and may earn
experience points which allows them to raise their level, learn
new skills and undertake more challenging adventures.
•
•
The game is played in a world known as the Fallen Lands which
starts as a blank canvas for the players and referee to develop
collaboratively through gameplay and adventures.
•
•
The outcome of each adventure should result in some
meaningful change in the setting so the player’s actions have
consequences in the world.
The Fallen Lands setting is intended to be an empty canvas
which is populated through gameplay.
World building starts with hero creation which introduces
settlements, contacts and factions.
During play, an ‘on the table’ approach is promoted with
maps openly shared between the referee and players.
Setting information is added when discoveries are made by
the players.
The end of each adventure should create some meaningful
consequences in the setting.
Players are also encouraged to create new rumours at the
end of each adventure which the referee can incorporate
into new adventures.
WHAT YOU NEED TO PLAY
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Player’s Handbook (for the players)
A character sheet (for each player)
Referee’s Guide (for the referee)
Monsters Compendium (for the referee)
An adventure (prepared by the referee - see link below for
free adventures)
Dice (d4, d6, d8, d10, d12 & d20)
Paper, pencil, eraser
All of the necessary books required to play the game (including
some pre-prepared adventures) can be downloaded for free at
the following link:
https://nameless-designer.itch.io/heroes-of-adventure
5
REFEREES GUIDE | CHAPTER 1 | RULES
RULES
CORE MECHANIC
ADVENTURING
•
When to Check? When attempting something risky,
uncertain or when avoiding or opposing something.
•
Turns: Players take one action each turn. The scale of
actions depends upon the phase of play.
•
Checks: Roll d20 to equal or exceed either the target
number indicated or the target number of the situational
difficulty per the Target Number Table (pg. 7). Roll a d20 to
beat an opponent's d20 roll when the action is opposed.
Failure may result in some consequences such as a setbacks,
lost time or loss of resources.
•
Movement: Players move from room to room when
exploring. During an encounter, players can move one
range band per turn.
•
Abilities: These are either special feats or innate powers
linked to a hero’s class or a feat known to all members of a
certain race. Only one ability can be performed as an action
at a time and these cannot be stacked.
•
Distance: For encounters, range bands are used as per the
Range Band Table (pg. 7).
•
Exploring: Managed through asking questions and
describing the scene.
•
Searching: Die rolls are not made for searching. If a hero is
actively looking for something in the right area, they will
find it unless a specific action is required.
•
•
•
•
•
Skill Die: If a relevant attribute or skill (only one) is used,
add your skill die to the roll. Skill dice range from d4, d6,
d8, d10, d12 (max. Heroes) or d20 (max. Monsters). Heroes
have specific attributes and skills but Monsters & NonPlayer Characters (NPC) use a general skill die for all
checks.
Critical Success or Failure: Rolling a natural 20 or beating
the target number by 10 or more is a critical success and
results in a more positive outcome. Rolling a natural 1 or
failing by 10 or more is a critical failure and results in a
worse outcome.
•
Advantage (ADV) & Disadvantage (DIS): Awarded
through ability use or at the referee’s discretion based on
situational factors. Roll the check twice taking the highest
result (Advantage) or lowest result (Disadvantage).
Traps & Hazards: These will generally be obvious and can
be overcome through player interaction. Checks may be
used to overcome or avoid physical effects.
•
Reaction Rolls: Determines the outcome of random or
uncertain events outside the player’s control. The referee
rolls a d20, consults the Reaction Table (pg. 7) and interprets
the result according to the situation.
Settlement Turn: This takes half a day and players can
typically; rest (gain advantage on health recovered during
overnight rest); recruit new followers; visit a shop/service or
learn new rumours. Detailed movement is not tracked here.
•
Fate Table: Use when the referee is asked a question and
wants to leave the outcome to chance. The referee rolls a
d20, consults the Fate Table (pg. 7) and interprets the result
according to the situation. This table can be used to facilitate
solo play.
Wilderness Turn: This takes half a day and players can;
move (12 miles/2 hexes); explore (6 miles/1 hex); forage
(wilderness check to gather d4 days of food) or hunt
(ranged combat check to hunt d6 days worth of fresh meat).
Travel progress is tracked on the wilderness map.
•
Social Interactions: Command (authoritative) or Guile
(cunning or negotiation) skill checks can be used to help
decide social interactions. Dialogue between players and
referee can grant advantage or disadvantage.
•
Chases: Tactics and skill checks can be used to increase the
range bands between groups. When a side gets too ‘far’
distance away, they escape.
•
Knowledge Checks: Skill checks can be used to give clues
or allow questions, not solve the issue.
•
Rewards: Take the form of payment, equipment, services,
information or favours.
•
Experience Points: Awarded for completing objectives.
Points are totalled and divided between the party after each
adventure with half shares awarded to NPCs or allocated
away for deceased Heroes to account for their contribution.
•
Size: Creature size ranges from; tiny (Insect), small (Dog),
medium (Human), large (Ogre), huge (Dragon) and
colossal (Behemoth).
ROUNDING UP
•
Always round figures up to the nearest whole number.
EXPLODING DAMAGE RULE
•
Some class abilities or weapons grant exploding damage
benefits. When you roll the maximum weapon damage on a
die, you roll that die again and add the new die roll result to
the original result. This occurs once only.
TIME
•
•
(Real Life) Session: Getting together in real life to play the
game is known as an individual game session.
(In Game) Time: When adventuring exploration turns take
10 minutes and heroes can explore one room. Combat &
Encounter turns take a few moments each and last 10
minutes in total. Settlement and Wilderness turns take half
a day.
6
REFEREES GUIDE | CHAPTER 1 | RULES
RANDOM ENCOUNTERS
TARGET NUMBER TABLE
•
When to Check? The referee makes a secret random
encounter check at the end of each turn. No checks are
made during an encounter or combat.
•
How to Check? The target number to avoid an encounter
starts at 1 on a d20 and increases by 1 point each turn and
resets when an encounter occurs or the players reach a place
of safety.
•
Failed Check: On a failed check the referee will present an
encounter with a monster or non-player character or some
event which the players may choose to interact with.
Random encounters are not always adversarial and may
present opportunities to learn information or act as a
distraction (i.e. side quest) to the player’s main goal.
Difficulty
Very Easy
Easy
Moderate
Challenging
Difficult
Very Difficult
Almost Impossible
•
REACTION TABLE
d20
01
02-03
04-07
08-13
14-17
18-19
20
Opponent Reactions: The referee will determine the
reaction or use the Reaction Table and then determine if
either side is surprised.
EQUIPMENT
•
Weapons: Have a damage die rating (d4, d6 etc) which is
deducted from the target’s health in combat.
•
Armour: Has a defence bonus (+1, +2 etc) which is added
to the defence score making someone harder to hit in
combat.
•
Shield: Has a defence bonus (+1, +2 etc) which is added to
the defence score making someone harder to hit in combat.
A shield may also be sacrificed to negate all damage from
one attack. This must be called before damage is rolled. This
is known as a Shield Break.
•
Encumbrance: A hero can carry 12 items (+1 per strength
skill die) of equipment before they are impaired. The
maximum number of items someone can carry is double
this allowance. Some marked items (i.e. arrows) count as 1
item.
•
Equipment Damage: If a critical failure occurs equipment
is damaged. If a damaged item is used and another critical
failure is rolled then the item is broken beyond repair.
•
Enchanted Item Wear: Magic bound to an enchanted item
will not be contained forever. An enchanted item starts to
diminish on a critical failure when used. If a diminished
item is used and another critical failure is rolled then the
item loses one of its features at random.
•
Repair: Damaged items can be repaired at settlements for
25% of their cost. However, items with special features
which have been lost cannot be regained.
•
Usage: Some equipment has a usage score and may be
consumed immediately or depleted through use.
Target Number
(No roll required) 0
5
10
15
20
25
30
Outcome or Reaction
A terrible outcome, hostile
A very bad outcome, aggressive
A poor outcome, defensive
An indifferent outcome, cautious
A good outcome, favourable
A very good outcome, friendly
An excellent outcome, helpful
FATE TABLE
d20
01-03
04-06
07-09
10-11
12-14
15-17
18-20
Outcome or Reaction
No and some complication or constraint
No
No, but some opportunity
Interruption or change to circumstances
Yes, but some complication
Yes
Yes and some assistance or benefit
RANGE BAND TABLE
d20
01
02-03
04-06
07-10
11-14
15-17
18-19
20
Range Band & Distance
Melee, close range (5ft), reach range (10ft)
Short (30ft)
Medium (60ft)
Intermediate (90ft)
Long (120ft)
Far (240ft)
Distant (Greater than 240ft)
Escaped notice, perhaps some signs of opponent
EXPERIENCE POINT AWARD TABLE
Achievement
Complete a side-quest
Complete an adventure quest
Complete a campaign quest
Explored a point of interest
Explored an adventure site (per level)
Successful encounter (per group/level)
Artefact or treasure item found
7
XP
5
20
50
1
3
1
1
REFEREES GUIDE | CHAPTER 1 | RULES
RULES
COMBAT & SURVIVAL
MORALE
•
Initiative: Roll d20 + agility or monster/NPC skill die for
combatants (or groups of combatants) and act from highest
to lowest score.
•
•
Combat Actions: Combatants may move a range band and
take one action as follows:
• Attack; engage and attack an opponent.
• Press (melee); attack a person at advantage but next
attack received from this person also at advantage.
• Block (melee); disadvantage on attacks made and
received from one person until next turn.
• Fast Move; move two range bands instead of one
• Use Item; use a readied item or pick up an item.
• Use Ability; cast a spell or use a class ability.
• Disarm; make a melee weapon attack against an
opponent of your size or smaller at disadvantage. On a
success, you knock the opponent’s weapon from their
grasp which scatters in a random direction.
• Grapple; initiate against an opponent of your size or
smaller or break existing grapple by making a
successful Strength check vs. opposed Strength or
Agility check (opponent's choice). Grapple prevents an
opponent from moving but does not preclude them
from attacking. A grappled opponent can be forcibly
moved up to half the aggressor's range movement.
Morale: Various items, abilities, divine favours, and combat
situations can trigger a morale check. A character or
monster who fails a morale check is precluded from
attacking and will attempt to flee until successful or
physically unable to do so.
•
Combat Triggers: A morale check is triggered when the
following occurs in combat:
• Combatant's health or party size reduced to 50% or less
• Leader is killed
• Facing a great fear
• Battle is nearly lost
•
Morale Check: When triggered, roll a d20 + Will (players)
or + skill die (NPC/monster) versus target of 10. Increase
target score by +5 for each subsequent check.
•
Other Triggers: Roll as indicated.
SPELL CASTING
•
Casting Spells: Select a spell and roll d20 + Magic skill vs.
target number or opponent’s roll to succeed. On a success,
apply the spell effects as per the spell description.
•
Stress: Attempting to cast spells stresses the caster resulting
in a temporary loss of 1 health which can only be recovered
through overnight rest. Track stress loss separately from
damage loss.
•
Amplifying Spells: Spells can be amplified by stressing the
caster 2 (charged) or 3 (empowered) health points. On a
success, you may increase any of the spell effects up to the
relevant level as per the Amplify Spell Table.
Critical Success or Failure: On a critical success the spell is
automatically charged (if the spell is being charged by the
caster then it becomes empowered). On a critical failure roll
on the Wild Magic Table (pg. 9).
•
Attacking: Roll d20 + melee or ranged skill to equal or
exceed the opponent’s defence score. On a success, roll
weapon damage and deduct this from the opponent’s health.
•
Combat Critical Success: Your attack does double damage
against the opponent.
•
Combat Critical Failure: Your weapon is damaged. If a
critical failure occurs again on a damaged weapon it is
broken beyond repair.
•
Attack of Opportunity: If two people are in melee combat
and one wishes to move away, the opponent may bring
forward their next action to attack before the person moves
away.
AMPLIFY SPELL TABLE
•
Spell Effect
Stress
Effect Die
Number of Targets
Spell Area of Effect
Spell Range Max
Time Duration
Spell Turn Duration
Target Level Max
Target Size Max
HEALTH & CONDITIONS
•
Health: The amount of physical injury (or stress) someone
can sustain before dying at zero. Heroes and important
NPCs may roll on the Wounds Table (pg. 9) instead of death.
•
Impaired: A person who is impaired acts at disadvantage.
This can occur when someone is reduced to a third of their
health or through other triggers.
•
Incapacitated: Someone who is incapacitated is unable to
act at all.
•
Rest & Recovery: Injuries can be healed using bandages,
medicines, potions or magic or overnight rest (d4 or
fortitude skill per night). Impairment and incapacitation
can be overcome through, time, rest, cure or a skill check.
8
Charged
2 Health
d12
2
Medium (60ft)
Long (120ft)
1 hour
4
(Up to) 6
Large (or smaller)
Empowered
3 Health
d20
4
Long (120ft)
Far (240ft)
4 hours
8
Any
Colossal (or smaller)
REFEREES GUIDE | CHAPTER 1 | RULES
WOUNDS TABLE
d20
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Condition
Mortal Wound
Fractured Skull
Lose Arm/Hand
Lose Foot/Leg
Internal Injury
Lose an Eye
Broken Ribs
Head Wound
Broken Arm/Hand
Broken Foot/Leg
Punctured Lung
Chest Wound
Blow to the Head
Arm/Hand Injury
Leg/Foot Injury
Bruised Ribs
Winded
Blurred Vision
Scarred
Lucky Escape
Outcome (Knocked out until the end of the encounter plus the following)
You cling to life until the end of the encounter to whisper a last few words then die.
Lose 3 health forever and disadvantage on lore, senses or magic checks permanently.
Lose 3 health forever and use 1 handed items and disadvantage on combat forever.
Lose 3 health forever and disadvantage on agility and athletics forever.
Lose 3 health forever and disadvantage on any physical checks permanently.
Lose 2 health forever and disadvantage on senses and ranged combat permanently.
Lose 2 health forever and disadvantage on physical checks for the adventure.
Lose 2 health forever. Disadvantage on lore, senses or magic checks for the adventure.
Lose 2 health forever. Use 1 handed items, disadvantage combat for the adventure.
Lose 2 health forever. Disadvantage on agility, athletics and move slowly for adventure.
Lose 1 health forever. Gasp and wheeze acting once every 2 turns for the adventure.
Lose 1 health forever. Disadvantage on physical checks for the remainder of the adventure.
Lose 1 health forever. Disadvantage on lore, senses or magic checks for the adventure.
Lose 1 health forever. Use 1 handed items only, disadvantage combat for the adventure.
Lose 1 health forever. Disadvantage on agility, athletics and moves slowly for adventure.
Gasp and wheeze acting once every 2 turns for the session.
Disadvantage on physical checks for the remainder of the session.
Disadvantage on lore, senses or magic checks for the session.
Suffer a nasty scar (d20, 1-5 head, 6-10 chest, 11-15 L/R arm, 16-20 L/R leg).
Injury not as bad as first thought. Unconscious until the end of the encounter.
WILD MAGIC TABLE
d20
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Outcome
Summoning
Stressed
Shadow Form
Drained
Explosion
Age
Lost Control
Delayed
Teleported
Rift
Chaos Scream
Chaotic Force
Paralysis
Mutation
Time Loop
Blight
Visage
Volatile
Focus
Power Surge
Effect
Random creature of chaos enters this plane of existence, targets the spell caster.
Sees malevolent chaotic forces, spell casting at disadvantage for rest of the session.
A shadowy mirror form with all powers of the caster appears and attacks the caster.
Wild magic drains d4 health, if health reduced to zero fall unconscious for d6 turns.
d6 damage short range and pushed one range band. Fortitude check half damage.
Roll d20; older odd number; younger even number by 5 years (x2, x4 long-lived).
Can’t handle the power, gain disadvantage on all spell checks for the encounter.
Spell doesn’t work. Roll d20 each turn, spell activates on an odd number.
Caster is teleported to a random survivable place far (240ft) distance away.
Dimensional rift summons something a random monster.
Everyone in medium range makes a will 10 check or disadvantage on their next turn.
Everyone in medium range makes a fortitude 10 check or disadvantage on next turn.
Caster paralysed, magic check 10 at the start of each turn to snap out of it.
Caster gains an ugly mutation which lasts for the remainder of the session.
Spell fails and caster has to try and cast the same spell again the next round.
Any plant life around the caster withers and die.
Casters appearance alters in a strange way (player’s choice) for the adventure.
For the remainder of the session any spells cast will be at a random power level, wild magic occurs on 1-4.
For the remainder of the session you have advantage on any magic checks.
Wild magic surge increases the power of the spell, charge the spell effect.
9
CHAPTER 2 : HERO OPTIONS
CREATING A HERO CLASS
MULTI-CLASSING
HERO ABILITIES
PAGE 11
PAGE 11
PAGE 12
10
REFEREES GUIDE | CHAPTER 2 | HERO OPTIONS
CREATING A HERO CLASS
MULTI CLASSING (OPTIONAL)
HERO CLASSES
MULTI-CLASSING
•
•
•
•
•
•
This describes the hero’s background and profession and
influences their skills, abilities and starting equipment.
20 hero classes are provided in the Player’s Guide although
you may wish to create more to fit the theme of your
campaign.
Classes are generally organised into three types; a fighting
class (i.e. Warrior); skill class (i.e. Rogue) or spell casting
class (i.e. Mage) as a starting point.
Feel free to tweak aspects of this process to get the right
result as long as classes are not overpowered. For example,
you might wish to create specific classes only accessible to
certain races.
Use the existing classes as examples of how to create and
balance these.
•
•
•
•
MULTI-CLASSING EXAMPLE
CREATING A HERO CLASS
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
The following optional rule allows players to swap the class
of their hero once during their career. This allows the player
some creative freedom to develop a unique character.
When a character reaches a new level, they may elect to
train in a new class and may immediately choose level
benefits (i.e. class ability) from their new class.
At this point, the hero cannot select class abilities from their
old class.
The hero’s class description should state the old class & level
and the new class & level (i.e. Warrior 1 / Rogue 1). The
hero’s level is the sum of both old and new classes (i.e. Level
2 in this example).
A class change is only permitted once during their career.
Greymark a Level 1 Human Mage earns enough experience
points to reach Level 2. Greymark expressed only minor
magical talents in truth and was more interested in
exploration and discovery and now wishes to retrain as an
Adventurer.
Greymark immediately switches class and chooses a class
ability from this new class (Traps Expert) alongside the other
level advancement benefits. The hero is now expressed as:
Greymark, Human, Mage Level 1 / Adventurer Level 1 (2)
For future level advancements, Greymark may choose new
level benefits exclusively from the Adventurer class. He may
use his previously learned Mage abilities but may not choose
any new abilities from his old class.
Choose Name: Choose a name which best describes the
new class.
Create Description: Write a one-line sentence to describe
the theme of this new class.
Create Statistics: Determine the class’s starting statistics
using the Class Statistics Table. This will cover the classes
starting health; attributes; skills and ability. These should fit
the theme of the class.
Choose Class Abilities: Choose 1 starting and 14 more
abilities which fit the theme of the class which can be
chosen during advancement.
Choose Equipment: Choose one item of clothing or
armour, one weapon and one equipment item plus 200 sp as
the starting equipment.
CREATING NEW CLASS ABILITIES
CLASS CREATION EXAMPLE
•
The referee wants to create a new spell-casting class designed
specifically for the Wildfolk race.
•
•
Class Abilities are either special feats or innate powers
linked to a hero’s class or race. Abilities are categorised as:
• Passive (P); these abilities grant a permanent bonus,
access to a spell domain or an action that can be used
every turn.
• Encounter (E); these abilities require some effort and
are limited in use. A hero can use any combination of
encounter abilities once per level per encounter (i.e. a
level 2 hero could use any one encounter ability twice or
two encounter abilities once per encounter).
Feel free to design new class abilities to fit the theme of your
new class.
Use the existing class abilities as examples to ensure any
new abilities are not overpowered.
1.
2.
3.
4.
CLASS STATISTICS TABLE
Class Type
Health
Attributes
Skills
Starting Ability
Class Abilities
Fighting
8
Choose 1
Choose 2
Choose 1
Choose 14
Skill
6
Choose 1
Choose 3
Choose 1
Choose 14
Spell Casting
4
Choose 1
Choose 2
Choose 1
Choose 14
5.
11
Choose Name: The referee decides to call the class
Elven Spellweaver.
Create Description: The referee comes up with the
following one-line class description. The Elven
Spellweaver communes with nature’s elements and draws
power from the land to weave their enchanting song spells.
Create Statistics: Next the referee determines the class’s
starting statistics using the Class Statistics Table. As a
spell-casting base class, the following options are
selected; Health (4), Attribute (Will), Skills (Magic and
Wilderness Survival) and Ability (Nature Magic).
Choose Class Abilities: The referee now chooses the
remaining 14 abilities which are a mixture of spell
casting, communing and bardic song powers which fits
the theme of this class; Arcane Magic, Counter Spell,
Discerning Truth, Divination, Earth Magic, Exorcise,
Haunting Melody, Healing Song, Persuade, Sorcery Surge,
Speak with Creatures, Telepathic Insight, Telepathic
Message and Totem Magic.
Choose Equipment: The referee decides the class with
start with the following equipment; Robe, Staff, Moon
Dust and 200 sp.
REFEREES GUIDE | CHAPTER 2 | HERO OPTIONS
HERO CLASS ABILITIES
ENCOUNTER CLASS ABILITIES TABLE
Name/Description
(*) Adaptable: Select a class ability from any class of your choosing.
(*) Jack of All Trades: Choose an ability from any other class.
(E) Acrobatic Attack: May drop or leap over an object within short range and make an attack as an action.
(E) Animal Command: Make a Command vs.Will check to give an animal a one word command to obey that does not involve self-harm.
(E) Aura of Courage: Medium range aura that instills courage in your allies, advantage to morale/fear checks for 3 turns.
(E) Aura of Glory: Emit a medium range aura that cause all opponents to attack you for 3 turns.
(E) Blackout: Cause darkness on an inanimate object, darkens within short range for the encounter.
(E) Cause Fear: Make a Magic vs. Will check, one opponent at medium range acts with a disadvantage for the encounter.
(E) Charge: Charge straight on and attack an enemy from medium range as an action (un-armoured or light armour only)
(E) Combat Tactician: Reads the flow of battle. You and an ally close to you attack with advantage.
(E) Coordinated Attack: You and your animal companion gain advantage to attack against an opponent.
(E) Counter Attack: Make a free attack against an enemy with advantage that missed you in melee combat.
(E) Counter Spell: Make an opposed Magic check to deflect a spell back against the caster. On a critical failure roll on the wild magic table.
(E) Deathly Strike: Make your next attack and damage roll with advantage, attack is treated as magical.
(E) Deflect Projectile: You may deflect a projectile attack. Must be chosen before damage is rolled.
(E) Discerning Truth: Make a Senses vs. Will check to determine the truth about a single statement.
(E) Disrupting Performance: Make an opposed Magic check to dispel a spell effect. On a critical failure roll on the wild magic table.
(E) Divination: Outside of combat, make an opposed Magic vs target check set by the referee to ask two one word questions. Failure gets no response.
(E) Divine Health: You gain immunity to poison, disease or paralysis for the encounter.
(E) Divine Strike: Make an attack and damage at advantage, attack treated as magical.
(E) Dodge: Avoid an opponent's attack, must be called before damage is rolled.
(E) Dual Wielding: Make a bonus attack in combat with a second light weapon in your other hand.
(E) Empathic Link: Gain advantage on a reaction roll with one monster, person or animal. On a failure cannot target again that encounter.
(E) Escape: Disengage from combat and make a double move without incurring an opportunity attack.
(E) Exorcise: Make an opposed magic check to remove a negative magical effect from a person.
(E) Familiar Casting: Cast a spell originating at your familiar’s location within medium range.
(E) Fast Attack: Make two melee attacks as a single action.
(E) Flurry Attack: Make 4 unarmed attacks in a single round, each causing d4 damage.
(E) Flying Leap: Make a flying leap up to short range as part of an action.
(E) Frenzy: Gain +3 temporary health in combat.
(E) Ghost Walker: Disappear into the background when at least short range away from an opponent, ends if you take a combat action.
(E) Great Cleave: You can attack all opponents in close range to you as a single attack.
(E) Haunting Melody: Make a Magic vs. Will check, one opponent at long range acts with a disadvantage for the encounter. Target may make a check to
overcome as a free action each turn.
(E) Healing Hands: Make a Magic vs. target check to cure disease, remove paralysis or remove poison.
(E) Healing Song: Make a Magic vs. target 10 check to heal d4 health for one person within short range.
(E) Hex: Make a Magic vs. Will check, one opponent at medium range acts with a disadvantage for the encounter.
(E) Holy Aura: Grant an advantage to allies in short range for one turn.
(E) Inspiring Words: Grant allies in short range an advantage on their next action.
(E) Insulting Taunt: Make a Command vs. Will check to taunt an intelligent humanoid causing them disadvantage on their next action.
(E) Intimidate: Force a combat morale check against a medium or smaller-sized opponent.
(E) Lucky: The player may re-roll any die but before the outcome is determined.
(E) Mighty Blow: On a successful melee attack damage is doubled.
(E) Necrotic Touch: Make an opposed Magic vs Fortitude check to drain d4 health from an opponent in close range. Restore your health by this amount.
(E) Parry: Counter a successful attack and take no damage, must be called before damage is rolled.
(E) Persuade: Make a Command vs. Will check to make a simple lawful demand of an NPC which must be obeyed.
(E) Precise Strike: Attack with advantage and roll exploding damage.
(E) Radiant Light: Pray for light on an inanimate object, lights within short range for the encounter.
(E) Raise Undead: Make an opposed Magic check to raise the body of a skeleton which obeys your command for an encounter.
(E) Rally: May reverse a failed morale check to anyone friendly within medium range.
(E) Shadow Cloak: You may bring forward an action to create a cloak of darkness around you. You may not move but all attacks received that turn are
made at disadvantage.
(E) Shape Change: Transform into a small animal for the encounter.
(E) Sharpshooter: Bows and crossbows can be fired an extra range distance.
(E) Sneak Attack: On a surprise attack roll with advantage and damage is doubled.
(E) Sorcery Surge: Cast a spell at advantage, wild magic occurs on a natural 1-3.
(E) Speak with Creatures: Make a Command vs. Will check to speak with any creature and ask 1 question with a one word answer. On a critical failure
creature reacts negatively.
(E) Speak with Dead: Make a Command vs. Will check to speak with any creature and ask 1 question with a one word answer.
(E) Spell Focus: Charge a spell expending 0 health points.
(E) Stun Attack: Make a melee attack which if successful will force your opponent to lose its next turn. Applies to small or medium opponents.
(E) Suggestion: Make a Magic vs. Will check, target follows a one word command that does it no harm.
(E) Summon Creature: Call a random animal natural to the area to you, its reaction is uncertain.
(E) Taunt: Anger an intelligent opponent causing them to attack at disadvantage on their next turn.
(E) Telepathic Insight: On a successful Magic vs. Will check, read the mind of one person or monster in medium range. Ask one question which gives a
one word answer.
(E) Telepathic Message: Make a Magic vs. Will check to send a hidden message to another person within sight.
(E) Turn Undead: Force a morale check on one type of undead within medium range, make an opposed Will check.
(E) Unholy Sense: Make an opposed Religion check to sense the presence of unholy (undead, dark or chaotic) creatures at long range.
(E) War Cry: Make a war cry during combat which gives you advantage on your next two actions.
12
REFEREES GUIDE | CHAPTER 2 | HERO OPTIONS
HERO CLASS ABILITIES
PASSIVE CLASS ABILITIES TABLE
Name/Description
(P) Air Magic: Learn and use air magic spells.
(P) Alchemist: Advantage on alchemy checks.
(P) Alertness: Advantage on senses checks.
(P) Almighty Blow: Melee attacks against undead creatures cause double damage.
(P) Animal Bond: Advantage on animal handling checks.
(P) Animal Companion: Gain a loyal animal companion whose level does not exceed the players. Can perform tasks, fight, and be resurrected or
replaced when the player levels up.
(P) Arcane Magic: Learn and use arcane magic spells.
(P) Blind Fighting: Ignores disadvantage on melee combat checks when fighting in the dark.
(P) Chaos Magic: Learn and use chaos magic spells.
(P) Combat Reaction: Advantage on initiative checks.
(P) Coordinated: Advantage on athletics checks.
(P) Creature Whisperer: Advantage on animal handling checks.
(P) Dark Magic: Learn and use dark magic spells.
(P) Dark Vision: Ability to see in the dark up to medium range band (60ft).
(P) Dextrous: Advantage on sleight-of-hand checks.
(P) Divine Magic: Learn and use divine magic spells.
(P) Earth Magic: Learn and use earth magic spells.
(P) Evasion: +1 to defence wearing light or no armour.
(P) Familiar: Gain a pet that obeys your commands; small or tiny animal, avian, reptile, rodent or insect; can be resurrected or replaced when the player
levels up.
(P) Fire Magic: Learn and use fire magic spells.
(P) Form Magic: Learn and use form magic spells.
(P) Hardy: Gain a permanent 3 health point increase.
(P) Ice Magic: Learn and use ice magic spells.
(P) Improved Critical: Score a critical hit on a natural 19 or 20.
(P) Inspiring Leader: Advantage on command checks.
(P) Iron Skin: Damage resistance (DR), all damage rolls are reduced by 1 point.
(P) Iron Will: Advantage on will checks.
(P) Killing Blow: If your attack kills an enemy you may automatically attack another within close range.
(P) Light Magic: Learn and use light magic spells.
(P) Linguist: Advantage on language checks.
(P) Locksmith: Advantage on open lock checks.
(P) Long-Lived: Lifespan of up to 200 years (x2 human age).
(P) Lore Master: Advantage on lore checks.
(P) Marksman: Spend a combat turn aiming. On the next round, make a ranged attack and damage at advantage.
(P) Master Craftsman: Advantage on crafting checks.
(P) Matter Magic: Learn and use matter magic spells.
(P) Meditative Trance: Increase health recovered by overnight sleep by one skill die and roll at advantage.
(P) Mounted Combat: Advantage on attack and damage rolls when riding a horse in battle.
(P) Nature Magic: Learn and use nature magic spells.
(P) Nimble: Advantage on agility checks.
(P) Pack Rat: Inventory carrying capacity increases by 2 slots.
(P) Protect: As an action, defend a target close to you for your turn. Any attack on them is at disadvantage until your next turn
(P) Psionic Magic: Learn and use psionic magic spells.
(P) Quick Shot: Make two ranged attacks as a single action with a bow.
(P) Quick Throw: Make two ranged attacks with thrown weapon as single action.
(P) Reaction Shot: Bonus ranged attack before combat starts unless you were surprised.
(P) Riposte: If an opponent's attack is a critical failure against you, get a free attack action.
(P) Rune Magic: Learn and use rune magic spells.
(P) Second Wind: Combat encounter limit for abilities is doubled.
(P) Shadow Magic: Learn and use shadow magic spells.
(P) Shield Bash: On a successful melee attack, make another free attack with your shield for d4 damage and the opponent is stunned acting at
disadvantage next turn.
(P) Shield Master: Additional +1 defence when using a shield.
(P) Shield Wall: Additional +1 defence while in close range with other another shield-bearing ally.
(P) Silver Tongue: Advantage on guile checks.
(P) Skirmish: Melee attack and move if not using heavy armour. Does not provoke opportunity attack.
(P) Squire: Gain a 1st-level NPC follower.
(P) Strider: Move at double speed through wilderness terrain; once per session. During exploration, you can evade enemies in the wilderness.
(P) Time Magic: Learn and use time magic spells.
(P) Totem Magic: Learn and use totem magic spells.
(P) Tough: Advantage on fortitude checks.
(P) Traps Expert: Advantage on trap checks.
(P) Very Long-Lived: Lifespan of up to 400 years (x4 human age).
(P) Water Magic: Learn and use water magic spells.
(P) Weapon Specialisation: Choose a weapon, when using this weapon roll exploding damage.
(P) Woodcraft: Advantage on wilderness survival checks.
13
CHAPTER 3 : RUNNING ADVENTURES
GAME SESSION
CHECKS
WILDERNESS TRAVEL
EXPLORATION
ENCOUNTERS
SETTLEMENTS
DOWNTIME
COMBAT
SURVIVAL
REWARDS
PAGE 15
PAGE 16
PAGE 17
PAGE 18
PAGE 19
PAGE 20
PAGE 21
PAGE 22
PAGE 24
PAGE 25
14
REFEREES GUIDE | CHAPTER 3 | RUNNING ADVENTURES
GAME SESSION
THE GAME SESSION
PLAYER RETIREMENT (OR DEATH)
•
•
•
•
Getting together to play the game is known as a game
session which typically runs for 2-4 hours.
An adventure may take 1 or more sessions to complete
A campaign represents a major story arc and may take
several adventures to complete.
•
•
BEFORE THE SESSION
•
•
•
•
•
The referee and players should agree on the length of the
session (typically 2-4 hours) in advance.
Players should have prepared a hero for play (or continue to
use an existing one).
If a hero died, retired or left during the last session,
introduce a new hero at the start of a new session.
The referee should have a pre-made adventure ready to play.
•
Adventuring is dangerous and death may occur through
depletion of resources, bad planning or luck.
The wounds system makes it more likely that a player may
retire a hero through an accumulation of injuries.
Player Death: Allow the player a final opportunity to go out
on their own terms such as a last chance to act in the
spotlight or whisper a few dying words.
Retirement: Players can retire their hero who can assume
NPC status in the game if they wish, such as when they
incur too many wounds.
Replacement Hero: Aim to get a replacement hero back
into the game as quickly as possible to keep all players
involved in the game. Options include; promoting a
follower or non-player character or through a random
encounter with another adventurer.
STARTING THE SESSION
ENDING THE SESSION
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Recap: Either the players or referee briefly recap the events
of the previous session.
Scene: The referee then introduces the opening scene.
Questions: Players may ask questions to ensure they have a
clear idea of the quest objective; rewards; hints about
dangers and a place to start.
Decision: Give the players a decision and some direction
about their next course of action (i.e. “What do you do?”)
allowing the players to start driving the scenes based on
their actions.
The referee can ‘fast-forward’ to the next exciting part of the
adventure if they wish and skip less exciting aspects (i.e.
such as travel) for their group.
•
ENDING THE ADVENTURE
•
RUNNING THE SESSION
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
This ends at your agreed (real-life) stopping point.
If all the players are killed, the players should create new
heroes and restart the game.
Ask the players about their intentions for the next session.
This allows the referee to plan the next session by focussing
on areas the players intend to explore next.
Scenes: The referee manages a loop of presenting a scene
with the players deciding their actions.
Referee Notes: The referee should make a bullet point note
of any key events that occur which should be remembered
for future sessions.
Time: The referee should keep track of time using a tally
mark/five bar gate system to track elapsed turns. Turns may
vary from a few seconds (combat); 10 minutes (exploration)
to half a day (travel/settlement).
Random Encounters: The referee should track the random
encounter target number and make a secret check for this at
the end of each turn.
Experience Points (XP): The referee (or players) should
keep track of XP rewards as they occur, noting down
achievements completed (i.e. quests completed, locations
explored, monsters defeated, treasures and artefacts found).
Mapping: Players can be given a blank adventure site map
and can write details on it as they explore.
Player Status: Players are responsible for tracking their own
health, status and depletion of resources.
An adventure ends when the players exit the adventure site
regardless of whether a quest has been completed and
return to a place of safety.
A return visit is treated as a new adventure.
Award experience at the end of each adventure.
Rewards such as payments, treasure and favours are
typically awarded at the end of the adventure.
Players may only increase their level at the end of an
adventure when they have returned to a place of safety.
CREATING RUMOURS
•
•
Creating Rumours: The players should be asked to create
some rumours about the next adventure (related to a
location, person, object or event) based on the events of the
adventure to date.
Rumour Table: The referee adds these to the rumour table
and decides if these are true or false using these as
inspiration for the next adventure.
PLAYERS JOURNAL
•
•
15
Players should collectively keep brief notes of each session.
This should be no more than several bullet points
highlighting key events of the session.
The journal is used to provide a high-level record of
adventures (and is fun to read back and recall in the
future).
REFEREES GUIDE | CHAPTER 3 | RUNNING ADVENTURES
CHECKS
ADVANTAGE OR DISADVANTAGE
•
•
Awarded through ability use or at the referee’s discretion
based on situational factors.
Roll the check twice taking the highest result (Advantage ADV) or lowest result (Disadvantage - DIS).
CRITICAL SUCCESS OR FAILURE
•
•
•
Rolling a natural 20 or beating the target number by 10 or
more is a critical success and results in a more positive
outcome.
Rolling a natural 1 or failing by 10 or more is a critical
failure and results in a worse outcome.
The referee interprets the outcome of critical success or
failure based on the situation.
REACTION CHECKS
CHECKS SUMMARY
1.
2.
3.
•
Check: Roll d20 to equal or exceed a target number
based on the Target Number Table (Page 7)
Skill Die: If a relevant skill is used, add their skill die to
the roll (i.e. d4, d6 etc). Monsters use a general skill die
based on their level
Secret Roll: The referee may secretly check for the
player when the outcome of the check is not obvious.
•
FATE CHECKS
•
•
CHECKS
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Used when the referee is asked a question and wants to
leave the outcome to chance.
Referee rolls a d20, consults the Fate Table and interprets
the result according to the situation.
KNOWLEDGE CHECKS
Checks are made when the outcome of an action is risky or
uncertain or when attempting to avoid or resist
something.
Dice rolls are not always required if there is a clear reason
or plan why the action will succeed.
Checks can be used to provide hints and clues for
exploration or social encounters but should not be used as
the sole means to solve these.
Failure may result in some consequence (i.e. time, resource
impact, injury or setback). Failure should not be considered
an end-state but a prompt to find another way.
•
Skill checks can be used to give clues or allow players to
ask questions, but not solve the issue.
SOCIAL CHECKS
•
•
•
•
USING CHECKS
•
Used to determine the outcome of random or uncertain
events outside the player’s control.
Referee rolls a d20, consults the Reaction Table and
interprets the result according to the situation.
The check is a simple core mechanic (roll a d20 to beat
another target number), high is good, low is bad.
This core mechanic is flexible and can be used in a number
of ways to help determine the outcome of an action (target
roll, opposed roll, multiple checks or group checks).
The referee is empowered to apply the most logical and
sensible type of check to a situation to keep the action
moving forward.
Assign target numbers based on the perceived challenge of
the task.
Encourage players to think creatively and award advantage
when they present clever plans and ideas.
The entire game can be run using the Target Number Table,
Reaction Table and Fate Table (all Page 7).
•
Skill checks can be used to help decide social interactions.
Command checks are typically used when the player is
adopting an authoritative position.
Guile checks are typically used when the player is adopting
a tactical, diplomatic or cunning approach.
Here, the referee can elect to grant advantage or
disadvantage to the check if the player makes a convincing
approach and/or role-plays the situation well.
As an alternative, social encounters can be completed using
role-playing and no dice rolling if you wish.
OTHER CHECKS
•
•
•
16
Opposed checks are used for competing actions. Both sides
make a skill check, highest result wins.
Complicated actions require several checks to pass.
Group checks are used to determine if the group succeeds
at an action. Everyone makes a check and if the majority
succeeds, the group succeeds.
REFEREES GUIDE | CHAPTER 3 | RUNNING ADVENTURES
WILDERNESS TRAVEL
WILDERNESS TRAVEL
WILDERNESS TRAVEL SEQUENCE
1.
•
Scene: The referee presents the current scene to the
players detailing their current location, environment
and weather.
Decision: Players make a decision on their action for
that turn; each turn takes half a day.
Travel Outcome: The consequences of actions (i.e.
distance travelled) are determined.
Encounter: A random encounter check is made at the
end of each turn (morning & afternoon) and a further
check is made overnight.
Time & Resources: Players can complete two major
actions per day and typically rest overnight.
2.
3.
4.
5.
•
•
•
•
THE WILDERNESS MAP
•
•
•
•
•
The Wilderness Map is comprised of 6-mile hexes showing
points of interest in the area and is used to track the
movement of heroes between different locations.
Settlements are usually isolated and travelling through the
wilderness is considered perilous.
Travelling unmarked routes presents risks of getting lost but
may also reveal secrets of the land.
PLAYER CHOICES
•
•
WEATHER
•
•
Weather: Roll d20 on the Weather Table each day to
determine weather conditions.
This outcome may the affect player’s actions (i.e. navigation,
movement or creating a hazard) as determined by the
referee.
•
•
•
•
•
•
Set a target number for checks based on the weather and
terrain (i.e. foraging may be easy in a bountiful forest but
difficult when travelling the plains).
Give the player opportunities to earn advantages to rolls
through clever play (i.e. travelling safe routes or travelling
more cautiously should reduce the chance of getting lost or
encounters).
Disadvantages could occur when players take risks (i.e.
travelling through dangerous areas).
TIME & RESOURCES
WILDERNESS ACTIONS
•
Movement: Heroes can typically move 12 miles (2 hexes)
per turn (half day).
Point Crawl: Players can use a point crawl method to
follow known routes and mark the number of hexes
travelled.
Hex Exploration: Players can go off-route and move from
hex to hex. This may be slower (see terrain) and may
require navigation checks.
Terrain: Distance travelled will be affected by terrain.
Increase this by x1.5 for good conditions (roads) or
decrease by half for challenging conditions.
Navigation: May be required when not following known
routes (use wilderness checks to determine if players go off
route). Failure may result in heroes going off-route (failure)
or getting lost (critical failure).
Forced March: This doubles the speed for the day but risks
exhaustion (use fortitude checks which get more difficult)
Transport: Vehicles or mounts can be used to travel more
quickly or overcome some terrain (i.e. water).
•
Players may undertake one action per turn from the
following options:
Travel: Heroes may travel 12 miles (2 hexes) per turn
Exploration: Search a 6-mile area (1 hex) per turn (senses
checks can be used to provide clues).
Foraging: Gather foods from the land (use wilderness check
to forage d4 days worth of nuts, berries and plants).
Hunting: Hunt animals for food (use ranged combat check
to hunt d6 days worth of fresh meat).
Camping: Players must rest every night or they risk
exhaustion and become impaired. Exhaustion can be
recovered through rest.
•
Time: Wilderness actions take half a day and players can
perform two actions per day (morning and afternoon) and
rest overnight.
Resources: At the end of each day, food resources may be
depleted. Water sources are assumed to be plentiful (i.e.
streams, brooks, rivers) but this could vary in less
hospitable environments.
RANDOM ENCOUNTERS
•
Random Encounters: Random encounter checks are made
three times a day i.e. morning, afternoon, night (see
Encounters).
WEATHER TABLE
d20
01
02-03
04-07
08-13
14-17
18-19
20
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter
Rain Storm
Rain
Overcast
Clear
Clear, Cool
Clear, Warm (Next roll ADV)
Beautiful (Next roll ADV)
Thunderstorm
Extremely Hot
Very Warm
Calm, Pleasant, Sunny
Calm, Pleasant, Sunny
Clear Skies (Next roll ADV)
Beautiful (Next roll ADV)
Storm
Heavy Winds/Rain
Changeable (Next roll DIS)
Drizzle
Clear, Cool
Dry, Cool
Clear Skies (Next roll ADV)
Winter Storm
Heavy Winds
Freezing Cold
Changeable (Next roll DIS)
Cloudy, cold
Overcast
Clear Skies (Next roll ADV)
17
REFEREES GUIDE | CHAPTER 3 | RUNNING ADVENTURES
EXPLORATION
EXPLORATION SEQUENCE
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Scene: The referee presents the current scene to the
players (i.e. a new area) giving players an opportunity to
ask questions.
Decision: Players make a decision on their next course
of action that turn.
Outcome: The consequences of these actions are
determined and gameplay moves to the next scene.
Time & Resources: Each turn takes 10 minutes, elapsed
time is marked and resources (i.e. torches) may be
depleted.
Encounter: A random encounter check is made.
EXPLORATION PRINCIPLES
PUZZLES & PROBLEMS
•
•
•
•
•
Exploration covers situations when players are exploring
adventure sites.
Keep the game flowing and try and avoid pausing the game
to check for rules.
Give the players decisions and opportunities to drive the
game forward. Constantly ask the players ‘What do you do?’
and respond to their prompts.
•
•
EXPLORATION ACTIONS
•
•
•
Ensure the players are aware they are facing a puzzle.
Give the players clues to help them solve the puzzle,
telegraph these if necessary.
Use skill checks to provide hints or clues but allow the
player’s skill to solve the puzzle.
Make progress (i.e. success or failure) obvious to the
players. Failure is not an end-state just a prompt to try
something different.
TIME & RESOURCES
Players may undertake one action per turn as follows:
Exploration: Heroes can explore one room/area.
Interact: Heroes may interact with an object, equipment or
device (i.e. open a lock, break down a door, bandage some
wounds).
•
•
Exploration turns take 10 minutes and heroes can
typically explore one room or small area per turn.
If light sources are being used (i.e. torches or lanterns) then
these may be depleted over time.
MOVEMENT
RANDOM ENCOUNTERS
•
•
•
Players should indicate their marching order and
positioning when exploring although movement is tracked
on an area to area (i.e. rooms) basis.
Movement from area to area is considered part of the
exploration turn. However, if rooms are located further
away or require some effort to get there (i.e. climbing/
descending) then this takes an extra turn.
COMMON SKILLS CHECK TABLE
Skill
Agility
Athletics
Fortitude
Lore
Senses
Strength
Will
SEARCHING
•
•
Die rolls are not made for searching .
If a hero is actively looking for something in the right area,
they will find it unless a specific action is required.
TRAPS & HAZARDS
•
•
•
Random Encounters: Random encounter checks are made at
the end of each turn.
Description
Balance, sneak or dodge
Running, jumping, climbing, swimming
Resist something physically
To get a hint about something
Perception tests
Test of might
Resist something mentally
HAZARDS & INJURY TABLE
Will generally be telegraphed or obvious and can be
overcome through player interaction.
Skill checks may be used to overcome/avoid hazards.
The Common Skill Checks & Hazards & Injury Tables give
guidance on relevant skill checks and consequences.
Hazard
Breathing
Endurance
Fall/Impact
Fire
Freezing
Hunger/Thirst
Lightning
Thirst
18
Impact
Rising fortitude checks then damage
Rising fortitude checks then damage
Scale damage roll from d4 to d20
Scale damage roll from d4 to d20 per turn
Rising fortitude checks then impaired
Fortitude checks, impaired, damage
Scale injury from d4 to d20
Fortitude checks, impaired, damage
REFEREES GUIDE | CHAPTER 3 | RUNNING ADVENTURES
ENCOUNTERS
SOCIAL INTERACTIONS
ENCOUNTER SEQUENCE
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
•
•
Reaction: Determine the opponent's reactions; this may
be planned or randomly determined.
Position: Determine the opponent's position; this may
be planned or randomly determined.
Surprise: Determine if either side is surprised based on
the current situation or using an opposed senses or
agility (if one side is sneaking) check.
Initiative: The sequence in which participants act by
rolling a d20 + agility/monsters skill check acting from
highest to lowest.
Actions: May perform one action per turn, such as
moving, magic, combat or interacting with something.
•
•
•
•
•
•
ENCOUNTERS
•
•
Encounters involve interactions with other NPCs,
monsters or factions.
The referee will determine the opponent’s reaction and
describe their reactions to the players.
ENCOUNTER ACTIONS
•
TIME & RESOURCES
•
•
An encounter is assumed to take 1 turn (10 mins) in total
and resources may be depleted (i.e. torches).
•
REACTION
•
•
•
•
•
•
Reaction determines the opponent’s attitude based on the
planned nature of the encounter or the opponent’s current
motive for random encounters.
For random encounters, roll on the (or use Reaction Table)
and interpret the result.
Good outcomes may result in aid or negotiation (dialogue);
indifferent results may be avoidance and bad outcomes may
result in hostility (combat).
Opponent's reaction may change during the encounter
based on the player's actions or dialogue.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Determines the order of actions and may be necessary
when actions are taken against each other.
Each person rolls d20 + agility (or NPC/Monster skill) and
acts from highest to lowest each turn.
Make group rolls for monsters of the same type.
PURSUIT
•
This determines where the opponents are situated when
they are first encountered.
For planned encounters, the opponent's position will be
pre-determined based on their purpose within the
adventure.
For random encounters, roll on the Reaction Table and
interpret the result. A poor outcome may result in an
ambush and a good outcome may allow a surprise action.
•
•
Tactics and skill checks can be used to increase or decrease
the number of range bands between participants depending
on the player’s actions.
When a party gets ‘far’ distance away, they escape.
Monsters, heroes or NPCs who are particularly fast or slow
will automatically catch up or escape.
REPUTATION
•
•
•
SURPRISE CHECK
•
Each participant can perform one action during their turn,
common examples of actions are:
Move/Fast Move: Move a range band or two (fast) to close
the distance between themselves and another person.
Interact: Use an object or item as long as it can be
completed within a few seconds of time.
Combat: See Combat section.
Cast Spell: See Magic (Players Handbook).
INITIATIVE
POSITION
•
Dialogue takes place alongside any actions.
This can be role-played or described by the referee and
players. Player interactions should have a meaningful
impact on the outcome.
Skill checks can be used to help decide social interactions.
Command checks are typically used when the player is
adopting an authoritative position.
Guile checks are typically used when the player is adopting
a tactical, diplomatic or cunning approach.
Here, the referee can elect to grant advantage or
disadvantage to the check if the player makes a convincing
approach and/or role-plays the situation well.
As an alternative, social encounters can be completed using
role-playing and no dice rolling if you wish.
For pro-longed interactions (such as negotiations) consider
the starting attitude and motivation of the opponent and
break this interaction into a few meaningful exchanges (3
max) before you determine the final outcome which leads
to a decision or action.
Referee determines if either side is surprised based on the
current situation.
An opposed senses check (both sides unaware) or an
agility (party sneaking) vs. senses (unaware) is used.
If one side surprises the other they get a free turn to act
before initiative is determined.
•
19
Reputation represents your heroes’ fame, good standing and
merit with factions, settlements or NPCs.
This is tracked at the group level.
Positive relationships are marked (+) and may offer
advantage whilst negative relationships are marked (-) and
result in disadvantage.
Reputation changes over time it improves, declines or is
forgotten over time.
REFEREES GUIDE | CHAPTER 3 | RUNNING ADVENTURES
SETTLEMENTS
SETTLEMENT ACTIONS
SETTLEMENT SEQUENCE
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
•
Scene: The referee presents the current scene to the
players detailing their current location and options.
Decision: Players make a decision on their next course
of action; each turn takes half a day.
Outcome: The consequences of these actions are
determined and gameplay moves onto the next part of
the scene.
Encounter: A random encounter check is made at the
end of each turn (morning & afternoon) and a further
check is made overnight.
Time & Resources: Players can complete two major
actions per day and rest overnight.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Players may undertake one action per half day from the
following options:
Rest: Gain advantage on overnight health recovery
overnight.
Recruit: A hero can recruit followers (see Followers)
Buy, Sell or Repair Equipment: Equipment availability is
influenced by the settlement type.
Rumours: Investigate new rumours (see Rumours)
Visit NPC, Faction or Service: This is likely to be a specific
encounter (i.e. visit Church, Alchemist).
If a player does not take an action or simply wants to
explore the settlement, then a random encounter will take
place.
There is no need to track detailed movement within a
settlement.
SETTLEMENTS
RANDOM ENCOUNTERS
•
•
•
•
Settlements are centres of population with a unique theme.
They are generally isolated, governed locally and the
population is generally wary of outsiders.
Settlements are a good opportunity to learn rumours and
gain quests through interactions with NPCs or factions
and a place for heroes to rest, recover and re-equip between
adventures.
Settlements are also a good place to demonstrate the
outcomes and consequences of previous adventures.
•
•
TIME & RESOURCES
•
•
Time: Settlement actions take half a day and players can
perform two actions per day (morning and afternoon) and
typically rest overnight.
Resources: At the end of each day, food resources may be
depleted or costs may be incurred where accommodation has
been paid for.
20
Random Encounters: Random encounter checks are made
three times a day i.e. morning, afternoon and night (see
Random Encounters).
The nature of these settlement encounters are generally
unlikely to be dangerous or threatening and will involve
interaction with local NPCs, Factions or events.
Random encounters are a great opportunity of presenting
setting information, clues or consequences of previous events
in the world.
REFEREES GUIDE | CHAPTER 3 | RUNNING ADVENTURES
DOWNTIME
DOWNTIME
DOWNTIME ACTIVITY SEQUENCE
1.
2.
3.
•
Choose Activity. Players choose an activity to
undertake from the Downtime Activity Table.
Activity Check. Make a skill check against the initial
target score and interpret the results according to the
Downtime Activity Outcome Table.
Continue Activity? On a success (or critical success),
the player has the option to continue the activity for a
further week at the next target level (i.e. 10) or they may
stop and choose another activity.
•
•
•
•
DOWNTIME ACTIVITY OUTCOME TABLE
Outcome
Critical Success
Success
Failure
Critical Failure
Description
Achieve the next benefit.
Achieve the current benefit.
Nothing achieved.
Complication occurs.
Downtime covers events between adventures. Heroes can
choose what activities to complete, this may grant benefits.
Each downtime activity takes a week for game time and
players are assumed to have spent 50sp on living expenses
unless they are staying at their own property.
When performing downtime activities, players must start at
the initial objective and can build to the next activity the
next week if they pass the previous check.
The Referee may award advantage or disadvantage based on
the player’s approach, environment or situation.
Players are free to role-play downtime activities if they wish.
Example. Lyssa the Rogue visits the City of Lanatus with 500sp
acquired from her last adventure. She decides to spend the week
gambling 100sp (target 5, low stakes) and makes a sleight of hand
check (result 13), a success. She turns this into 150sp. Lyssa may
now elect to spend another week gambling at the medium stakes
level (target 10, earns double her stake) or do something else.
Continue Activity
Yes
Yes
No, start again
No, start again
DOWNTIME ACTIVITY TABLE
Activity
Buy/Sell/Upgrade Property
Command or Guile
Buy/Sell Unusual Item
Guile
Crafting
Alchemy or Crafting
Find Resources (What)
Various
Gambling (Stake)
Sleight of Hand
Research Information (Subject)
Lore or Guile
Rest & Relaxation
Fortitude
Service or Charity
Varies depending upon service
Objective/Benefit
05 - Buy/sell or upgrade small property/land at village.
10 - Buy/sell or upgrade medium property/land at town.
15 - Buy/sell or upgrade large property/land at city.
15 - Buy/sell or upgrade huge property/land at city.
05 - Buy or sell common items (i.e. common treasures) at village.
10 - Buy or sell uncommon items (i.e. specialist items) at town.
15 - Buy or sell rare items (i.e. components) at city.
20 - Buy or sell very rare items (i.e. artefacts) at city.
Craft items or create potions
Complications
•
Increased cost
•
Negative reputation
•
Rival/Thieves Guild
05 - Find and obtain common resources.
10 - Find and obtain an uncommon component.
15 - Find and obtain a rare component.
20 - Find and obtain a legendary component.
05 - Low stakes gamble at village 100sp max (earn stake + 50%).
10 - Medium stakes gamble at town/castle 500sp max(earns stake x2).
15 - High stake gamble at city 2,000sp max (earns stake x3).
20 - Outrageous game at city unlimited amount (earns stake x5).
05 - Learn something which is known to people.
10 - Learn something which is not well known.
15 - Learn something that is hidden.
20 - Learn a secret.
05 - Recover all health points.
10 - Recover from an impaired condition.
15 - Recovery from an incapacitated condition.
20 - Supreme health, gain d6 temporary bonus health for next adventure.
05 - Perform simple chores for an individual.
10 - Perform a service for a small group.
15 - Perform a service for a faction or small settlement.
20 - Perform a service for a settlement.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Increased cost
Rival
Guardian
Threat
Debt, Loss of item
Rival
Addiction
•
•
•
•
•
•
Cost
Negative reaction
Rival
Regress learning
Slower health recovery
Worsening condition
•
•
•
•
Cost
Negative reaction
Negative reputation
Rival
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Capture, punishment, fines
Threat, injury
Negative reputation
Rival/justice seeker
Training regression
Injury
Negative reputation
Rival/competition
Negative reaction
Negative reputation
Rival
Discover danger
Fail to earn coin
Negative reaction
Injury
Discover danger or threat
Shady Activity (Nature/Objective) 05 - Low stakes enterprise
Agility, Open Locks, Sleight of Hand 10 - Medium stakes enterprise
15 - High stake enterprise
20 - Deadly enterprise
Train (Subject)
05 - Easy practice to learn/maintain a skill
Skill Dependent
10 - Good practice for a particular skill, earn advantage on first use
15 - Hard practice for a particular skill, earn free skill re-roll
20 - Extreme practice for a particular skill, increase skill die for adventure
Travel/explore local region
05 - Wander the surrounding area.
Wilderness Survival
10 - Explore a specific area and find a landmark.
15 - Explore a specific area and find a small adventure site.
20 - Range into the wilderness and discovers a large adventure site.
Work/Jobs
05 - Perform easy jobs, incurs no expenses and earns d20 cp (per level)
Varies depending on job
10 - Perform moderate jobs, incurs no expenses and earns d20 sp (per level)
15 - Perform tough jobs, incurs no expenses and earns 2d20 sp (per level)
20 - Perform difficult jobs, incurs no expenses and earns 3d20 sp (per level)
21
•
•
•
Increased cost
Reveals activities
Rival/Thieves Guild
See crafting & alchemy rules
REFEREES GUIDE | CHAPTER 3 | RUNNING ADVENTURES
COMBAT
ATTACKING
COMBAT SEQUENCE
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
•
•
Initiative: Roll d20 + agility/monster skill to determine
the order of actions from highest to lowest.
Action: Perform one action per combat turn which lasts
a few seconds.
Attack: Move a range band and attack. Roll d20 +
melee/ranged combat skill to equal or exceed a target’s
defence or use a special ability.
Damage: On a hit roll weapon damage and deduct this
from the target’s health.
Impaired: Act at disadvantage when reduced to a third
of your health.
Death: Target defeated when health reaches zero.
Hero’s/named NPCs may roll on the Wounds Table.
•
CRITICAL SUCCESS/FAILURE
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
A critical success attack does double damage.
A critical failure attack damages the attackers. If a critical
failure occurs again on a damaged weapon it is broken
beyond repair.
DAMAGE, INJURY & DEATH
COMBAT PRINCIPLES
•
Attacker may move a range band and attack.
Attacker rolls d20 + melee or ranged talent vs. target’s
defence score.
If the attacker equals or exceeds this check, they hit their
opponent and will proceed with a damage check.
Combat is deadly and dangerous and may not always be
the wisest course of action.
Make the combat scene exciting by narrating the actions
and outcomes.
Make the combat environment interactive and usable by
the players and opponents.
Reward creative thinking and good tactical play by
awarding advantage (i.e. flanking, cover, terrain use).
Aim to keep most combat encounters fast and furious.
When the outcome of a combat scenario is clearly in the
heroes’ favour, then fast forward to the end scene.
•
•
•
•
All physical injury is scaled from d4 through d6, d8, d10,
d12 to d20 maximum.
Roll weapon damage and deduct this from the target’s
health.
Shield Break: Shields may be sacrificed to ignore damage
from one attack. This must be called before damage is
rolled.
If health is reduced to a third, target is impaired and acts at
disadvantage.
If health is reduced to zero, the target is dead.
Heroes and named NPCs may roll on the Wounds Table
instead of death.
INITIATIVE
ATTACK OF OPPORTUNITY
•
•
•
•
•
This determines the order of actions in combat.
Each combatant rolls d20 + agility or NPC/monster skill.
Combatants act from highest to lowest each turn.
Make group rolls for monsters of the same type to speed up
gameplay.
MORALE
COMBAT ACTIONS
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
If two people are in melee combat and one wishes to move
away, the opponent may bring forward their next action to
attack before the person moves away.
Combatants may take one action per turn as follows:
Attack; move a range band and attack or attack and move.
Press (melee); attack a person at advantage but next attack
received from this person also at advantage.
Block (melee); disadvantage on attacks made and received
from one person until the next turn.
Fast Move; move two range bands instead of one.
Use Item; use a readied item or pick up an item.
Use Ability; cast a spell or use a class ability.
Disarm; make a melee weapon attack against an opponent
of your size or smaller at disadvantage. On a success, you
knock the opponent’s weapon from their grasp which
scatters in a random direction.
Grapple; initiate against an opponent of your size or
smaller or break existing grapple by making a successful
Strength check vs. opposed Strength or Agility check
(opponent's choice). Grapple prevents an opponent from
moving but does not preclude them from attacking. A
grappled opponent can be forcibly moved up to half the
aggressor's range movement.
•
•
This is the monster’s/NPC’s likeliness of persisting in battle.
Check at the end of a turn after a morale trigger (see Morale
Triggers Table)
Roll d20 + will/monster skill versus target 10; fight on a
success; flee or surrender on a failure.
Increase the target number by 5 for each subsequent check
in the same encounter.
Make group rolls for monsters of the same type.
MORALE TRIGGERS TABLE
Morale Check Triggers
Reduced to half health or numbers
Leader has been killed
Facing a great fear
Battle is nearly lost
22
REFEREES GUIDE | CHAPTER 3 | RUNNING ADVENTURES
COMBAT GRID
•
•
•
•
•
•
COMBAT EXAMPLE
The combat grid is a simple tool which the referee can use
to manage a combat situation.
It is not intended to provide an accurate measurement
system but does allow the referee to assess the movement
and distance of participants easily.
The combat grid acts like a chess board with each square of
the grid representing one range band.
Place parties on the grid according to where they appear
during an encounter.
During combat, you can move each participant to a
different square based on their movement.
When players are within the same square they can engage in
melee combat.
•
•
•
•
Round 1
• Falrak elects to hold his position and throw his spear at
Zombie 1.
• He rolls a d20 (no ranged skill bonus) and gets a 17, a
critical hit.
• He rolls d6 damage (4) and doubles it for a result of 8.
The spear takes the Zombie straight through the brain and
it crumples onto the ground dead.
• Zombie 2 is not an intelligent creature and acts on
instinct, the referee decides it will fast move (2 range
bands) towards Falrak. Zombie 2 is now only 1 range
band away from Falrak.
• That is the end of the first round.
COMBAT GRID EXAMPLE
F
(F) Falrak the Warrior is facing
two Zombies.
(Z1) Zombie 1 is 2 squares
away at medium range.
(Z2) Zombie 2 is 3 squares
away at long range.
Z1
Z2
RANGE BAND TABLE
d20
01
02-03
04-06
07-10
11-14
15-17
18-19
20
Falrak the Brave, Human Warrior (LVL 1 | HLT 13 |
DEF 12 | Melee d4 | Leather Armour, Shield, Spear d6,
Shortsword d6 - both readied) is exploring a crypt.
He encounters two Zombies (LVL 1 | HLT 3 | DEF 6 | SKL
n/a | Bite d4, Disease Bite, Slow, Undead, Fearless) who
moan and move towards him in a threatening manner.
Zombie 1 is at medium range and Zombie 2 is at long
range.
Everyone rolls d20 + agility to see who acts first. The
Zombies are slow and roll at disadvantage.
The results and sequence of actions are Falrak (13) and a
group roll is made for the Zombies (5).
Range Band & Distance
Melee, close range (5ft), reach range (10ft)
Short (30ft)
Medium (60ft)
Intermediate (90ft)
Long (120ft)
Far (240ft)
Distant (Greater than 240ft)
Escaped notice, perhaps some signs of opponent
Round 2
• Falrak moves a range band into the same square as
Zombie 2 and attacks. As his shortsword is a readied item
he can use this as part of his action.
• Falrak rolls a d20 + melee skill of d4 and gets a 5, a miss.
• The referee decides that Zombie 2 will use its Diseased
Bite attack. This is an encounter ability which can only be
used a number of times equal to the Zombies level which
is 1.
• Zombie 2 rolls a d20 (no skill bonus) and gets a 15, a hit.
• As the Zombies festering jaws look to sink into Falrak, he
brings up his shield into the Zombies mouth and sacrifices
it (shield break) to avoid any damage.
• Falraks defence score is reduced to 10 as he has lost his
shield.
Round 3
• Falrak decides to press and attack aggressively (attacks at
advantage but the Zombie will attack Falrak at
advantage) hoping to end the encounter quickly.
• Falrak rolls a d20 + melee skill of d4 and gets a 17, a
critical hit.
• He rolls d6 damage (5) and doubles it for a result of 10.
He skewers the second Zombie with a swipe of his sword,
killing the creature instantly.
• Falrak has survived the encounter but unfortunately lost
his shield in the melee and must be a little more cautious
as he explores the crypt further.
23
REFEREES GUIDE | CHAPTER 3 | RUNNING ADVENTURES
SURVIVAL
the additional effect (impairment to incapacitation to
death).
The table below summarises typical afflictions, effects and
skill checks required to avoid them. Sample target numbers
are provided or use the monsters attack roll.
•
CORRUPTION MECHANIC (OPTIONAL)
•
The corruption mechanic can be used as a system to
support a specific narrative (i.e. use by exception) of a
hero succumbing to some theme (i.e. chaos, sanity).
Each theme has 5 levels starting from 1 (no ill effects) to 5
(total corruption). The referee should create the specific
corruption theme and effects for each level.
The referee should present some interesting choices to the
players with the hero gaining 1-3 (minor, medium, major)
corruption points each time they perform a task linked to
the theme (i.e. using dark powers).
At the end of each adventure, the player rolls a d20 will
check to beat the current number of points.
On a success, the hero loses d4 (or will skill die whichever is
higher) number of points of corruption.
On a failure, the hero gains a new level of corruption (i.e. 1
> 2 > 3) which should result in a change to the player and
corruption points are then reset to zero.
When a player reaches level 5, they are assumed to have
been fully corrupted by the theme.
The referee should provide opportunities for the player to
reduce their hero’s level of corruption (i.e. cleansing, holy
quests).
•
•
HEALTH
•
•
•
•
•
•
Health represents the amount of physical injury (or stress
through spell-casting) someone can sustain before dying
when this reaches 0.
If a hero is reduced to 0 health or less through stress they
fall unconscious for 1 turn/encounter (10 mins).
When someone is reduced to a third of their health, they
are impaired (act at disadvantage).
Heroes/VIP NPCs may survive death by rolling on the
Wounds Table, this can result in a permanent wound.
Someone suffering a wound will be knocked unconscious
for the encounter but returns at 1 health.
•
•
•
•
CORRUPTION EXAMPLE
REST & RECOVERY
•
•
•
•
•
Injuries can be healed using bandages, medicines, potions
or magic (see equipment descriptions).
Overnight rest heals d4 health or your fortitude skill die/
monsters skill die (whichever is higher).
Bandages can only be applied once per combat encounter
immediately after the combat has ended.
Health lost through spell-casting is only recovered through
overnight rest or magical means.
•
AFFLICTIONS TABLE
Nature
Poison, Weak
Poison, Normal
Poison, Strong
Disease, Weak
Disease, Normal
Disease, Strong
Paralysis, Weak
Paralysis, Normal
Paralysis, Strong
Petrification, Weak
Petrification, Normal
Petrification, Strong
Freezing, Weak
Freezing, Normal
Freezing, Strong
CONDITIONS
•
•
•
•
Conditions cover a range of status effects which can affect
someone for a period of time.
Someone who is impaired acts at disadvantage.
Someone who is incapacitated is unable to act.
Conditions may be resisted or recovered from through
criteria such as time, rest, cure or a skill check.
AFFLICTIONS
•
•
•
•
Tore the Priest (d4 will) is tempted by the use of chaos
spells. He accrues 1 corruption point per spell used.
At the end of the adventure, Tore has used 10 chaos spells
(10 points). He makes a will check (result 8) which is not
sufficient to resist and he gains a chaos corruption level
and some consequence described by the referee.
This refers to the effects of things such as poison, paralysis,
petrification and freezing for example.
Afflictions may cause stated health damage (i.e. d4, d6, d8
etc).
Afflictions may also cause the target to suffer an additional
effect such as impairment, incapacitation or death unless
they can make a skill check.
Repeated use of afflictions may also increase the threat of
24
Weak
d4 damage, impaired
d8 damage, incapacitated
d12 damage, death
d4 damage, impaired
d8 damage, impaired
d12 damage, impaired
d4 damage, impaired
d8 damage, incapacitated
d12 damage, incapacitated
d4 damage, impaired
d4 damage, incapacitated
d4 damage, turned to stone
d4 damage, impaired
d8 damage, incapacitated
d4 damage, stasis
Check
Fortitude 10
Fortitude 15
Fortitude 20
Fortitude 10
Fortitude 15
Fortitude 20
Fortitude 10
Fortitude 15
Fortitude 20
Fortitude 10
Fortitude 15
Fortitude 20
Fortitude 10
Fortitude 15
Fortitude 20
REFEREES GUIDE | CHAPTER 3 | RUNNING ADVENTURES
REWARDS
REWARDS
TREASURE ALLOCATIONS
•
•
•
•
Heroes may be rewarded for completing quests.
This may take the form of payment of coins, equipment,
services or information.
The referee should be clear to the players on potential
rewards and success criteria at the start of an adventure.
•
•
EXPERIENCE POINTS
•
•
•
Experience points are awarded for completing quests,
exploring, encounter challenges and finding treasure and
artefacts.
Experience points are awarded at the end of the adventure
when heroes have reached a place of safety.
Experience points are totalled and divided between all
party members. Heroes earn a full share with half-shares
awarded to non-player characters or half-shares are
allocated away to deceased party members to account for
their contribution.
EXPERIENCE POINT AWARD TABLE
Achievement
Complete a side-quest
Complete an adventure quest
Complete a campaign quest
Explored a point of interest
Explored an adventure site (per level)
Successful encounter (per group/level)
Artefact or treasure item found
FAVOURS
•
•
•
Distribution of treasure is organised by the players
between surviving members of the party.
Players will typically receive a full share of any treasure and
Non-Player Characters (NPC) typically receive a half share
of treasure.
Failing to adequately compensate an NPCs may cause ill
feelings or conflict.
Favours may be gained for completing quests from the
person who has benefited from its completion.
Players can build a list of favours to call upon in the future.
This provides an opportunity for interaction with other
NPCs and factions in the setting.
25
XP
5
20
50
1
3
1
1
CHAPTER 4 : CREATING ADVENTURES
ADVENTURE ELEMENTS
WILDERNESS MAP
SETTLEMENTS
RUMOURS
QUESTS
ADVENTURE SITE
ADVENTURE SITE TABLES
ADVENTURE THEME TABLES
RANDOM ENCOUNTERS
MONSTERS
HUMAN NPC’S
NON-HUMAN NPC
NPC ADVANCEMENT
CHALLENGES
TREASURE
ARTEFACTS
RESOURCES & COMPONENTS
PAGE 27
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PAGE 30
PAGE 32
PAGE 33
PAGE 34
PAGE 36
PAGE 38
PAGE 40
PAGE 41
PAGE 42
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PAGE 46
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26
REFEREES GUIDE | CHAPTER 4 | CREATING ADVENTURES
ADVENTURE ELEMENTS
ADVENTURE ELEMENTS
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This chapter provides the referee with procedures for
creating an adventure.
Each adventure is comprised of different elements (or
building blocks) which are pieced together and can be
interacted with by the players; these pieces are described
further as follows:
Wilderness Map; the regional area of the Fallen Lands
where the adventures take place and used to mark points of
interest and track wilderness travel.
Settlements; centres of population offering rest and respite
between adventures. They are a good source of rumours,
equipment and assistance.
Rumours; an evolving list of rumours, truths and
falsehoods. A rumour table provides adventure hooks, ideas
or background information to the players.
Quests; the objective of the adventure which is used to
drive the player’s motivations and reward success when they
are completed. The outcome of quests should have
consequences in the setting.
Adventure Site; where the adventure takes place and
usually located away from settlements, requires exploration,
may contain dangerous inhabitants or challenges but may
contain treasures and rewards.
Random Encounters; potential encounters that may occur
if the players tarry for too long.
Monsters; monsters, creatures, animals and other denizens
that may lurk in the wilderness or adventure site.
NPCs; people players may meet. They may have different
motivations or purposes.
Followers; people who may join or follow the heroes on
their quest.
Challenges; obstacles the players will interact with and
overcome during an adventure and can include hazards,
•
•
puzzles and traps.
Treasure; objects of value players can find during an
adventure that includes scrap, loot and valuable treasure.
Artefacts; unusual items of power from a distant age. They
can range from; rare, epic and legendary items.
Resources & Components; raw materials with special
properties that can be used for crafting and alchemy.
ADVENTURE CREATION PRINCIPLES
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•
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27
Minimise Setup Time: By keeping information, short,
concise and to the point and creating information as needed
on a session-to-session basis.
Relationships: Create, develop, layer and link individual
adventure elements to create relationships; complexity and
potential consequences when the players interact with these
elements.
3 Information Layers: Many of the descriptions are
formatted on the principles of appearance; discoverable
and secret information; the first is obvious appearance; the
second is information that can easily be discovered and the
third is hidden or secret information (i.e. must be
investigated or found).
Make it your Own: Use these tools as inspiration to create a
setting or adventure but feel free to amend details to your
liking.
REFEREES GUIDE | CHAPTER 4 | CREATING ADVENTURES
WILDERNESS MAP
WILDERNESS MAP
WILDERNESS MAP CREATION
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1.
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•
This represents a zoomed-in view of a specific region of the
Fallen Lands and shows; major geographical features,
settlements, travel routes and points of interest.
The wilderness map is divided into 6-mile hexes to help
measure distance and movement.
The map should be shared with the players but will only
show points of interest they know at the start.
Elevation: Use the dice drop method and draw a circular
shape around the dice result as follows; 1-3 (Small); 4-6
(Medium); 7-9 (Large) and 10+ (Huge).
2. Merge Shapes: Where these shapes are close or overlap,
merge them together to form a larger shape.
3. Contour Lines: For higher numbered areas, draw
additional contour lines inside the initial shape to represent
higher terrain.
4. Rivers: Use the dice drop method and mark the result as
follows; 1-3 (River); 4-6 (River splits); 7-9 (Small lake or
River splits) and 10+ (Large Lake or multiple tributaries).
5. Connect Rivers: Starting from the highest point on the map
(i.e. a hill or mountain as water flows from high to low
ground) connect the river numbers to form a long
meandering river with tributaries and lakes.
6. Wilderness Forests: Use the dice drop method and draw a
circular shape as follows; 1-3 (Small); 4-6 (Medium); 7-9
(Large) and 10+ (Huge).
7. Merge Forests: Where these shapes are close or overlap,
merge them together to form larger shapes.
8. Points of Interest: Use the dice drop method and mark the
dice result number. Roll on the Points of Interest Table to
generate a specific detail. Give each point of interest a
numeric reference and create a table and name of these
places.
9. Settlement: Select a point on the map (or use a point of
interest) for your starting settlement.
10. Paths: Connect points of interest with a dashed line to
represent a track or path. Use the dice drop numbers to
connect these as follows; odd to even number (connect
directly); even to even number (connect indirectly via
another point of interest); odd to odd number (do not
connect, path does not exist).
11. Review Checklist: Review the Wilderness Map Checklist
and add d6 features from each column. Mark each item
with a numeric reference and add the table of names.
12. Review & Refine: Add, delete or change details on your
map as you wish.
WILDERNESS MAP PRINCIPLES
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•
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•
Isolated Settlements: The Fallen Lands has only recently
(last few decades) exited a dark age period. Settlements are
typically isolated surviving with local trade connections.
Perilous Travel: The lands between settlement is typically
lawless and can be inhabited by beasts and outlaws.
Primeval Wilderness: Since the dark ages, the wilderness
has been gradually creeping and covering old routes from
the days of the Empire and are unlikely to have been
maintained.
Secrets to Discover: The land contains many lost secrets
such as adventure sites, settlements and other points of
interest from the time of the Empire and earlier. These
details may be unearthed through rumours, quests or
exploration during gameplay.
WILDERNESS MAP SETUP
•
•
•
Tools: You will require, A4 hex paper, a set of polyhedral
dice (d4 to d20), a pencil and eraser.
Dice Drop: Where prompted; drop or roll a set of
polyhedral dice (d4, d6, d8, d10, d12 & d20) so they
randomly fall on the A4 paper.
Scale: Where prompted to draw a shape on the map, use the
following scale; Small (2cm); Medium (4cm); Large (6cm)
and Huge (8cm) (Thumb width = 2cm).
28
REFEREES GUIDE | CHAPTER 4 | CREATING ADVENTURES
POINT OF INTEREST TABLE
WILDERNESS MAP CHECKLIST TABLE
d20
01-05
06-10
11-15
16-20
d20
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Point of Interest Type
Construction
Landmark
Geography
Terrain
CONSTRUCTION TABLE
d20
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Description
Abandoned, Derelict
Beautiful, Pleasant
Buried, Obscure
Burnt-out, Destroyed
Colossal, Huge
Decayed, Ruined
Expensive, Rich
Hidden, Disguised
Infested, Over-run
Modest, Humble
New, Repaired
Occupied, Busy
Ornate, Elegant
Poor, Run-down
Quiet, Haunted
Small, Tiny
Spacious, Vast
Strange, Non-Human
Thriving, Busy
Ugly, Sprawling
Description
Abundant, Many
Alien, Strange
Arid, Dry
Barren, Desolate
Buried, Secret
Crumbling, Ruined
Dense, Overgrown
Enchanting, Sorcerous
Far Flung, Distant
Flooded, Wet
Jagged, Rugged
Lush, Breathtaking
Misty, Hidden
Parched, Blazing
Safe, Haven
Threatening, Dangerous
Towering, Colossal
Vast, Deep
Visible, Obvious
Windswept, Stormy
Feature 2 (Add)
A food source
A water source
A landmark
A secret trail
Choice of paths
Interesting Flora or Fauna
Insect, Vermin Rodent
Area for small animals
Area for large animals
A natural resource
A secret resource
Impassable terrain
An environmental hazard
A natural obstacle
An unusual natural feature
A haunted/magic area
Blocked pass/route
Unusual weather area
Difficult terrain
Transport Route
LANDMARKS TABLE
Construction
Abandoned Structure
Bridge, Tunnel
Building, Outpost
Cairn, Burial Site
Campsite
Catacombs, Tomb
Caves, Cavern
City, Citadel
Den, Lair, Hideout
Dungeon, Underground
Hamlet, Thorpe
Mines, Sewer
Monument, Statue
Old Battle Site
Ruins
Stronghold, Castle
Temple, Church
Tower, Watch Tower
Town
Village
d20
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
GEOGRAPHY TABLE
d20
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Feature 1 (Add)
A hidden settlement
An old ruin
An adventure site
An abandoned church
A monument
An abandoned castle
A place somewhere up
A place below
A monsters lair
An unused but known trail
An abandoned settlement
An old shrine/marker
A dangerous shortcut
A treasure vault
A campsite
A hostile area
Area where monster hides
Area where monster hunts
A place where people help
A place where people trade
Description
Abandoned
Ancient, Old
Cursed. Haunted
Desolate, Blight
Enchanted
Famous, Infamous
Flooded
Gigantic, Colossal
Haven, Safe
Hidden
Hostile
Ice, Hot
Impassible
Makeshift
Mountainous
Mysterious
Natural, Un-natural
New, Repaired
Occupied
Overgrown, Wild
Landmark
Ancient Ruin
Bridge, Pass, Gate
Buried Ruin
Catacomb, Tomb
Creeping Growth
Deep Sinkhole, Chasm
Deserted Keep
Dungeon, Underground
Huge Skeletal remains
Infested Structure
Old Trail, Road
Old Wall
Overgrown Town
Portal, Rift
River Rapids
Rock Formations, Pillars
Settlement Camp, Tribe
Standing Stones, Menhir
Waterfall, Spring, Pool
Wreckage
TERRAIN TABLE
Geography
Hostile Area, Wild Animal
Darkness, Shadowlands
Dangerous Plants
Blight, Desert, Deposits
Treacherous Route
Subterranean
Hazardous terrain
Ancient Ruins
Old Trails, Path
Gas Crater, Geysers
Mist, Cloud, Fog
Plateau, Cliff
Caves, Caverns
Giant Trees, Forests
Ridge, Hill, Mesa, Peak
Unusual Flora/Fauna
Hidden Valley
Waterfall, Pool
Wild Magic
Feywild, Enchanted Forest
d20
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
29
Description
Arctic, Frosty
Barren, Open,
Buried, Underground
Burning, Blasted
Craggy, Rugged
Dead, Drying
Dusky, Dark
Exotic, Weird
Hostile, Inhabited
Humid, Hot
Impassable, Dense
Lush, Beautiful
Mystical, Misty
Natural, Complex
Overgrown, Primeval
Rough, Rugged
Sparse, Featureless
Treacherous, Dangerous
Uninhabitable, Rotten
Wild, Creeping
Terrain
Scorched Lands, Blight
Crater, Depression, Basin
Jungle, Rainforest
Desert, Sands
Marshlands, Moors
Rocky, Arid
Swamplands, Mudlands
Light Wood
River, Wetlands
Plains, Scrublands
Hills, Rolling Hill range
Dense Forest
Dark Forest
Dead Forest
Valley, Canyons
Grasslands, Savannah
Lake, Underground Lake
Mountains
Volcano
Lost City area
REFEREES GUIDE | CHAPTER 4 | CREATING ADVENTURES
CREATING SETTLEMENTS
SETTLEMENT DESIGN PRINCIPLES
CREATING A SETTLEMENT
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1.
•
•
Theme: Settlements should each have a strong theme.
However, they are generally isolated, governed locally and
generally wary of outsiders.
Relationships: Link settlement tags and features to different
elements of your setting to start to develop interactions to
bring the world to life.
Change: Settlement will change based on player
interactions and outcomes of adventures should have visible
consequences (good or bad).
2.
3.
4.
5.
SETTLEMENT DESCRIPTION
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•
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6.
Settlements details are recorded in an abbreviated format
using [tags] for ease of use, as follows:
Settlement Name; name of settlement.
Settlement Type; type such as village or town.
Prosperity; financial state of the settlement.
Population; size of population.
Law; the state of law and order in the settlement.
Features; a list of [tags] which describes different features of
the settlement.
Notable Factions; a list of notable factions.
Districts; a list of different districts within the settlement
applicable to larger settlements only.
Description; three bullet points which cover; settlement
description; discoverable information and secret
information.
Points of Interest; a list of individual places, shops, services
or landmarks.
7.
8.
•
Settlement Type: Roll d20 on Settlement Type Table to
determine the type, number of factions and districts.
Settlement Tags: Roll 3d20 on the Settlement Tags Table to
determine the settlement’s prosperity, population and law
status.
Settlement Name: Roll 2d20 on the Settlement Name Table
to create a name or choose your own.
Settlement Features: Roll 4d20 on the Settlement Features
Table and note this information.
Settlement Factions: Based on the settlement type, roll
2d20 to determine factions and note these.
Settlement Districts: Based on the settlement type, roll
2d20 on the Settlement Districts Table to determine the
nature of these.
Points of Interest: For each settlement theme, faction or
district write down a point of interest such as a place,
service, landmark, building or NPC name. You can also add
common services such as a tavern or a place of worship.
Description: Write three bullet points considering all of the
above information to provide; settlement description;
discoverable information and secret information.
Additional details such as Non-Player Characters, Rumours
and Random Encounters will be added in subsequent
sections.
SETTLEMENT MAP (OPTIONAL)
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•
Additional information may be added to the description:
• Map; a diagram of the settlement marked with districts; and
points of interest.
• Random Encounters; a list of random encounters.
• Non-Player Characters; a list of individual key NPCs.
• Notes; bullet points to describe additional information such
as player interactions.
•
•
30
Use a blank sheet of paper to draw an outline shape of the
settlement.
Draw a line to mark any major routes into or out of the
settlement.
Mark any points of interest on the map.
Mark the borders of any districts with a dashed line.
REFEREES GUIDE | CHAPTER 4 | CREATING ADVENTURES
SETTLEMENT TYPE TABLE
d20
01
02-03
04-06
07-09
10-12
13-15
16-17
18
19
20
SETTLEMENT NAME TABLE
Type
Ruins
Isolated Building
Thorpe/Farmhouse
Hamlet
Small Village
Large Village
Small Town
Large Town
Castle/Outpost
City
Factions
N/A
N/A
N/A
d2
d2
d4
d4
d6
d4
d8
Districts
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
d2
d4
d4
d6
d4
d8
d20
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
SETTLEMENT TAGS TABLE
d20
01
02-03
04-07
08-13
14-17
18-19
20
Prosperity
Destitute
Poor
Frugal
Moderate
Affluent
Wealthy
Rich
Population
Abandoned
Low
Shrinking
Average
Growing
High
Booming
Law
Lawless
None
Militia (volunteers)
Sheriff/Guard
Watch
Garrison
Military Rule
Prefix (Choose 1)
Alden or Ox
Avon or Burn
Crag or Hope
Cul or Caer
Din or Dun
East or West
Fern or Fell
Guth or Gwyn
Hal or Had
Horn or Holm
Hurst or Weald
Kings or Queens
Lang or Long
Lock or Lych
Mat or Moss
Nor or Win
North or South
Port or Pen
Tarn or Mere
White or Green
Suffix (Choose 1)
bridge or tower
bury or burgh
dale or dunne
fall or field
Ford or firth
gate or gar
ham or hunt
haven or stead
Holt or ham
mere or more
ridge or hill
river or brook
shire or shore
stone or ster
thorpe or worth
ton or tun
vale or valley
wald or wych
ward or well
wood or worth
SETTLEMENT FEATURES TABLE
d20
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
History
Ancestral Lands
Ancient Ruins Site
Asylum/Safety
Cultural, Arts
Defence/Outpost
Enchanted, Magic
Fertile Lands/Farming
Hidden location
Historic Location
Landmark/Tourist
Lawful, Rules
Manufacturing/Service
Market/Trade
Religious, Holy
Resources (Materials)
Resources (Animal/Plant)
Secret/Front
Settlers/Expansion
Transport Route/Travel
Roll Twice
Leadership
Anarchy, no leader
Criminal organisation
Democracy, people
Elders, wise ones
Elected councillors
Family or Clan
Front for something
Hereditary leader
Hero, leader
Influential councillors
Mayor, Leader elected
Noble, Lord family
People, no leadership
Representatives
Ruling class or role
Secret, Hidden power
Sheriff of the people
Theocracy, Church
Warlord, Military leader
Wealthy aristocracy
Geography
Adventure Site
Ancient Ruins
Barrow, Cairns, Graveyard
Caves, Subterranean
Dungeon, Catacomb. Tomb
Forest, Wood, Dark Forest
Fortifications, Defences
Geographical Feature
Monsters Lair, Den
Monument, Structure
Mountain, Hills
Natural Landmark
Resource (Materials)
Resources (Animal/Plant)
River, Lake, Pool, Port
Sacred, Religious, Temple
Theatre, Arena
Trade, Manufacturing
Tunnels, Bridge
Weather feature
NOTABLE FACTIONS TABLE
d20
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Notable Faction
Farmers, Fishermen
Locals
Shop Keepers
Merchants
Clergy
Nobility
Landowners
Craftsmen
Serfs, Commoners
Watch, Militia, Knights
Entertainers
Rogues, Vagabonds
Horseman, Handlers
Outlaws, Poachers
Miners, Woodmen
Traders, Peddlers
Clerks, Stewards
Sellswords, Guards
Youth, Youngsters
Elders, Sages
Influence
Blight, Contamination, Toxic
Crafting, Manufacturing, Arts
Culture, Decadence, Tradition
Discovery, Secret
Enchanted, Cursed, Haunted
Exotic, Unusual, Taboo
Guilds, Trade, Enterprise
Healthy, Lively, Vigorous
Hero, Famous Person
Lawful, Military Presence
Lawless, Criminal, Notorious
Monster, Outlaws
Neighbour, Rivalry
Non-Human Influence
Plague, Illness
Poor, Destitute
Religious, Holy, Cult
Safe Haven, Peaceful
Settlement Dependency
Trade, Market, Enterprise
SETTLEMENT DISTRICTS TABLE
Attitude
Friendly, Kind, Trusting
Sociable, Welcoming
Optimistic, Content, Happy
Wealth, Healthy, Rich
Law-abiding, Peaceful, Honest
Noble, Humble, Modest
Reserved, Considered, Loyal
Passionate, Pious, Dedicated
Talkative, Gossip, Rumours
Cultured, Traditional
Indifferent, Ignorant
Unfriendly, Biased, Suspicious
Selfish, Reclusive, Isolated
Oppressed, Downtrodden
Poor, Poverty, Illness
Corrupt, Dishonest, Notorious
Decadent, Pompous
Fearful, Worried, Excitable
Secretive, Mysterious
Jealous, Hostile
d20
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
31
District
Academic, Learning,
Ancient Site, Historic
Art, Literature, Theatre
Culture, Monument
Entertainment, Inns,
Geographical Feature
Graveyard, Hazardous
Guilds, Warehouse
Market, Trade
Military, Law, Barracks
Noble, Royalty, Estates
Poor, Slums, Hovels
Port, Dockside
Public Amenity, Park
Racial Groups, Ethnic
Religious, Temple
Residential
Underground, Sewers
Water, River, Lake
Wealth, Finance
Status
Abandoned, Ruined, Ancient
Bleak, Creepy, Dull, Desolate
Charming, Quaint, Rural
Crowded, Busy, Cosmopolitan
Cultured, Beautiful, Stunning
Cursed, Haunted
Dangerous, Risky, Volatile
Enchanting, Fascinating
Famous, Infamous
Large, Huge, Vast, Sprawling,
New, Modern, Contemporary
Nightmarish, Ugly, Grotesque
Notorious, Criminal, Lawless
Peaceful, Quiet, Safe
Prosperous, Wealthy, Affluent
Religious, Holy, Sacred
Run-Down, Poor, Deprived
Small, Hidden, Compact
Toxic, Hazardous, Polluted
Vibrant, Bustling, Busy, Lively
REFEREES GUIDE | CHAPTER 4 | CREATING ADVENTURES
RUMOURS
RUMOURS
EXPANDING RUMOURS
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•
•
•
•
Rumours can provide players with information about
adventure hooks, clues, setting details, events, NPCs or
factions activities.
A rumour table is used to document this information and
contains the description of the rumour and a note of its
credibility (true, false or unknown). Information should be
short and concise.
The rumour table is controlled and managed by the referee
and is a living breathing document which develops over
time with new rumours being added and old rumours being
forgotten.
Rumour tables can be created for regions, specific
settlements, factions or even NPCs.
•
RUMOUR EXAMPLE
•
CREATING RUMOURS
1.
2.
3.
•
Consider developing the rumour table further by adding
three layers of information starting with; the rumour;
leading to discoverable information and then to secret
information
This gives the players an opportunity to discover more
information through questions, investigation, interactions
and role-playing and adds a level of depth to your game.
•
Rumours: Create batches of 6 rumours (3 false, 2 true and 1
unknown)
Generate Rumour: Roll 4d20 on the Rumour Generator
Tables and use these results to create an idea for a rumour.
Truth: Mark if it’s true (T), false (F) or unknown (?).
Try and link rumours to different adventure elements (i.e.
quests, locations, NPC’s, factions) so these are interlinked
•
USING RUMOURS
•
•
•
•
•
Create new rumours before the start of an adventure to
provide possible clues, hooks or side-quests.
After each adventure, update, amend or delete rumours
based on events which transpired, player suggestions and
consequences of the adventure.
Add something to the rumour table whenever you have that
spark of imagination.
During an adventure give players opportunities to glean
information from the rumour table by engaging with NPCs
or factions.
Rumour tables may exist at a world, regional or local level
depending upon the scope of these tales.
Darren the Referee, decides to create a rumour. He rolls
4d20 on the Rumour Generator Table and gets the
following results; 7 (Subject - Faction), 4 (Event - Defeat/
Overcome) 10 (Object - Legendary Monster) and 5
(Complication - Environment Challenge).
Using these results, he decides that an Order of Knights
were spotted passing through a settlement recently. It is
believed they grievously wounded a legendary Dragon
which fled to Whitepeak Mountains to die. Groups of
travellers now seek to make an expedition up the
mountain to search for its rumoured treasure.
The referee can use this rumour as background
information (the roads are busy with travellers heading
towards Whitepeak Mountains), encounters (Treasure
Hunters, Knights) or even a quest (Find the treasure).
REFEREE TIP
•
At the end of an adventure, ask each player to come up
with a rumour based on the events of the last adventure.
Write these down as potential plot hooks for the future.
RUMOUR GENERATOR TABLE
d20
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Subject
A Species
Adventure Site
Building, Place
Component
Environment
Equipment, Object
Faction
Group of Monsters
Hero
Landmark
Legendary Monster
Magic
Monster
NPC
Place
Religion
Resource
Settlement
Treasure
Weapon/Armour
Event
Build, Construct
Conflict, Peace
Created, Destroyed
Defeat, Overcome
Escape, Flee
Find, Rescue
Knowledge, Discovery
Life, Death
Opportunity, Idea
Prevent, Stop
Prophecy, Vision
Protect, Defend
Pursuit, Hunted
Retrieve, Secure
Reunion, Meeting
Ritual, Summoning
Search, Find
Secret, Hidden
Theft, Loss, Dispose
Travel, Journey
Object
A Species
Adventure Site
Building, Place
Component
Equipment
Faction
Group of Monsters
Hero
Landmark
Legendary Monster
Magic
Monster
NPC
Region
Religion
Resource
Settlement
Valuable Item
Weapon/Armour
Weather
32
Complication
Another threat
Bigger picture/threat
Bounty
Enemy of my enemy
Environment challenge
Equipment Issue
Faction opposed
Guarded, Trapped
Illness, Disease
Location not known
Not what it seems
Resource Issue
Rival
Some betrayal
Subject in several parts
Subject is a secret, evil
Subject is hidden
Time Limit
Wild magic
Wilderness exploration
REFEREES GUIDE | CHAPTER 4 | CREATING ADVENTURES
QUESTS
QUESTS
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Quests represent the goals of the adventure and should be
the primary driver of player actions and are categorised as
follows:
Side quests; goals completed within an adventure or a
single session, worth 5xp.
Adventure quests; goals completed within 1-3 sessions,
worth 20xp.
Campaign quests; goals completed within 1-3 adventures,
worth an additional 50xp.
Multiple quests can exist at the same time and may have
completion conditions (i.e. time limits).
Quests can be revealed before or during the adventure and
may occasionally change in nature (i.e. the plot twist). Use
this device sparingly, however.
The outcome of quests should have some consequence in
the world setting after the adventure.
CREATING QUESTS
1.
2.
QUEST ELEMENTS
•
•
•
•
•
Quests should compromise of the following elements:
Goal: A clear objective so the players understand the
success criteria, rewards and consequences of failure.
Motivation: A reason why the heroes should undertake the
quest (i.e. why do they care and are the rewards sufficient?).
Information: Give players an opportunity to learn
additional information which helps them and further
invests them in the quest.
Challenges: The quest should involve a number of
challenges the players have to overcome including, the
adventure site, challenges (i.e. traps, hazards, puzzles) and
adversaries. These will be expanded upon further in this
chapter.
3.
Create Quest: Roll 4d20 on the Quest Generator Tables to
generate an idea for a quest.
Quest Description: Write one sentence to describe the
quest’s objectives in clear terms, detailing any success
criteria (i.e. Retrieve the Holy Staff of Suunos from the Tomb
of the Damned).
Add Side Quests: Create a couple of side-quests linked to
the main quest description and write these in bullet point
format (i.e. Find the Tomb of the Damned, Defeat the
Guardian of the Holy Staff).
CHARACTER QUESTS (OPTIONAL)
•
•
•
Character quests are designed for individual heroes where
the reward will be a special ability beyond the confines of
the level progresses system (i.e. a one-off benefit such as
additional health, skill mastery or a class ability).
These quests should be considered a way of uniquely
customising your hero but not over-powering them. They
are limited to one per character and can be earned when a
hero reaches level 5.
Completing a character quest should be considered similar
to a campaign quest taking a number of adventures and is
worth 50xp for the group.
QUEST GENERATOR TABLE
d20
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Objective
Find, Track
Reach, Infiltrate
Capture, Arrest
Escape, Survive
Defend, Protect
Defeat, Usurp
Search, Explore
Destroy, Sabotage
Learn, Spy
Hide, Forget
Rescue, Save
Investigate, Talk to
Restore, Help
Kill, Assassinate
Stop, Delay
Reveal, Expose
Deliver, Escort
Retrieve, Collect
Persuade, Convert
Roll Again Twice
Subject
Known person
Rumoured person
Unknown or new person
Returning person
Known place
Rumoured place
Unknown or new place
Returning place
Known object
Rumoured object
Unknown or new object
Discovered object
Known faction
Rumoured faction
Unknown, new faction
Returning faction
Known monster
Rumoured monster
Unknown, new monster
Roll Again Twice
Theme
Diseased, Infected
Hazardous
Secret, Wilderness
Ancient, Old
Corrupted, Chaotic
Guarded, Fortified
Holy, Blessed
Haunted, Undead
Infested, Lair
Wild, Overgrown
Hidden, Obscured
Destroyed, Ravaged
Protected, Trapped
Occupied, Captured
Scavenged, Looted
Deep, Subterranean
Ruined, Decayed
Rebuilt, New
Buried, Flooded
Enchanted, Magic
33
Complication
Urgency, Time limit
Rival heroes
Opposing Faction
Potential betrayal
Wayward nature
Wild or Chaos magic
Whole picture
Environmental issue
Monsters guarding
Hidden location
Wilderness exploration
Subject is hidden
Subject in several parts
Resource constraint
Another threat
The subject is a secret
Bounty on the subject
Common enemy
Evil or chaotic subject
Violation of beliefs
REFEREES GUIDE | CHAPTER 4 | CREATING ADVENTURES
ADVENTURE SITE
ADVENTURE SITE PRINCIPLES
ADVENTURE SITE MAP TERMS
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
An adventure site is the place where an adventure takes
place. Suggested design principles to employ are noted as
follows:
Sandbox: Consider the adventure site an open environment
populated with different elements which the players can
explore in a manner of their choosing.
Theme: Give each adventure site a strong theme or unusual
feature; make each site memorable.
Story: Tell a story or give clues about its history or nature
through discovery of information from décor, encounters or
objects the players explore.
Exploration: Give players choices about where to explore.
Good examples to include are multiple entrances, exits,
branching pathways, several hubs or levels, changes in
elevation, loops, secret passages, choke points or gated areas
that can be accessed later.
Interactions: Include things for the players to find, interact
with, avoid or overcome such as secret areas, puzzles,
monsters, traps, environmental challenges, treasures or
objects. Remember, these should have some purpose or
meaning.
Ecology: If the adventure site is inhabited by NPCs or
monsters, then consider food and water sources, light
sources, where they work, rest or play. There is no need to
aim for realism (it is a fantasy game) but give the site some
degree of plausibility. Clever players may decide to use these
factors to their advantage (i.e. poisoning or cutting off food
sources).
Factions & Encounters: If the site is populated, then think
about which areas NPCs/monsters occupy and how they
interact with other elements of the site.
Cohesion: Bring your elements together to create a cohesive
view of the adventure site linking elements together where
possible.
•
•
Some common definitions we will use are as follows:
Area: A single location such as a room, cave or space.
Level: Refers to a single floor of height or a number of areas
(i.e. a building or single level of a dungeon).
Passages: Routes which connect areas or levels.
Features: Contents of individual areas.
DESIGNING THE ADVENTURE SITE THEME
1.
2.
3.
4.
34
Adventure Site Description: Write the following
information on a sheet of A4 paper.
Type & Geography: Roll 2d20 on the Adventure Site Type
Table to determine the adventure site type and immediate
geographical features.
Theme & Secret: Roll 2d20 on the Adventure Site Theme
Table to determine the current theme and something about
the site’s past.
Description: Write three bullet points using these keywords
to cover: description (initial appearance); discoverable
info (what lies within); secret info (origin, history, lore).
REFEREES GUIDE | CHAPTER 4 | CREATING ADVENTURES
CREATING THE ADVENTURE SITE
ADVENTURE SITE TYPE TABLE
1.
d20
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
•
•
•
8.
9.
10.
11.
Adventure Site Map: Draw the Adventure Site map on a
separate sheet of A4 dotted or graph paper. You can create a
draft initially and create a polished final version later.
Dice Drop: Randomly drop a set of polyhedral dice (d4, d6,
d8, d10, d12 & d20) on the A4 sheet of paper.
Create Areas: Using a pencil, draw a circular shape around
each die. The higher the die result, the larger the circle as
follows; 1-3 (small 1cm); 4-6 (medium 3 cms); 7-9 (large 5
cms) and 10+ huge (7 cms). Each circle represents an area
within the level
Create Passages: Connect each shape by drawing a line to
the nearest shape, do not cross any lines.
Repeat: Repeat steps 2-4 to add 6 more areas and passages.
Areas which appear on top of each other will represent a
multi-storey area.
Large Areas: If two shapes add up to 10+ also connect these
as long as they do not break or replicate another line.
Passage Details: Adjust area connectors as follows:
(Odd to Odd) Passage blocked or gated (i.e. door).
(Odd to Even) Passage is direct and clear.
(Even to Even) Passage is indirect. Erase the original line
and reconnect areas via another area.
Entrance Point: Will be the lowest numbered area.
Review: Review and refine detail as you wish.
Number Areas: Number each area which will then link to
the area descriptions page of information created next.
Connect Levels: If your adventure site has multiple levels
then mark where these join. You can repeat the above steps
for each individual level.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
•
Geography
Cliff, Rock Walls
Coast, Lake
Depression, Basin
Desert, Arid
Forest, Wild Forests
Hills, Rolling Hills
Mesa, Plateau
Monument
Moors, Marshland
Mountains, Peaks
Plains, Grasslands
River, Wetlands
Scrub, Wastelands
Steppes, Foothills
Swamp, Jungle
Underground, Caves
Valley, Canyon
Wilds, Wilderness
Woods, Deep Wood
Roll Twice
ADVENTURE SITE THEME TABLE
d20
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
STOCKING THE ADVENTURE SITE
1.
Site
Barrow,Tomb
Castle, Keep
Caves, Cavern
City, Town, Village
Forest
Dungeon, Vault
Feywild
Hideout, Den
Marsh
Mines
Monsters Remains
Mountain, Volcano
Pass, Trails, Valley
Ruins
Sewers, Rivers
Shadowlands
Temple, Monastery
Tower, Observatory
Tunnels
Wilderness
Adventure Site Description: Record the following on
Adventure Site Description Sheet (separate A4 paper).
Name Areas: Name each area to give you an idea of its
purpose. Remember to make the position of rooms next to
each other seem plausible.
Create Challenges: Create d6 challenges (See Challenges)
and allocate these to an area location, writing this under the
area descriptions.
Create Encounters: Create d6 encounters (See Monsters &
NPCs)and allocate these to an area location, writing this
under the area descriptions.
Create Treasure: Create 2d6 treasures (Treasure) and
allocate these to an area location, writing this under the area
descriptions.
Create Artefact: Create an artefact (See Artefacts) and
allocate this to an area location, writing this under the area
descriptions.
Adventure Site Checklist: Create d6 features from each
column of the Adventure Site Checklist Table and allocate
these to an area description.
Area Descriptions: With the key area contents known,
write three bullet points for each area covering: description
(area appearance), discoverable info (what searching
reveals) and secret info (hidden information). When
writing this start to build links between features on each
area.
Refine: Continue to tweak, refine and add details until you
are satisfied with the contents. “Dial everything up to volume
11” and avoid bland adventure settings.
Use the Adventure Site Tables or Adventure Theme Tables to
generate ideas based on the selected site and theme.
Theme
Abandoned
Ancient, Ruined,
Dark Power, Corrupt
Deep, Depths
Den, Lair, Hive
Enchanted
Extreme Heat
Extreme Cold
Fortified, Defended
Haunted, Evil Spirits
Hazardous, Polluted
Holy, Blessed
Infested, Menace
Maze, Warrens, Tunnels
Mysterious, Strange
Puzzles, Traps, Hazards
Ravaged by Elements
Reality, Time, Fractured
Underwater
Wild, Overgrown
History
Abandoned, Decayed
Conquered, Infested
Death Trap, Prison
Defence, Protection
Disaster, Accident
Doomed, Cursed
Enchanted, Holy
Event, Miracle
Gateway, Magic
Hazardous, Plague
Home, Settlement
Lair, Den
Lost to wilderness
Mine, Resources
Monument, Marker
Served Purpose, Out-dated
Stronghold
Temple, Shrine
Tomb, Crypt, Place of Dead
Treasure Vault, Knowledge
ADVENTURE SITE CHECKLIST TABLE
d20
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
35
Key Feature 1
Dead end
Secret passage
Loop
Choice of paths
Blockage/gated area
Something above
Something below
Change in elevation
Multi-storey area
Something that attacks
Something that hides
Something that hassles
Something that helps
Something that trades
Primary creature/faction
Second creature/faction
A safe area
Recreational area
Sleeping area
Working area
Feature 2
A food source
A water source
An air source
A light source
Waste location
Flora or Fauna
Insect, Vermin Rodent
Small animals
Large animals
A natural resource
Another trap
Another puzzle
Another hazard
Another obstacle
A red herring
More Loot
More Treasure
A usable object
Décor with lore
Artefact
REFEREES GUIDE | CHAPTER 4 | CREATING ADVENTURES
ADVENTURE SITE TABLES
ADVENTURE SITE TABLES
•
Roll 2d20 on the relevant adventure site table to generate an
idea of what you may find at this place.
1. BARROW SITE
2. CASTLE/KEEP SITE
3. CAVES/CAVERN SITE
4. CITY/TOWN SITE
d20 Detail
01 Buried
02 Creepy
03 Deathly
04 Diseased
05 Disturbed
06 Eerie
07 Golden
08 Grave
09 Haunting
10 Hidden
11 Honoured
12 Memorial
13 Noisy
14 Old
15 Possessed
16 Rotting
17 Sealed
18 Shifty
19 Stone
20 Valuable
d20 Detail
01 Abandoned
02 Archaic
03 Blood
04 Crumbling
05 Dank
06 Dusty
07 Former
08 Grand
09 Guarded
10 Hidden
11 Long
12 Occupied
13 Ransacked
14 Restored
15 Rich
16 Sealed
17 Secret
18 Torture
19 War
20 Worn
d20 Detail
01 Crystal
Area
02 Dank
Chamber
03 Dead
Chasm
04 Deathly
Climb
05 Deep
Cold
06 Distant
Crawlspace
07 Large
Deposit
08 Lava
Echoes
09 Metal
Gas
10 Mossy
Growth
11 Noxious
Lake
12 Precarious Lichen
13 Rocky
Miners
14 Tight
Mist
15 Toxic
Passage
16 Twisting
Pit
17 Underground Pool
18 Underwater Sinkhole
19 Unstable
Spikes
20 Vast
Tunnels
d20 Detail
01 Bustling
02 Busy
03 Deep
04 Dilapidated
05 Disguised
06 Empty
07 Foreboding
08 Grand
09 Hidden
10 Impressive
11 Musty
12 Old
13 Poor
14 Rich
15 Rowdy
16 Seedy
17 Shifty
18 Stern
19 Stone
20 Tall
8. HIDEOUT/DEN SITE
Cairn
Coffin
Crows
Danger
Dead
Fog
Gifts
Monument
Mound
Noose
Presence
Rats
Sarcophagus
Shrine
Skeleton
Spirit
Treasure
Undead
Wight
Woods
Armoury
Chamber
Door
Dungeon
Finery
Guards
Hall
Keep
Library
Resident
Room
Stables
Stairwell
Statue
Temple
Throne
Tunnel
Vault
Vault
Walls
5. FOREST SITE
6. DUNGEON/VAULT SITE
7. FEYWILD SITE
d20 Detail
01 Ancient
02 Babbling
03 Bandits
04 Creeping
05 Dense
06 Elevated
07 Elven
08 Giant
09 Hidden
10 Hollow
11 Magical
12 Majestic
13 Murky
14 Mystical
15 Rotten
16 Sacred
17 Shattered
18 Vicious
19 Witches
20 Wooded
d20 Detail
01 Adventurers
02 Antiquities
03 Challenging
04 Choice
05 Collapsing
06 Dangerous
07 Defending
08 Executioners
09 Hidden
10 Illusory
11 Impenetrable
12 Locked
13 Mechanical
14 Mysterious
15 Narrow
16 Occupied
17 Precious
18 Secret
19 Slippery
20 Wandering
d20 Detail
01 Alluring
02 Bewitching
03 Dancing
04 Dangerous
05 Enchanted
06 Frozen
07 Gloomy
08 Hero’s
09 Hidden
10 Hollow
11 Ice
12 Lush
13 Magical
14 Obscuring
15 Seductive
16 Sentient
17 Shifting
18 Stone
19 Tangled
20 Wild
Beast
Bridge
Brook
Camp
Depression
Foliage
Glade
Grove
Houses
Kingdom
Menhirs
Oak
Plants
Portal
River
Ruins
Swamp
Thicket
Tree
Vegetation
Artefact
Cell
Chamber
Chest
Corpse
Denizen
Door
Floor
Floor
Heirloom
Mimic
Paths
Room
Sentries
Statue
Tomb
Trap
Treasure
Tunnel
Vault
36
Cave
Circle
Clearing
Creature
Faeries
Forest
Grave
Grove
Hunt
Lake
Lights
Mist
Nymph
Palace
Pool
Spiders
Trail
Tree
Vegetation
Vines
d20 Detail
01 Animal
02 Bone
03 Deadly
04 Denizens
05 Dirty
06 Disguised
07 Dutiful
08 Elaborate
09 False
10 Hidden
11 Hollow
12 Locked
13 Magical
14 Mechanical
15 Possessed
16 Secret
17 Shinning
18 Steep
19 Trapped
20 Warm
Alleyway
Blacksmith
District
Fortification
Foundry
Fountain
Guards
Guild Hall
Landmark
Locals
Market
Merchant
Port
Sewers
Shopfront
Store
Tavern
Temple
Tower
Well
Alarm
Cave
Chamber
Den
Door
Entrance
Exit
Flock
Followers
Guard
Hill
Markings
Mate
Nest
Remains
Scraps
Trinkets
Tunnel
Vault
Worshippers
REFEREES GUIDE | CHAPTER 4 | CREATING ADVENTURES
9. MARSH SITE
d20 Detail
01 Aquatic
02 Damp
03 Deadly
04 Dense
05 Disguised
06 Dry
07 Flooded
08 Heavy
09 Hidden
10 Insect
11 Lurking
12 Mossy
13 Obscuring
14 Poison
15 Putrid
16 Sunken
17 Swamp
18 Tall
19 Thick
20 Toxic
10. MINES SITE
Beast
Brush
Forest
Fungus
Gas
Ground
Gully
Hole
Hummock
Mist
Mud
Pool
Quicksand
Rainfall
Reeds
Snakes
Swarm
Tree
Vegetation
Witch
d20 Detail
01 Abandoned
02 Ancient
03 Broken
04 Collapsed
05 Deep
06 Dripping
07 Flooded
08 Growing
09 Haunting
10 Heavy
11 Lurking
12 Noxious
13 Petrified
14 Precious
15 Rickety
16 Secret
17 Suspicious
18 Thick
19 Thin
20 Working
Beams
Boulders
Cart
Cavern
Denizens
Echoes
Equipment
Excavation
Fossils
Fungus
Gas
Lift
Metals
Oxygen
Sinkhole
Tomb
Tracks
Tunnel
Vein
Water
11. MONSTER REMAINS SITE
12. MOUNTAINS SITE
d20 Detail
01 Acidic
02 Battle
03 Bubbling
04 Buried
05 Calcified
06 Cursed
07 Damaged
08 Dead
09 Decayed
10 Feeding
11 Fossilised
12 Gigantic
13 Hallowed
14 Hidden
15 Insect
16 Noxious
17 Occupied
18 Possessed
19 Tribal
20 Untouched
d20 Detail
01 Acidic
02 Ash
03 Boiling
04 Burning
05 Carved
06 Fire
07 Gaseous
08 Giant
09 Hot
10 Lava
11 Magma
12 Obsidian
13 Precarious
14 Rising
15 Rune
16 Shaking
17 Slag
18 Sulphuric
19 Undisturbed
20 Unusual
Blood
Bones
Canyon
Carcass
Creature
Depression
Egg
Environment
Fumes
Graveyard
Ground
Parts
Remains
Scavengers
Signs
Skeleton
Stream
Structure
Swarm
Trophy
Chamber
Cliff
Crater
Crust
Demon
Deposits
Flow
Footsteps
Hill
Lake
Layers
Obelisk
Ooze
Resource
Spirits
Statues
Storm
Trembles
Tunnel
Vents
13. PASS/TRAILS SITE
14. RUINS SITE
15. SEWERS/RIVER SITE
16. SHADOWLANDS SITE
d20 Detail
01 Barren
02 Clear
03 Dead
04 Distant
05 Dry
06 Dusty
07 Eerie
08 Flooded
09 Flowery
10 Hazy
11 Hidden
12 Huge
13 Hunting
14 Large
15 Low
16 Rocky
17 Steep
18 Tall
19 Unusual
20 Wild
d20 Detail
01 Abandoned
02 Ancient
03 Broken
04 Collapsed
05 Concealed
06 Corrupted
07 Dead
08 Dilapidated
09 Dried
10 Fortified
11 Natural
12 Obscure
13 Occupied
14 Old
15 Overgrown
16 Secret
17 Tall
18 Toppled
19 Trapped
20 Unknown
d20 Detail
01 Blocked
02 Clogging
03 Collapsed
04 Concealed
05 Decomposed
06 Inhabited
07 Large
08 Moving
09 Multiple
10 Mutant
11 Narrow
12 Noxious
13 Secret
14 Sewer
15 Toxic
16 Underwater
17 Vast
18 Vermin
19 Visible
20 Waste
d20 Detail
01 Abandoned
02 Ash
03 Blackened
04 Bleak
05 Bone
06 Bottomless
07 Chained
08 Dark
09 Dead
10 Decaying
11 Derelict
12 Distant
13 Dusky
14 Endless
15 Inhuman
16 Obsidian
17 Ominous
18 Rune
19 Undead
20 Wandering
Beast
Bridge
Camp
Cliff
Crossing
Entrance
Glade
Grasslands
Herd
Meadow
Mist
Nest
Party
Pass
Path
Plains
Plant life
Ravens
Tracks
Trail
Beast
Building
Building
Carcass
Corpse
Den
Device
Disaster
Fountain
Lake
Mansion
Monument
Object
Passage
Spire
Statues
Stonework
Temple
Vault
Wilderness
Amphibian
Area
Canal
Corpse
Debris
Drainage
Flood
Gas
Gate
Ladder
Manhole
Nest
Pathways
Pile
Pipes
Pit
Room
Smell
Swarm
Tunnel
Beast
Cavern
Cloud
Desert
Horizon
Howls
Labyrinth
Lake
Monument
Mountain
Portal
Region
River
Ruin
Ship
Skeleton
Spirits
Structure
Temple
Zone
17. TEMPLE SITE
18. TOWER SITE
19. TUNNELS SITE
20. WILDERNESS SITE
d20 Detail
01 Ancient
02 Atonement
03 Blessed
04 Blocked
05 Burial
06 Cursed
07 Desecrated
08 Disturbed
09 Grand
10 Hidden
11 Holy
12 Ill
13 Luxurious
14 Praying
15 Saintly
16 Sanctified
17 Secret
18 Tall
19 Treasured
20 Vast
d20 Detail
01 Alchemists Cell
02 Animated
Circle
03 Cosmic
Construct
04 Crazy
Denizen
05 Experimental Device
06 Glass
Dome
07 Guard
Door
08 High
Familiar
09 Illusory
Laboratory
10 Magic
Library
11 Opulent
Lounge
12 Rune
Object
13 Sealed
Ornament
14 Summoning Passage
15 Transport
Portal
16 Trapped
Room
17 Un-openable Stairs
18 Warded
Statue
19 Winding
Vault
20 Wizards
View
d20 Detail
01 Collapsed
02 Dark
03 Dead
04 Flooded
05 Giant
06 Hidden
07 Infested
08 Long
09 Mossy
10 Multiple
11 Narrow
12 Narrow
13 Pungent
14 Rotting
15 Secret
16 Submerged
17 Toxic
18 Trapped
19 Unstable
20 Vermin
d20 Detail
01 Abandoned
02 Bone
03 Dangerous
04 Deep
05 Dense
06 Difficult
07 Distant
08 Enchanted
09 Gruesome
10 Hidden
11 Muddy
12 Natural
13 Overgrown
14 Primeval
15 Primitive
16 Protected
17 Sparse
18 Still
19 Trapped
20 Wild
Altar
Catacombs
Chamber
Creatures
Fountain
Gardens
Gate
Land
Library
Omen
Place
Priests
Relics
Room
Sarcophagi
Shrine
Statue
Tomb
Tunnel
Vault
37
Alcove
Bones
Catacombs
Chokepoint
Corridor
Device
End
Exit
Fungi
Gas
Nest
Passageway
Paths
Pipe
Plants
Sewers
Swarm
Tunnel
Waste
Worms
Air
Beast
Camp
Crossing
Forest
Game
Glade
Lodge
Remains
River
Ruin
Shrine
Swamp
Terrain
Thicket
Trees
Tribe
Undergrowth
Valley
Woodland
REFEREES GUIDE | CHAPTER 4 | CREATING ADVENTURES
ADVENTURE THEME TABLES
ADVENTURE THEME TABLES
•
Roll 2d20 on the relevant adventure theme table to generate
an idea of what you may find at this place.
1. ABANDONED THEME
2. ANCIENT THEME
3. DARK POWER THEME
4. DEEP THEME
d20 Detail
01 Ancient
02 Broken
03 Burned
04 Collapsed
05 Crumbling
06 Decaying
07 Disastrous
08 Dusty
09 Eerie
10 Empty
11 Faded
12 Flooded
13 Ghostly
14 Hazardous
15 Natural
16 Occupied
17 Old
18 Overgrown
19 Unstable
20 Whistling
d20 Detail
01 Ancient
02 Antique
03 Bloody
04 Broken
05 Buried
06 Carved
07 Collapsed
08 Deep
09 Evidence
10 Faded
11 Fossilized
12 Giant
13 Great
14 Hazardous
15 Lost
16 Old
17 Primal
18 Stone
19 Strange
20 Worn
d20 Detail
01 Bitter
02 Blackened
03 Captive
04 Chaotic
05 Corrupted
06 Cursed
07 Deaths
08 Desecrated
09 Evidence
10 Grave
11 Haunting
12 Hollow
13 Magical
14 Sacrificial
15 Summoning
16 Tainted
17 Terrible
18 Undead
19 Void
20 Wild
d20 Detail
01 Buried
02 Chaotic
03 Crystal
04 Dead
05 Deep
06 Dwarven
07 Flooded
08 Frozen
09 Fungal
10 Glowing
11 Narrow
12 Rooted
13 Ruined
14 Strange
15 Submerged
16 Subterranean
17 Sunk
18 Tremorous
19 Underground
20 Vast
Architecture
Area
Buildings
Corridor
Foliage
Fungi
Material
Monument
Path
Remains
Secret
Spirits
Spores
Squatters
Statues
Structure
Temple
Tower
Wall
Wind
Architecture
Archway
Art
Beast
Bell
Building
Deed
Figures
Knowledge
Mausoleum
Monument
Object
Power
Relic
Remains
Sinkhole
Statues
Stones
Trap
Vegetation
Beings
Blight
Circle
Conduit
Denizen
Ground
Innocents
Knowledge
Markings
Monument
Noose
Pillars
Pit
Portal
Power
Presence
Ritual
Shrine
Temple
Tomb
Bugs
Cavern
Caves
City
Delvers
Depression
Fungi
Hole
Lake
Pit
Plant Life
Portal
Rockfall
Rocks
Settlement
Sinkhole
Tunnels
Webs
Worms
Zone
5. DEN/LAIR/HIVE THEME
6. ENCHANTED THEME
7. EXTREME HEAT THEME
8. EXTREME COLD THEME
d20 Detail
01 Bone
02 Cloudy
03 Confusing
04 Deaths
05 Decayed
06 Deep
07 Dim
08 Dismal
09 Evidence
10 Filthy
11 Food
12 Fungal
13 Hidden
14 Hot
15 Large
16 Monster
17 Murky
18 Refuse
19 Squalid
20 Trash
d20 Detail
01 Awoken
02 Bad
03 Disappearing
04 Earthly
05 Elven
06 Enchanted
07 Enthralling
08 Fortuitous
09 Frozen
10 Hidden
11 Magic
12 Petrified
13 Resting
14 Rune
15 Sleepy
16 Stone
17 Whispering
18 Wicked
19 Wild
20 Witches
d20 Detail
01 Ash
02 Bitter
03 Burning
04 Calcified
05 Choking
06 Crusty
07 Dark
08 Desert
09 Desolate
10 Dry
11 Endless
12 Giant
13 Gloomy
14 Hidden
15 Hot
16 Lava
17 Sand
18 Steam
19 Stone
20 Unstable
d20 Detail
01 Abandoned
02 Biting
03 Bleak
04 Blocked
05 Buried
06 Crystal
07 Deep
08 Elevated
09 Excavated
10 Fragile
11 Frozen
12 Giant
13 Glacial
14 Ice
15 Rocky
16 Shattered
17 Shivering
18 Snow
19 Unstable
20 Winter
Burrow
Cave
Cavern
Chamber
Colony
Entrance
Exit
Heap
Infestation
Matter
Maze
Piles
Pit
Remains
Source
Stench
Trails
Tunnels
Vents
Water
Area
Circle
Clue
Creatures
Glade
Grove
Intruders
Marker
Monument
Obelisk
Omen
Place
Portal
Power
Presence
Sprites
Terrain
Token
Tribute
Wind
38
Air
Chains
Denizens
Dunes
Floor
Flow
Form
Gas
Geyser
Insects
Mist
Oasis
Plain
Pool
Rock
Roots
Tower
Travellers
Vents
Walkway
Beast
Body
Chill
Cliff
Creatures
Crevasse
Fissure
Floor
Formation
Lake
Melts
Mound
Outpost
Paths
Pit
Spikes
Supplies
Terrain
Trees
Vegetation
REFEREES GUIDE | CHAPTER 4 | CREATING ADVENTURES
9. FORTIFIED THEME
10. HAUNTED THEME
11. HAZARDOUS THEME
12. HOLY THEME
d20 Detail
01 Abandoned
02 Buried
03 Colossal
04 Decaying
05 Deep
06 Defensible
07 Expanded
08 Glorious
09 Great
10 Hidden
11 Impregnable
12 Mechanical
13 Monumental
14 Occupied
15 Protected
16 Repaired
17 Secure
18 Strong
19 Sturdy
20 Towering
d20 Detail
01 Animated
02 Corrupted
03 Creepy
04 Decayed
05 Deceitful
06 Entombed
07 Evil
08 Fearful
09 Ghostly
10 Haunting
11 Illusory
12 Invisible
13 Mystic
14 Ominous
15 Petrified
16 Shocking
17 Supernatural
18 Un-natural
19 Weird
20 Whispering
d20 Detail
01 Abandoned
02 Ash
03 Black
04 Blighted
05 Burning
06 Chaotic
07 Cursed
08 Dead
09 Diseased
10 Extreme
11 Insect
12 Magic
13 Natural
14 Overflowing
15 Plagued
16 Poisoned
17 Polluting
18 Radioactive
19 Toxic
20 Withered
d20 Detail
01 Ancient
02 Angelic
03 Blessed
04 Celestial
05 Consecrated
06 Divine
07 Gods
08 Grand
09 Hallowed
10 Hidden
11 Holy
12 Magnificent
13 Mystical
14 Protected
15 Religious
16 Revered
17 Sacred
18 Spiritual
19 Treasured
20 Untainted
Alarm
Armament
Armoury
Bridge
Building
Camp
Keep
Leader
Moat
Passageway
Patrol
Quarters
Ruin
Spikes
Statue
Tower
Trap
Vault
Wall
Well
Apparition
Artefact
Ascendant
Building
Darkness
Innocent
Lore
Maze
Message
Mist
Object
Possession
Power
Ritual
Runes
Secret
Trees
Visions
Voices
Ward
Buildings
Debris
Disaster
Gasses
Glade
Land
Landmark
Mould
People
Plant Life
Remains
Ruins
Settlement
Sewage
Sunlight
Swarm
Taint
Vegetation
Waste
Weather
Altar
Anomaly
Architecture
Area
Artwork
Cache
Chamber
Chapel
Crypt
Gardens
Gathering
Objects
Offering
Powers
Relics
Sanctuary
Shrine
Statues
Temple
Ward
13. INFESTED THEME
14. MAZE THEME
15. MYSTERIOUS THEME
16. PUZZLES THEME
d20 Detail
01 Abandoned
02 Blighted
03 Blocked
04 Dangerous
05 Dark
06 Deep
07 Devastated
08 Filthy
09 Harmful
10 Harmful
11 Hidden
12 Hollow
13 Monsters
14 Muddy
15 Murky
16 Rotten
17 Toxic
18 Toxic
19 Vast
20 Vermin
d20 Detail
01 Bone
Ceiling
02 Branching Crawlspace
03 Dangerous Descent
04 Deep
Exits
05 Eternal
Labyrinth
06 Filthy
Mound
07 Hazardous Nest
08 Insect
Path
09 Long
Pool
10 Low
Ravine
11 Mine
Rise
12 Moveable
Shaft
13 Multiple
Spikes
14 Narrow
Terrain
15 Rotten
Trap
16 Secret
Trash
17 Underground Traversal
18 Water
Tunnel
19 Winding
Wall
20 Wintry
Warren
d20 Detail
01 Arcane
02 Cracked
03 Dark
04 Deep
05 Eldritch
06 Enchanting
07 Enigmatic
08 Eternal
09 Inhuman
10 Insect
11 Magical
12 Monolithic
13 Mystical
14 Obsidian
15 Secret
16 Shadow
17 Shimmering
18 Strange
19 Unstable
20 Veiled
d20 Detail
01 Animated
02 Cloudy
03 Duplicate
04 Flammable
05 Fools
06 Gloomy
07 Greased
08 Hidden
09 Infested
10 Mechanical
11 Mighty
12 Mosaic
13 Patched
14 Poison
15 Sealed
16 Secret
17 Small
18 Spiked
19 Sturdy
20 Uneven
17. RAVAGED THEME
18. REALITY/TIME THEME
19. UNDERWATER THEME
20. WILD THEME
d20 Detail
01 Abandoned
02 Archaic
03 Battered
04 Burning
05 Collapsed
06 Decaying
07 Elaborate
08 Eroded
09 Fractured
10 Hazardous
11 Hidden
12 Lightning
13 Missing
14 Preserved
15 Relentless
16 Repaired
17 Thundering
18 Unstable
19 Vast
20 Weathered
d20 Detail
01 Celestial
02 Cosmic
03 Creation
04 Dangerous
05 Elemental
06 Fractured
07 Guardians
08 Immortal
09 Infinite
10 Many
11 Megalithic
12 Primal
13 Protected
14 Rune
15 Shadow
16 Sorcery
17 Star
18 Temporal
19 Time
20 Unguarded
d20 Detail
01 Abyssal
02 Breathable
03 Cold
04 Dark
05 Deep
06 Fierce
07 Floating
08 Flooded
09 Giant
10 Hidden
11 Illuminated
12 Passing
13 Spoiled
14 Strong
15 Sunken
16 Tense
17 Undersea
18 Underwater
19 Watery
20 Winding
d20 Detail
01 Constricting
02 Deep
03 Dense
04 Earth
05 Feral
06 Heavy
07 Impassable
08 Lost
09 Mighty
10 Monsters
11 Mysterious
12 Natural
13 Overgrown
14 Overrun
15 Primeval
16 Rock
17 Shady
18 Vast
19 Water
20 Wild
Area
Boundary
Burrow
Cave
Colony
Fissure
Fungi
Hideout
Hive
Hole
Infestation
Lair
Mound
Nest
Organism
Pestilence
Pit
Swarm
Terrain
Tree
Area
Art
Building
Creature
Damage
Foliage
Heat
Pillars
Rain
Rocks
Scavengers
Spirit
Stonework
Storm
Structure
Terrain
Tiles
Tomb
Tower
Wall
Anchor
Anomaly
Chamber
Dimension
Gate
Hall
Journey
Map
Oddity
Orrery
Paths
Pillar
Portal
Power
Reality
Shield
Structure
Throne
Tower
Vortex
39
Animal
Chamber
Corpse
Cosmos
Crater
Fountain
Idol
Keep
Map
Monolith
Pool
Portal
Pyramid
Sphere
Spring
Storm
Structure
Swarm
Thief
Vegetation
Cargo
Cave
Cavern
Creature
Debris
Fish
Island
Leviathan
Monument
Organism
Pocket
Ruin
Ship
Storm
Trench
Vegetation
Vent
Vessel
Whirlpool
Zone
Chamber
Device
Door
Flagstone
Floor
Gas
Gold
Holes
Illusion
Magnet
Mirror
Passage
Pit
Pool
Portal
Quicksand
Ropes
Statues
Trap
Vault
Animals
Creeper
Fauna
Foliage
Forest
Formation
Grove
Hill
Hole
Lair
Landscape
Oak
River
Shelter
Snarlwood
Spikes
Tree
Valley
Vegetation
Weather
REFEREES GUIDE | CHAPTER 4 | CREATING ADVENTURES
RANDOM ENCOUNTERS
RANDOM ENCOUNTERS
•
•
•
•
Random encounters are chance meetings or events which
take place during an adventure, settlement visit or when
travelling through the wilderness.
These can be used to provide the players with additional
hints, clues or information about the adventure.
They can also be used as a distraction such as a side-quest.
These can also be used to demonstrate the consequence
and outcomes of events and adventures.
RANDOM ENCOUNTERS PRINCIPLES
•
•
•
•
Time: They occur as a direct consequence of time spent
exploring, visiting or travelling.
Player Interaction: Players should have some choice over
the nature of their interaction (i.e. fight or flight).
Nature: These may be varied in nature, have different levels
of threat and are not always adversarial.
Plot: Try and link random encounters back to some
element of the adventure.
RANDOM ENCOUNTER CHECK
CREATING ENCOUNTER TABLES
•
•
•
•
The referee secretly makes a random encounter check at the
end of each turn.
The target number to avoid an encounter starts at 1 on a
d20 and increases by 1 point each turn.
This score resets when an encounter occurs or the players
reach a place of safety.
•
1.
PLANNED ENCOUNTERS
•
•
•
2.
Planned encounters involve interactions with other NPCs,
monsters or factions at specific locations.
The NPC, monster or faction will have a reason and
motivation for being at the specific location which will
influence their reaction to the players.
These types of encounters will have some link to the
adventure.
3.
Create batches of 6 random encounters with different levels
of threat (3 low, 2 medium, 1 high).
Random encounter tables can be built for each regional
area, settlement and adventure site.
Method 1: Random Encounter Generator: Roll 4d20 on
the Random Encounter Generator Table and use these results
to create an idea for a random encounter linked to the
adventure.
Method 2: Pair Themes: Take the theme keywords for an
adventure site or settlement and write down each paired
combination and use these as your inspiration for an
encounter (i.e. dungeon + infested = giant rat infestation).
Encounter Description: For each of the above methods,
write three bullet points using generated information as
prompts covering, description (appearance), discoverable
info (status, reactions) and secret info (motives, need).
RANDOM ENCOUNTER GENERATOR TABLE
d20
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
What
Level 7+ Monster
Level 5-6 Monster
Level 4 Monster
Level 4 Monster
Level 3 Monster
Level 3 Monster
Level 2 Monster
Level 2 Monster
Level 1 Monster
Level 1 Monster
Level 1 Monster
Rival NPC
Rival Faction
Neutral NPC
Neutral Faction
Plot NPC
Plot Monster
Plot Faction
Ally NPC
Ally Faction
Motivation
Building, Crafting
Conquer, Control
Eating, Resting
Escape, Fleeing
Hunting
Intimidate
Investigating
Negotiating, Trade
Opportunity, Trade
Patrolling
Protecting
Pursuit, Following
Raiding, Fighting
Resources, Gathering
Scouting, Marking Land
Searching, Discovering
Shelter
Survival
Travel, Migration
Travel, Terrain
Reaction
Hostile
Aggressive
Aggressive
Defensive
Defensive
Defensive
Cautious
Cautious
Cautious
Cautious
Cautious
Cautious
Cautious
Favourable
Favourable
Favourable
Favourable
Friendly
Friendly
Very Helpful
40
Complication
Another threat
Bigger picture/threat
Bounty
Enemy of my enemy
Environment challenge
Equipment Issue
Faction opposed
Guarded, Trapped
Illness, Disease
Location not known
Not what it seems
Resource Issue
Rival
Some betrayal
Subject in several parts
Subject is a secret, evil
Subject is hidden
Time Limit
Wild magic
Wilderness exploration
REFEREES GUIDE | CHAPTER 4 | CREATING ADVENTURES
MONSTERS
MONSTER DESCRIPTION
•
•
•
BARGHEST
Monster is a generic term for all manner of animals,
beasts, creatures and monstrosities in the game.
The separate Monsters Compendium book details individual
monster’s statistics.
Monsters use an abbreviated version of the hero attributes
described as follows:
CHAOS, QUADRUPED, MEDIUM
LVL 2 | HLT 10 | DEF 12 | SKL d4 | APP d8 | TSR COMBAT: Bite (d6)
PASSIVE ABILITIES: N/A
ENCOUNTER ABILITIES: Sprint, Leap Attack
HARVEST: Heart (Leap Attack)
Name: This is the monster’s name.
Harvest:
• Lists parts which may be harvested for alchemy or crafting.
Three Keywords:
• A brief three keyword description covering the monster’s
theme, description and size.
• Theme describes the nature of the creature. Some abilities
or spells affect a specific theme of the creature.
• Description is a word summarising the monster’s look.
• Size details the monster’s size category from; Tiny (i.e.
Fairy), Small (i.e. Dog), Medium (i.e. Human), Large (i.e.
Ogre), Huge (i.e. Dragon) and Colossal (i.e. Behemoth).
Description:
• Describes appearance, habits, motives and abilities.
Hooks:
• Potential plot hooks the referee can use for encounters.
USING MONSTERS
Attributes
• Level is a measure of the monster’s threat from level 1 (low
threat) to level 10 (powerful threat).
• Health (HLT) is a score representing how much physical
injury they can endure before dying when this falls to zero.
• Defence (DEF) is the target number required to hit the
monster in combat. Damage Resistance (DR) is a score that
is deducted from any damage incurred.
• Skill (SKL) is the monster’s skill die (i.e. 0, d4, d6, d8, d10,
d12 or d20) which is added to die rolls when making
checks. See Monster’s skill checks for further details.
• Number Appearing (APP) shows how many monsters will
typically appear during an encounter.
• Treasure (TSR) indicates the type of treasure which may be
carried or in their lair. Presented in order of rising value
from S (Salvage), L (Loot), T (Treasure) and A (Artefact).
Where a multiplier is shown then you roll multiple times.
Treasure is detailed in the Referee’s Guide.
•
•
•
•
•
•
The referee decides which monsters are likely to appear at
an adventure site based on the theme of the site,
environment, terrain and quest.
Monsters are encountered when the players are exploring
an adventure site or when a random encounter occurs.
The referee will use the monster’s description and their
purpose within the adventure to determine their
motivation and subsequent reaction to players when
encountered.
Encounters are not always adversarial and monsters may
wish to avoid, negotiate as well as protect, defend or fight
Monsters are subject to morale rules in combat and may
fight, retreat, negotiate or surrender.
Group Rolls: To speed up gameplay, use a single roll on
behalf of a group of monsters of the same type for checks.
MONSTER’S SKILL CHECKS
•
Combat
• Describes the monster’s method of attack in combat and
includes; number of attacks, nature of attack, damage and
range. For example, the following method of attack 2x
Teeth/Claw (d6, close) means the creature may attack twice
in a round with their teeth or claws (a descriptor). The
attack must be in close range and on a hit causes d6
damage.
•
The monster’s skill die can be applied to:
• Combat checks.
• Where the monster’s size is a factor.
• Where the monster’s nature gives them an advantage.
Otherwise, the referee may not permit the monster to try
certain actions or could make a check without any modifier.
COLOSSAL MONSTERS
•
Abilities
• This is a series of keywords that details any special feats or
powers a monster possesses. This is described in the
Monsters Abilities section. Abilities are categorised as:
• Passive Abilities; these abilities grant a permanent bonus or
an action that can be used every turn.
• Encounter Abilities; these abilities require some effort and
can be used once per level per encounter (i.e. a level 3
creature could use any one encounter ability three times or
three encounter abilities once during a single encounter).
• Only one ability can be performed as an action at a time
and these cannot be stacked.
•
•
Colossal monsters dwarf the players in size (i.e. giants,
dragons or other huge beasts)
They may be treated slightly differently with separate
attributes and attack options for different body parts
This may present a combat puzzle for players who use
different tactics to access or attack specific points to nullify
an effect.
MONSTER VARIANTS
•
•
41
These are variations of the monsters who possess slightly
different attributes or abilities.
The Monsters Compendium details the procedures for
creating monster variants.
REFEREES GUIDE | CHAPTER 4 | CREATING ADVENTURES
HUMAN NON-PLAYER CHARACTERS
NON-PLAYER CHARACTERS (NPCS)
RECRUITING FOLLOWERS
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
NPCs populate the setting and are controlled by the referee.
They can have a variety of functions such as contacts,
adversaries, followers, hirelings or just people in the
background.
Each NPC has a number of statistics which measures the
NPC’s capability in different areas.
Race describes the NPC’s ancestry. Human is the default
race.
Profession describes the NPC’s occupation.
Level (LVL) is a measure of the NPC’s experience, rated
from 1 (start) to 10 (maximum).
Health (HLT) is a score representing how much physical
injury an NPC can endure before dying at zero.
Defence (DEF) is a score which reflects the target number
required to hit the NPC in combat and is dependent upon
their race, armour worn and level.
Skills (SKL) are broad skills describing an NPC’s talent and
are rated from 0 (normal untrained human) to d4, d6, d8,
d10 and d12 (maximum). An NPC can declare 1 skill per
level. Skill die rolls are only applied to these nominated
skills.
Equipment lists weapons, armour and equipment carried
or worn by the NPC.
Knacks & Flaws, these are minor abilities possessed by
followers which provide a small mechanical benefit of risk
during an adventure.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
LEVEL ADVANCEMENT
•
•
•
Followers gain experience points if they accompany heroes
on quests and advance their levels (see Follower Attributes
Table).
FOLLOWER RECRUITMENT COSTS TABLE
Role
Cost (per level)
Labourer
5
Torchbearer
5
Porter
5
Guide
5
Craftsman
10
Sell-Sword
10
Specialist
20+
Wages per day exclude sustenance costs.
NON-PLAYER CHARACTERS PRINCIPLES
•
Followers will obey the commands of the players who hired
them but are ultimately controlled by the referee.
They are subject to morale rules in combat.
Followers can also gain XP and advance their levels.
Recruitment can take place through role-playing play or the
referee can use command skill checks with the target
number based on the settlement size.
On a success, you attract interest from d4 followers.
The referee can role-play or describe the followers by way of
highlighting their potential attributes.
The players can decide whether to make an offer and then
check the Reaction Table and interpret the result; good
results may lead to acceptance; indifferent results may lead
to negotiation and poor results may result in failure to
accept terms.
The referee can apply advantage or disadvantage based on
the player’s actions (high/low offer etc).
Recruitment fees are detailed in the Follower Recruitment
Cost Table.
Living World: A good cast of NPCs can bring your game to
life and provide memorable interactions for your players.
Impact: A small cast of recognisable NPCs with their own
personality may have more impact with your players than
many bland background NPCs
Development: NPC’s personalities will develop through
interaction with the players.
DESIGNING HUMAN NON-PLAYER CHARACTERS (NPCS)
NPC CREATION EXAMPLE
1.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
NPC Statistics: Roll d20 on the NPC Statistics Table and
note their starting statistics.
NPC Occupation: Roll d20 twice on the NPC Occupation
Table to determine the NPC’s occupation.
Skills: Make up (there are no lists) a number of skills equal
to their level linked to the NPC’s occupation (i.e. a Level 1
NPC Farmer’s perk is ‘farming’, a Level 2 NPC Vagabond’s
perks could be ‘begging’ and ‘drinking’)
NPC Features: Roll 3d20 to generate three words to
describe the NPC’s appearance, personality and motivation.
Equipment: Give the NPC 1 or 2 items of equipment
according to their occupation.
(Followers Only) Follower Quirks: Roll 3d20 to generate
the follower’s motive, knack and flaw.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
The referee rolls d20 (7) on the NPC Statistics Table and
gets the following statistics. (LVL 2 | HLT 7 | DEF 8 | XP
10)
The referee rolls 2d20 (5 & 4) on the NPC Occupation
Table to find a Crafting trade, Carpenter.
The NPC has 2 skills (at d4 skill die) and the referee
decides these will be carpentry and drinking.
The referee rolls 3d20 (14, 18, 2) on the NPC Features
Table with results of poor appearance, calm nature and
seeking rewards.
The referee gives Grendel a Hand Axe as equipment.
Using these results, we create the following NPC.
Grendel the Carpenter
Poor, Calm nature, Motivated by riches
LVL 2 | HLT 7 | DEF 8 | SKL d4 | XP 10
Skills: Carpentry, Drinking
Grendel is a hard-up carpenter and turns to a risky
adventuring mission to earn some coin.
42
REFEREES GUIDE | CHAPTER 4 | CREATING ADVENTURES
HUMAN NPC STATISTICS TABLE
d20
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Type
Unknown
Unknown
Unknown
Unknown
Commoner
Commoner
Commoner
Known
Known
Known
Reputed
Reputed
Reputed
Well Known
Well Known
Famous
Iconic
Legendary
World Famous
Mythical
LVL
HUMAN NPC FEATURES TABLE
HLT DEF SKL
1
1
1
5
5
5
8
8
8
N/A
N/A
N/A
XP
0
0
0
1
2
2
2
3
3
3
4
4
4
5
5
6
7
8
9
10
5
7
7
7
9
9
9
11
11
11
13
13
15
17
19
21
23
8
9
9
9
9
9
9
10
10
10
10
10
11
11
12
12
13
N/A
d4
d4
d4
d4
d4
d4
d6
d6
d6
d6
d6
d8
d8
d10
d10
d12
0
10
10
10
30
30
30
60
60
60
10
10
150
225
325
450
600
d20
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Appearance
Young, Youth
Old, Ancient
Wiry, Lean
Chubby, Rotund
Athletic, Ripped
Skinny, Scrawny
Tall, Lanky
Short, Tiny
Large, Stout
Strong, Brawny
Scrawny, Gaunt
Rugged, Unkempt
Small, Skinny
Poor, Destitute
Rich, Well Off
Diseased, Ill
Beautiful, Comely
Ugly, Scarred
Hair Feature, Bald
Noticeable Mark
Personality
Ambitious, Greedy
Cautious, Indecisive
Bold, Foolhardy
Honest, Loyal,
Self-Serving, Deceitful
Practical, Pragmatic
Courteous, Polite
Aggressive, Arrogant
Aimless, Lazy
Self-Important, Vain
Gossip, Talkative
Callous, Unemotional
Cranky, Whiny, Moody
Cruel, Bully
Fickle, Flippant
Idealist, Enthusiastic
Impatient, Bitter
Calm, Patient,
Naïve, Inquisitive
Worldly, Intelligent
Motivation
Sense of purpose
Reward, Riches
Accomplishment
Social, Acceptance
Control, Influence
Competition, Win
Learning, Developing
Mastery, Skill
Help, Charity
Independence
Exploration, Discovery
Fear, Consequence
Survival, Need
Duty, Obligation
Faith, Prophecy
Passion, Interest
Coercion, Mandate
Revenge
Obligation, Honour
Animosity, Hostility
HUMAN NPC OCCUPATION TABLE
d20
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Common
(1-2)
Beggar
Buffoon
Chamberlain
Cook
Gravedigger
Hermit
Muck Raker
Orphan
Page
Peasant
Pilgrim
Porter
Rat-Catcher
Scavenger
Scullion, Maid
Servant
Unemployed
Vagabond
Water Carrier
Roll Twice
Common Trade Crafting
(3-4)
(5-6)
Apprentice
Armourer
Baker
Blacksmith
Barber
Book Maker
Brewer
Carpenter
Builder
Clothier
Butcher
Cobbler
Candlemaker Engraver
Fisherman
Glass Maker
Forester
Jeweller
Gardener
Locksmith
Lamplighter
Mason
Leatherworker Roofer
Miller
Shipwright
Miner
Stonemason
Potter
Tailor
Rope Maker
Weapon Smith
Saddler
Weaver
Weaver
Wheelwright
Wood Cutter Winemaker
Roll Twice
Roll Twice
Entertainer
(7-8)
Acrobat
Artist
Bard
Clown
Dancer
Entertainer
Harper
Historian
Illuminator
Jester
Juggler
Minstrel
Painter
Piper
Playwright
Poet
Sculptor
Storyteller
Writer
Roll Twice
Farming
(9-10)
Falconer
Farmer
Farmhand
Fisherman
Furrier
Gamekeeper
Groomsman
Hawker
Horse Trainer
Hunter
Labourer
Hound Master
Ox-Herder
Plowman
Sheep Shearer
Shepherd
Stable Hand
Trapper
Woolman
Roll Twice
Scholarly
(11-12)
Abbot
Acolyte
Herbalist
Apprentice
Astrologer
Bishop
Clerk
Cultist
Seer
Historian
Missionary
Monk, Nun
Physician
Priest
Scholar
Scribe
Theologian
Academic
Wise Woman
Roll Twice
Merchant
(13-14)
Moneylender
Beer Seller
Map Seller
Fishmonger
Fruitier
Grocer
Inn Keeper
Ironmonger
Market Stall
Merchant
Peddler
Provisioner
Shop Keeper
Spice Trader
Trader
Water Seller
Arms Trader
Wine Seller
Wood Seller
Roll Twice
Noble
Travel
Military
(15-16)
(17-18)
(19-20)
Bailiff
Burglar
Archer
Castellan
Caravaneer Manhunter
Champion Cartographer Follower
Chancellor Diplomat
Cavalry
Clerk
Ferryman
Deserter
Constable Footpad
Executioner
Councillor Fugitive
Bowyer
Collector
Gambler
Guardsman
Diplomat
Guide
Knight
Advisor
Herald
Local Hero
King/Queen Horseman Mercenary
Lord/Lady Navigator
Spearman
Coin Master Outlaw
Sapper
Noble
Sailor
Scout
Politician
Smuggler
Officer
Prince(ss) Assassin
Jailor
Spy Master Thief, Knave Soldier
Steward
Thug
Sellsword
Tax Collector Tomb Raider Watchman
Roll Twice Roll Twice Roll Twice
FOLLOWER QUIRKS TABLE
d20
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Motive
Debt, owes money to someone
Glory, wants to make a name for themselves
Riches, make quick money and retire
Experience, always wanted to be a hero
Desperate, nothing else to live for
Escape, from some past event
Ambition, advance their career
Fame, by name or association
Spy, spy or compete with heroes
Follower, admires the heroes
Interest, vested interest in the mission
Bragging, want to be a local hero
Servitude, was required of them
Porter, will just carry stuff for pay
Guide, will scout and explore for pay
Torchbearer, will light the way for pay
Man-at-arms, will fight when necessary
Beast Master, accompanied by an animal
Vendetta, wants some revenge
History, to witness exploits first hand
Knack (use once per session)
Brave, automatically passes a morale check
Rage, recklessly attacks/defends in combat
Supplies, carries something you’ve forgotten
Alchemist, carries a random potion
Healer, carries a bandage, offers minor healing
Brewer, carries home-brew beer, offers courage
Strong, auto hit in combat or strength test
Cool-Hand, auto hit a ranged combat check
Intelligent, knows some helpful lore or a clue
Hoarder, finds that extra days rations
Tough, absorbs first injury sustained
Charismatic, automatic reaction success
Explorer, willingly ventures ahead of the party
Loyal, will rush to save a party member
Lucky, gains a free re-roll
Survivor, survives a mortal blow but is wounded
Focussed, one action is made at advantage
Perceptive, not surprised by one encounter
Inspiring, can lift a spirit, improve morale
Ingenious, can solve or disable a puzzle/trap
43
Flaw (use once per session)
Drunk, actions at disadvantage until sober
Surly, triggers a negative encounter reaction
Scared, always ‘hangs-back’
Enchanter, thinks they cast spells, they cannot
Cowardly, automatically fails a morale check
Talkative, reveals plans and conversations
Superstitious, wary of the supernatural
Cultist, secret member of a cult
Sarcastic, continually joking or mocking
Fool, foolish or short-sighted
Unlucky, must re-roll a success
Forgetful, forgot something you needed
Ego, makes everything about them
Greedy, demands a bigger share of the spoils
Shady, looks to steal something from group
Pedantic, very particular or ‘works to rule’
Dull-witted, slow to respond
Dislikes, refuses to obey someone
Fatalistic, prophet of doom, everyone will die
Fear, terrified of something
REFEREES GUIDE | CHAPTER 4 | CREATING ADVENTURES
NON-HUMAN NON-PLAYER CHARACTERS
NON-HUMAN NPCS
•
•
•
Non-Human NPCs typically relate to other intelligent
humanoid races that occur within the game setting.
The following process can be used to create non-human
NPCs.
Monsters or creatures that could be used as the basis of a
non-human NPC include Beastmen, Centaur, Demon
Folk, Dragon Kind, Gnome, Goatman, Goblin, Kobold,
Lizard Folk, Night Elf, Northmen, Smallfolk, Wilding or
Wildfolk.
3.
4.
CREATING NON-HUMAN NPCS
1.
2.
5.
Base NPC Statistics: Take the Monster’s or creature’s base
statistics from the Monsters Compendium and note down
their natural combat attack plus any abilities.
Adjust NPC Statistics: Roll d20 on the Non-Human NPC
6.
Statistics Table and increase their statistics as noted if they
exceed the monster’s base statistics. SKL refers to an
increase in skill die (i.e. if the base skill die is d4 and the
result is +1 this increases to d6, +2 increases to d8 etc.) The
skill die will never exceed d20.
NPC Role Roll d20 on the Non-Human NPC Role Table to
determine the NPC’s role in their society. You will need to
interpret these results according to the monster type.
Skills: Make up (there are no lists) a number of skills equal
to their level linked to the NPC’s role (i.e. a Level 1 NPC
Shaman’s perk is ‘magic’, a Level 2 NPC Herbalist’s perks
could be ‘alchemy’ and ‘nature’)
NPC Features: Roll 3d20 to generate three words to
describe the NPC’s appearance, personality and motivation.
Equipment: Give the NPC 1 or 2 items of equipment
according to their occupation. Adjust the defence score for
any armour worn.
NON-HUMAN BASE STATISTICS TABLE
d20 Type
01 Beastmen
02 Centaur
03 Demon Folk
04 Dragon Kind
05 Gnome
06 Goatman
07 Goblin
08 Kobold
09 Lizard Folk
10 Night Elf
11 Northmen
12 Serpent Man
13 Smallfolk
14 Wildfolk
15 Wildling
16+ Roll Again
LVL
3
3
2
3
1
2
1
1
2
3
2
2
1
2
2
HLT
12
15
15
15
4
8
5
3
10
10
10
10
4
13
10
DEF
12/DR1
14
13
13/DR2
9
11
11
8
12/DR2
14
8/ DR1
12/DR1
10
10
9
SKL
d6
d6
d4
d6
N/A
d4
N/A
N/A
d4
d6
d4
d4
N/A
d6
d4
NON-HUMAN NPC STATISTICS TABLE
Abilities
Equipment, Power Attack
Sprint, Charge, Power Attack
Resistance (Fire), Equipment
Dark Vision, Resistance (Fire), Equipment
Dark Vision, Equipment
Equipment, Sprint, Charge
Darkvision, Weakness, Equipment
Dark Vision, Weakness
Swim, Water Breath, Equipment
Dark Vision, Equipment
Dark Vision, Equipment, Long-lived
Illusion, Mind Control
Equipment, Hide, Lucky
Alertness, Equip, Long-Lived, Med. Trance
Alertness, Equipment, Long-lived
d20
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Type
LVL HLT
1
0
Unknown
1
0
Unknown
1
0
Unknown
Unknown
1
0
Common
2 +2
Common
2 +2
Common
2 +2
Known
3 +4
Known
3 +4
Known
3 +4
Reputed
4 +6
Reputed
4 +6
Reputed
4 +6
Well Known
5 +8
Well Known
5 +8
Famous
6 +10
Iconic
7 +12
Legendary
8 +14
World Famous 9 +16
Mythical
10 +18
NON-HUMAN NPC ROLE TABLE
NON-HUMAN NPC FEATURES TABLE
d20 Role
01 Farmer, Labourer, Servant
02 Scavenger, Beggar, Outcast, Low-born
03 Prophet, Priest, Religious figure
04 Shaman, Mage, Witch, Mystic
05 Soldier, Guard, Warrior
06 Craftsman, Builder, Maker of things
07 Entertainer, Artist
08 Wise Person, Scholar, Learned Person
09 Hunter, Tracker
10 Spy, Rogue, Thief
11 Messenger, Herald
12 Scout, Guide
13 Law-Maker, Enforcer, Knight, Touch
14 Mysterious figure, Stranger, Traveller
15 Merchant, Trade, Dealer
16 Healer, Herbalist
17 Outlaw, Bandit
18 War Chief, Captain
19 Leader, Political
20 High-Born, Royalty, Nobility
d20
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Appearance
Young, Youth
Old, Ancient
Wiry, Lean
Chubby, Rotund
Athletic, Ripped
Skinny, Scrawny
Tall, Lanky
Short, Tiny
Large, Stout
Strong, Brawny
Scrawny, Gaunt
Rugged, Unkempt
Small, Skinny
Poor, Destitute
Rich, Well Off
Diseased, Ill
Beautiful, Comely
Ugly, Scarred
Hair Feature, Bald
Noticeable Mark
44
Personality
Ambitious, Greedy
Cautious, Indecisive
Bold, Foolhardy
Honest, Loyal,
Self-Serving, Deceitful
Practical, Pragmatic
Courteous, Polite
Aggressive, Arrogant
Aimless, Lazy
Self-Important, Vain
Gossip, Talkative
Callous, Unemotional
Cranky, Whiny, Moody
Cruel, Bully
Fickle, Flippant
Idealist, Enthusiastic
Impatient, Bitter
Calm, Patient,
Naïve, Inquisitive
Worldly, Intelligent
DEF SKL
0
0
0
N/A
N/A
N/A
XP
0
0
0
0
+1
+1
+1
+1
+1
+1
+2
+2
+2
+2
+2
+3
+3
+4
+4
+5
N/A
+1
+1
+1
+1
+1
+1
+2
+2
+2
+2
+2
+3
+3
+4
+4
+5
0
10
10
10
30
30
30
60
60
60
100
100
150
225
325
450
600
Motivation
Sense of purpose
Reward, Riches
Accomplishment
Social, Acceptance
Control, Influence
Competition, Win
Learning, Developing
Mastery, Skill
Help, Charity
Independence
Exploration, Discovery
Fear, Consequence
Survival, Need
Duty, Obligation
Faith, Prophecy
Passion, Interest
Coercion, Mandate
Revenge
Obligation, Honour
Animosity, Hostility
REFEREES GUIDE | CHAPTER 4 | CREATING ADVENTURES
NPC ADVANCEMENT
NPC ADVANCEMENT
NON-HUMAN NPC CREATION EXAMPLE
•
The referee decides to create a Kobold NPC.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
The starting attributes for a Kobold are; (LVL 1 | HLT 3 |
DEF 8 | SKL N/A) plus they have Dark Vision ability
and a weakness to sunlight.
The referee rolls d20 (8) on the Non-Human NPC
Statistics Table and gets the following statistics. (Known,
LVL 3 | HLT +4 | DEF +1 | SKL +1).
The referee roll d20 (20) on the Non-Human NPC
Occupation Table and gets royalty.
The NPC has 3 skills (at d4 skill die) and the referee
decides these will be leadership, tracking, fighting
The referee rolls 3d20 (6, 14, 5) on the NPC Features
Table with results of skinny appearance, cruel nature
and a controlling personality.
The referee gives him leather armour (+2 defence) and a
shortsword (d6).
Using these results, we create the following NPC.
NPCs gain experience points if they accompany heroes on
quests and advance their levels. When they achieve a new
level increase their statistics to the next level as shown in
the NPC Statistics Table.
HERO CONVERSION
•
NPCs may be converted to hero status at the referee’s
discretion. This will typically occur where:
• A player wishes to adopt an NPC as their new hero.
• An NPC has performed something villainous against
the players and achieved main villain status.
• An NPC has performed a heroic deed during an
adventure and earned hero status.
Create a new hero in the mould of the NPC and raise them
to the same level as the NPC. All previous NPC statistics
and perks will be lost but new statistics, skills and abilities
will be gained.
The hero should keep his existing equipment and should
ignore any new equipment gained as part of the hero
creation process.
•
•
BRAKKAK, KING OF THE KOBOLDS
Skinny, Cruel, Controlling nature
LVL 3 | HLT 7 | DEF 11 | SKL d4
COMBAT: Bite (d4, disadvantage attack) or Shortsword (d6)
ABILITIES: Dark Vision (med), Weakness (sunlight)
SKILLS: Leadership, Tracking, Fighting
EQUIPMENT: Leather Armour, Shortsword (d6)
NPC ADVANCEMENT EXAMPLE
Brakkak is King of the Kobolds who rules through fear; he has
a cunning and cruel personality.
2.
How Grendel the Carpenter became a hero.
1.
3.
4.
5.
Grendel the Carpenter (see above) accompanies the
heroes on an adventure as a torchbearer. The group
seeks to investigate a haunted tomb, the reported lair of
a fearsome beast. He is armed with his Hand-Axe and a
tinderbox and 6 torches given to him by the group.
Through the circumstances of the adventure, the heroes
are all fatally wounded but brave Grendel against all
odds manages to slay the beast and returns as the lone
survivor.
The referee decides this is worthy of conversion to hero
status and recreates Grendel as a new Level 2 Warrior
hero.
Grendel changes his stats to those of a Warrior hero.
However, to keep the continuity of theme for the NPC,
the referee chooses the crafting skill as one broadly
compatible with carpentry.
Grendel does not gain any new equipment so he must
continue his career with his Hand Axe, tinderbox and
remaining torches.
Grendel the Carpenter
Human Warrior
Poor, Calm nature, Motivated by riches
LVL 2 | HLT 13 | DEF 9 | PTY 0 | XP 10
Attributes: Fortitude (d4), Senses (d4), Strength (d6)
Skills: Athletics (d4), Crafting (d4), Melee Combat (d6),
Ranged Combat (d4)
Abilities: Master Craftsman, Second Wind, Surge Attack
Equipment: Hand-Axe (d6), Tinder Box, 6 Torches
45
REFEREES GUIDE | CHAPTER 4 | CREATING ADVENTURES
CHALLENGES
CHALLENGES
•
•
•
•
Challenges create situations the players have to react to
and are categorised as follows:
Traps; an object or area which may be triggered causing a
negative effect. Must be solved, negated or avoided.
Hazards; environmental challenges which are obvious and
must be overcome or endured.
Puzzles; an obstacle such as a riddle, logic problem or
pattern that must be solved. They are often used to prevent
access or protect something.
CHALLENGES PRINCIPLES
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
The referee will present challenges for the players to
overcome. These may need to be translated into a chance of
success and impact on the players so the risks and
consequences can be assessed.
Challenges should be sign-posted; the more dangerous the
threat, the more obvious it is.
Make challenges fit the theme of the adventure and consider
how other inhabitants interact or avoid the challenge.
Players should use tactics, teamwork and ingenuity to
overcome, avoid or mitigate the challenge.
If a player gives a sensible solution to overcome a challenge
then give advantage to a skill check can be given or even
allow the player to bypass the challenge, reward ingenuity.
Target numbers may be used to describe the level of
difficulty to negate and damage can be scaled depending
upon the risk.
Consequences of failure could result in a setback, damage,
loss of time, loss of resources, missed opportunity or
something else.
CREATING CHALLENGES
1.
2.
3.
4.
Challenge Type: Roll a d6 on the Challenge Type table to
determine the challenge type.
Challenge Level: Roll a d6 on the Challenge Level table to
determine the challenge threat or reward.
Generate Challenge: Roll 4d20 on the Challenge Generator
Tables using the results as inspiration for a challenge.
Challenge Description: Write three bullet points using
generated information as prompts covering the description
(appearance), discoverable info (mechanics, effect,
consequences) and secret information (solution).
CHALLENGE TYPE TABLE
CHALLENGE LEVEL TABLE
d6
01-03
04-05
06
d6
01-03
04-05
06
Type
Hazard
Trap
Puzzle
Type
Low
Medium
High
Description
Minor damage, impairment, small reward
Medium damage, incapacitated, good reward
Major damage, death, great reward
CHALLENGE GENERATOR TABLE
d20
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Effect
Acid, Corrosive
Air, Wind
Barrier, Block
Capture, Trap
Earth, Gravity
Fear, Mental
Fire, Heat, Sun
Force, Impact
Gas, Steam, Spray
Hypnosis, Lure
Lightning, Electric
Magic, Chaos
Object, Device
Physical
Poison, Disease
Slow, Paralysis
Transport, Move
Visibility, Darkness
Water, Flood, Ice
Web, Constrain
Object
Ceiling
Floor, Tile
Furnishing
Gate, Portcullis, Door
Lever
Lock
Needle, Dart, Arrow
NPC, Monster
Object
Pattern
Pillar, Column
Pit
Plant
Portal
Rune, Symbol
Shrine, Statue
Terrain, Environment
Treasure Item
Wall
Weapon, Equipment
Purpose
Alert, Attracts
Amusement
Attrition, Wear
Avoid, Negate
Block, Prevent
Capture
Choice, Decision
Confuse
Control
Defence
Delay, Slow
Disable
Guarding
Impede
Injure
Kill
Knowledge, Fear
Restrain
Test, Overcome
Warn
46
Feature
Attracts
Broken, Worn, Used
Built Recently
Concealed, Hidden
Deadly
Environment, Terrain
Evidence, Victim
Harmless
Illusion
Magic, Anti-Magic
Mechanical
Natural, Plant
Needs Object, Key
NPC, Monster
Puzzle, Riddle
Resets
Secret Access
Sentient
Single Use
Treasure
REFEREES GUIDE | CHAPTER 4 | CREATING ADVENTURES
TREASURE
TREASURE
•
•
•
•
•
Treasure refers to various objects of value and are
categorised as follows:
Salvage (S); low value items worth d20 sp.
Loot (L); average value items worth d20 x10 sp.
Treasure (T); high value items worth d20 x100 sp.
Treasure takes 1 equipment slot unless stated.
CREATING TREASURE
1.
2.
•
•
•
Treasure Type: Roll d6 on the Treasure Type Table to
determine the treasure type and then roll the value.
Treasure Generator: Roll 4d20 on the Treasure Generator
Table to generate ideas for the specific item.
Make the treasure description fit the theme of the NPC,
monster or adventure site (and make it more interesting than
“you find X coins”).
Treasure may have a history, reputation or backstory.
The Gems & Jewellery table adds detail for these items
GEMS & JEWELLERY TABLE
d20
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
PLACING TREASURE
•
•
•
•
•
Treasure can be found at an adventure location or may be
carried by NPCs or monsters.
The higher the value of treasure the more likely it will be
hidden or guarded. There should be a reason why it hasn’t
been found by others.
Valuable treasure may be coveted by others.
Some treasures may be hard to sell in settlements.
Finding valuable treasure (i.e. not salvage or loot) earns 1xp
per item.
TREASURE TYPE TABLE
d6
01-02
03-04
05-06
Value
Salvage (low)
Loot (average)
Treasure (high)
Value
d20sp
d20 x10sp
d20 x100sp
XP Award
N/A
N/A
1XP
Gem (Colour)
Alexandrite (Various)
Amethyst (Purple)
Aquamarine (Pastel Blue)
Citrine (Yellow/Brown)
Diamond (Clear)
Emerald (Green)
Garnet (Rainbow)
Jade (Green)
Lapis Lazuli (Deep Blue)
Moonstone (Varies)
Morganite (Peach/Pink)
Onyx (Black)
Opal (Various)
Pearl (Cream)
Peridot (Lime Green)
Ruby (Red)
Sapphire (Blue)
Tanzanite (Silky Blue)
Topaz (Various)
Zircon (Various)
Jewellery
Armband, Armlet
Bangle, Bracelet
Beads
Belt, Buckle
Brooch, Clasp, Pin
Button
Charm, Ornament
Circlet, Headwear
Choker, Collar
Cross, Symbol
Earring
Fragment, Hacksilver
Mask
Medallion, Amulet
Nose-Ring, Stud
Necklace, Locket
Pin, Medal
Ring (Finger, Toe)
Stud, Piercing
Torc, Bangle
TREASURE GENERATOR TABLE
d20
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Object
Armour, Shield, Uniform
Art, Tapestry, Painting
Book, Scroll, Map
Carving, Sculpture, Figurine
Clothing, Worn Item
Coins
Creature remains
Device, Contraption
Equipment, Instrument
Food, Drink
Furnishing, Room content
Game, Puzzle, Toy
Gemstones, Precious Stone
Jewellery,
Medicine, Spices, Herbs
Raw material, Resource
Religious, Talisman, Idol
Scraps, Fragment
Utensil, Cups, Bowls, Vase
Weapon
Descriptor
Worthless
Incomplete, part missing
Ugly or crude
Cheap or inexpensive
Common, average
Worn or used
Vintage or old
Desirable
Good quality
Mint condition
Beautiful, Well Crafted
Expensive looking
Some marking or feature
Unusual design
Alluring, charming
Good condition
Dirty, filthy looking
Extravagant looking
Interesting design
Wondrous, breathtaking
Feature
Fated, uneasy touch
Contains organic parts
Contains alien element
Unbreakable
Made from rich materials
Cultural symbol
Symbol of power
Inscribed with old language
Rune-marked
Non-human design or origin
Antique, very old and rare
Masterwork, finely crafted
Enchanted, faint aura
Historical significance
Well known owner
Well known creator
Blessed, Holy
Contains precious metal
Contains gems, jewels
Exquisite construction
47
Flaw
Cursed
Counterfeit
Outlawed
Reviled
Contaminated
Imperfection
Infamy
Damaged
Parts Missing
Broken
Unusual, bulky
Large, heavy
Fragile
Miniature, Small
Obvious
Spirit
Secret
Ceremonial
Stolen, Hunted
Unexpected
REFEREES GUIDE | CHAPTER 4 | CREATING ADVENTURES
ARTEFACTS
ARTEFACTS
•
•
•
•
•
Artefacts (A) are items of power originating from the time
of the ancients and are categorised as follows:
Rare, low power, or very few effects.
Epic, medium power or few effects.
Legendary, high power and multiple effects.
Artefacts take 1 equipment slot unless stated.
CREATING ARTEFACTS
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Artefact Type: Roll d6 on the Artefact Type Table to
determine the artefact’s rarity and features.
Artefact Generator: Roll 4d20 on the Artefact Generator
Table to generate ideas for the artefact.
Artefact Power: For each effect, roll d6 on the Artefact
Power Table to determine the power of the effect up to the
number of effect points you have to spend.
Artefact Effects: Roll d20 on the relevant (Weapons,
Armour, Worn Items, Object, Buildings or Grimoire)
Artefacts Effects Table to generate an idea for each effect.
Artefact Description: For each of the above methods, write
three bullet points using generated information as prompts
covering the description (appearance), discoverable info
(nature of power, lore) and secret info (activation, specific
powers, lore) to generate a basic description of the artefact
with additional details which can be revealed if investigated.
•
•
ARTEFACT POWER TABLE
d6
01-03
04-05
06
d6
01-03
04-05
06
Rarity
Rare
Epic
Legendary
Effects
d4
d6
d8
Rarity
Low
Medium
High
Effects Cost
1
2
3
ARTEFACT CREATION EXAMPLE
•
•
USING ARTEFACTS
•
ARTEFACT TYPE TABLE
Artefacts powers should be discoverable through various
means (i.e. magic skill, clues, deduction and testing) and
can be treated as a puzzle to unlock
Using an artefact may involve a magic check. On a critical
failure, the artefact will fade in power and lose one of its
powers. On a critical success, the use of the power is
magnified
Artefacts will be hard to sell or trade and will be coveted by
others.
•
•
•
The referee rolls d6 on the Artefact Type Table (4, rare
item and gets 3 effects).
He now rolls 4d20 on the Artefact Generator Table and
gets 4 (Grimoire, Scroll), 4 (Stolen from an ancient vault),
10 (Light aligned) and 10 (Life).
The referee rolls d6 on the Artefact Power Table and gets a
6 (High effect).
Then he rolls d20 on the Grimoire Table and gets 11
(Light Magic).
The referee decides to create a legendary item and creates
a single-use Scroll of Resurrection, stolen from the Holy
Temple of Suunos. It will resurrect a person who will be
blessed with the mark of a saint.
ARTEFACT GENERATOR TABLE
d20
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Object
A Body Part (Object)
Ark, Coffin (Object)
Armour (Armour)
Grimoire, Scroll (Grimoire)
Building (Building)
Clothing (Worn item)
Crown, Headwear (Worn item)
Crystal, Rock, Gem (Object)
Equipment, Tool (Object)
Furniture, Furnishing (Object)
Landmark (Building)
Machine, Device (Building)
Material, Substance (Object)
Mundane object (Object)
Orb, Sphere (Object)
Plant, Food, Water (Object)
Staff, Wand (Weapon or Object)
Statue, Ornament (Object)
Valuable, Jewellery (Object)
Weapon (Weapon)
Origin
Born of chaos, death or shadow
Crafted by a master smith
Taken from a monster (name it)
Taken from an ancient vault
A piece of a legendary monster
Enchanted by a sorcerer
Grown or birthed
Came from another realm
Crafted by an ancient race
Used by a legendary hero
Dwarven forged
Elven crafted
Demon-born or blood-born
Alien origin
Created by an arcane ritual
A gift from someone
Born of the cosmic energies
Constructed by the Ancients
A gift from the Gods
Existed before time
48
Construction
Chaos touched
Organic (i.e. bone, tooth)
Masterwork construction
Rock (rock, stone, flint)
Metal (bronze, iron, steel)
Precious metal (gold, silver)
Plant material (wood, plant)
Shadow aligned
Rune marked
Light aligned
Made of an unusual metal
Contains strange sand or dust
Imbued with sorceries
Crafted of crystal or gems
Attuned to sun, stars or moon
Alien or unusual element
Powered by cosmic energies
Holy or blessed
Forged of elemental power
Holds ancient primal powers
Theme
Ascension, Awakening
Protection, Resistance
Chaos, Cursed
Darkness, Shadows
Death, Destruction
Destiny, Desire
Doom, Conflict
Elemental Power
Knowledge, Memories
Life, Creation
Light, Holy
Magic, Anti-Magic
Might, Power
Order, Law
Prophecy, Visions
Rift, Portal
Sentient
Spirit, Psychic
Summoning
Time, Age, History
WEAPON EFFECTS TABLE
ARMOUR EFFECTS TABLE
d20
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
d20
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Effect
Cursed, disadvantage to attack
Flawed, damaged on a natural 1 or 2
Balanced, offers additional reach/range
Bane, double damage against a nominated creature
Bash, if attack misses by 1, does half damage
Bleed, advantage on damage on a natural 19
Damage, increase damage die by one
Deadly, exploding damage
Defensive, improves defence by one
Effect, a hit causes an effect (i.e. see spells)
Fast, advantage on initiative
Lethal, critical hit on a natural 19 or 20
Powerful, advantage on damage
Precise, increase attack die by one
Sentient, possesses a sentient spirit
Silver, made of or coated in silver
Spell, possesses a magic spell
Surestrike, advantage on attack
Swift, grants an extra attack
Swiping, area of effect range
Effect
Cursed, when hit object makes a noise, screams or shouts
Flawed, armour damaged on a critical hit
Bane, increased defence against creature type
Concealed, can be hidden under clothing
Durable, increases defence by 1
Effect, grants the user some effect (i.e. see spells)
Elemental Effect, elemental aura at close range
Empowers, enhances an attributes (i.e. strength)
Evasion, can evade an attack (1 encounter use)
Fast, advantage on initiative
Force Field, ranged attacks at disadvantage
Haste, user can move more quickly
Immunity, immune to something
Light, grants light at short range for encounter
Light, ignores heavy armour penalty
Repel, reflects damage to attack (1 encounter use)
Resilient, increase damage resistance by 1
Resistance, resistance to something
Shadow, invisibility power (1 encounter per use)
Unbreakable, can absorb a blow (1 encounter use)
WORN ITEM EFFECTS TABLE ( use once per day)
OBJECT EFFECTS TABLE
d20
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
d20
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Effect
Corruption, causes wild magic effects
Cursed, first success each session must be re-rolled
Detection
Elements, creates an elemental effect
Fear
Fortune,
Friendship
Healing
Illusions
Immunity
Invisibility
Levitation
Mind-Reading
Power, source of magic power
Protection
Resistance
Shape Shifting
Summoning, summons a monster, creature
Vision
Water Breathing
Type of Effect
Cursed object
Damage, Illness, Injury
Demonic or Chaotic
Detection
Elemental Powers
Enchantment, Charm, Attraction
Enhances mental or physical attributes
Fate, Destiny, Prophecy
Form, Shape Change, Mutation
Health, Restoration, Life
Illusion, Deception
Mind Powers
Necromancy, Death
Protection, Shielding
Senses, Vision
Source of Magic Power
Spirit, Astral, Celestial
Summoning, Attracts
Travel, Flight
Warns, Repels, Bane
GRIMOIRE EFFECTS TABLE
BUILDING OR MACHINERY EFFECTS TABLE
d20
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
d20
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Spell Domain
Cursed, causes wild magic effect
Air Magic
Arcane Magic
Chaos Magic
Dark Magic
Divine Magic
Earth Magic
Fire Magic
Form Magic
Ice Magic
Light Magic
Matter Magic
Nature Magic
Psionic Magic
Rune Magic
Shadow Magic
Time Magic
Totem Magic
Water Magic
Roll Twice
49
Effect
Cursed Place
Beacon, Warning, Signal
Elemental Nexus
Forge, Creation
Garden, Growth
Hidden, Obscured, Safety
Knowledge, Library
Maze, Puzzle, Traps
Power Generation
Rest, Recovery
Sacrifice, Death
Sentient, Living Entity
Spirits, History, Life After Death
Summoning, Ritual
Time, Manipulation, Reality
Trade, Gifts, Exchange
Travel, Teleportation
Weapon, War, Destruction
Weather, Nature, Control
Wonders, Treasure, Art, Vault
RESOURCES & COMPONENTS
RESOURCES & COMPONENTS
COMMON RESOURCES TABLE
•
d20
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
•
•
•
•
Resources cover natural substances which are used in
everyday life from food, construction, crafting or trade.
A component is a rare resource which possesses a special
property which can be used for alchemy or crafting to grant
a benefit.
Components are generally found or scavenged during
adventures and are not commonly available for trade.
Components are a form of reward for players who spend
time hunting, exploring and scavenging.
Suggested component properties are detailed in the
Component Properties Table (pg. 57).
MONSTER PARTS
•
Monster parts may also be harvested and used as resources.
If the harvested part links to an ability (i.e. Griffin Wings =
Flight, Giant Scorpion Tail = Poison) then treat the
monsters ability as the effect (See Monsters Compendium for
further guidance).
Name
Fruit
Berries
Small Game
Large Game
Plants & Roots
Water
Wood
Stone
Clay
Mud
Salt
Peat
Coal
Sand
Mushrooms, Herbs
Iron Ores
Animal Remains
Vines/Fibrous plant
Precious Metal (Rare)
Herd Animals
Use
Food
Food
Food
Food
Food, Medicinal
Food
Fuel, Building, Crafting
Building, Crafting
Building, Crafting
Building, Crafting
Preservative, Food
Fuel, Building
Fuel, Art
Building
Food, Medicinal
Crafting
Crafting
Crafting
Crafting
Food, Transport
CRAFTING COMPONENTS
ABYSSAL STONES
CELESTIAL STEEL ORE
Patterned stones linked to
the planet’s core
(Magnetic, Tremor)
Silver mineral used in holy
weapons
(Bane - Unholy, Powerful)
CHITIN PLATE
COLD IRON
Creature’s exoskeleton used Forged at cold temperatures,
in armour and shields
bane of fey creatures
(Durable)
(Bane - Magic)
DEEP ROCK
A heavy black rock, used in
dwarven hammers
(Powerful)
DEMON STEEL
ELDRITCH STEEL ORE
ELEMENTAL STONE
FEYWOOD
HEARTSTONE
Formed from lava and metal
ore, fire resistant
(Resistance - Fire, Fire)
Meteor metal ore remains,
magical properties
(Magic, Powerful, Shock)
Enchanted golden crystal,
pure magic
(Magic, Power)
Wood from earth trees used
in elven bow construction
(Accuracy)
A pulsing red crystal with
restorative properties
(Magic, Restoration)
HERCANIUM ORE
IRON WOOD
MOONSTONE
NULL STONE
OBSIDIAN FRAGMENTS
A silvery blue metal used in
the finest of weapons
(Durable, Powerful)
A toughened wood used in
solid objects
(Accuracy, Powerful)
A smooth meteor rock with a
faint magical aura
(Incorporeal, Magic)
A pale smooth rock, the
antithesis of magic
(Anti-Magic)
A glass rock which reacts to
magic
(Attuned, Magic)
SOLAR STEEL
WYCHLEAF
ORICHALCUM ORE
RAGMAR ORE
SKELETAL BONES
Green-hued metal with
mystical properties
(Magic, Powerful)
A fiery red rock used in
dwarven munitions
(Fire, Explosive)
The bones of a great
creature, used for weapons
(Durable, Powerful)
50
Golden-streaked rock with a A durable flexible plant, elves
light and durable metal ore use to create natural clothing
(Camouflage)
(Light, Powerful)
ALCHEMY COMPONENTS
ANGEL SPORES
AQUATIC MOSS
ASHEN VEIN
BLACK SERPENT OIL
BLOODROOT
Effervescent dandelion with
gaseous properties
(Gaseous)
Sponge-like moss which
absorbs air
(Water Breath)
Charcoal tree vein, deadly to
touch
(Drain)
A slimy dark slippery
substance
(Grease)
Root of fungal plant, unlocks
inner fury
(Rage, Strength)
CLOUDFLAKE PETALS
COBALT TREE DEW
Light grey flower permanently Blue dew from a sickly tree,
surrounded in a cloudy mist
used for poison
(Gaseous, Cloud)
(Poison)
DARK MOSS
DEVIL WEED
EARTH SEEDS
Dark mess-like moss which
creates a sense of dread
(Dark, Fear)
Tall, reddish grass with a
wonderful aroma
(Scent)
Buried, nutty seeds which
vibrate when buried
(Magnetic)
ELDRITCH ROOT
ENCHANTER FERNS
ETHEREAL SPORES
EVERSPRING WATERS
FEVERWEEDS
White fern root used as a
hallucinogenic
(Mind Control, Psychic)
A tall drowsy aromatic
rainbow plant
(Scebt, Slow, Sleep)
A hard to spot white spotty
fungus
(Invisibility)
Purest of water with
restorative properties
(Blessed, Heal)
Tall, noxious weeds that
unlocks true-sight
(Clairvoyance)
FROZEN CREEPER
GLOOM CAP
GOLDEN SUNSTEM
GREYROT FUNGUS
FIRE SEEDS
Buried red seeds used to
embolden the spirit
(Courage, Empower)
HAZEL BERRIES
Nourishing berries,
rejuvenates the body
(Empower)
NIGHTSHADE LEAF
Icy corpulent vine, harmful to Splotchy mushroom, said to
touch
enhance the senses
(Paralysis)
(Scent, Senses)
HOLY WATER
RAGMAR DUST
Deadly dark leaf sought after Dusty deposit of ragmar ore,
by witches and assassins
volatile and fiery
(Death)
(Fire, Explosive)
SERPENT ROOT
SHADOWBARK
Rare thick root of an untamed Blackened tree bark from
red flower causes turmoil trees which grow in perpetual
(Chaos)
Darkness (Dark)
SUN BLOSSOM
ICE LILY
Blesses and cleanses the White water lilies, ice-cold to
spirits
touch
(Bane Unholy, Blessed, Purify)
(Freeze)
TOXIC GREENSAP
Mesmerising golden flower Withering fungal plant, rotten
and diseased
(Disorientate)
(Disease)
MAGE ROOT
MOONSHADOW ROOT
Thick purple plant, bane of
magic
(Anti-Magic)
Grey tree root which
intertwines with other plants
(Commune, Plants)
RED MOSS
REDPINE SAP
SEA VINE
Tough reddish lichen,
resistant to fire
(Resistance - Fire)
Sticky sap sourced from the
great red pines
(Adhesive)
Slick underwater vine with
solvent properties
(Grease, Solvent)
SILVER THORNBUSH
SNOWLEAF
STYGIAN SCRAPS
Prickly thorns which can
inject a mutagenic toxin
(Mutate)
A light airy white leaf which
gently floats in the breeze
(Levitate, Flight)
Black metallic scraps from
the Shadowlands
(Chaos, Dark, Powerful)
VALERIAN STALK
Golden blossom flower, a Sap from a rare tree, acidic in Stalk of a colour flower which
token of seers and prophets
nature
fluctuates in size
(Prophecy, Sleep)
(Acid)
(Grow, Shrink)
51
WHITE FLOWER
WITCH WEED
Rare white flower with
restorative properties
(Heal, Restoration)
Gossamer-like weeds which
sways in the breeze
(Wind)
REFEREES GUIDE | CHAPTER 4 | CREATING ADVENTURES
CREATING COMPONENTS
CREATING NEW COMPONENTS
COMPONENT PROPERTY TABLE
1.
d20
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
2.
3.
Component Type: Roll 2d6 on the Component Type Table
to determine how many properties the component has and
the rarity of each property.
Property Type: For each property roll on the corresponding
table to determine the exact property according to the
rarity.
Generate Name: Roll 3d20 on the Resource Generator Table
to generate a name (choose any words) and an object.
COMPONENT TYPE TABLE
d6
01-02
05
06
Properties
One
Two
Three
Type of Properties
1x Uncommon
1x Uncommon & 1x Rare
2x Uncommon & 1x Legendary
Status
Uncommon
Rare
Legendary
Uncommon 1
Accuracy
Acid
Adhesive
Attuned
Bane (Target)
Blessed
Camouflage
Clairvoyance
Cloud
Commune
Comprehend
Courage
Dark
Disease
Disorientate
Durable
Empower
Fire
Freeze
Gaseous
Uncommon 2
Grease
Heal
Levitate
Light
Paralysis
Poison
Purify
Rage
Resistance
Scent
Senses
Shock
Sight
Sleep
Slow
Solvent
Water Breath
Plant
Wind
Wood
Rare
Anti-Magic
Chaos
Cure
Divine
Explosive
Fear
Flight
Grow
Incorporeal
Invisibility
Magic
Magnetic
Mind Control
Mutate
Powerful
Psychic
Shrink
Speed
Strength
Tremor
CRAFTING RESOURCES GENERATOR TABLE
d20
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Name 1
burning, red, volcanic, hot
scorched, deep
bright, shining, radiant
volatile, toxic, deadly
phosphorus, rotten, withered
dense, heavy, wild, creeping
jagged, flat,
veiled, hidden, gloomy, shade
black, white, wispy, glowing
dark, cold, spirit
translucent, dry
quick, mercury, magnesium
light, golden, silver
violet, purple, scarlet, crimson
smooth, rough, yellow, bronze
blue, azure, dragon, serpent
green, sparkling, fresh
grey, unstable, enchanters
flaming, ash, mystic, witch
elder, ancient, weeping
Name 2
ice, frost, ghost
ember, fire
element, rust, dwarf, giant
clear, precious, serpent, wolf
iron, steel, snow, frost
sun, star
eye, bone
chaos, moon, spider, witch
night, shadow
demon, devil, day, ethereal
summer, spring
scale, hide
blood, death, winter, autumn
sand, earth, blood, death
smoke, tear
moon, dream
spire, willow
ink, tear, hollow
herculean, ether, lotus, silk
salt, sulphur, drake, fen
52
Object 1
mineral, ore
gravel, sand
dust, granules
spice, soil
coal, ashes
granite, stone
acid, oil
crystal, gem
fragment, dust
wood, bark
quartz, clay
paste, wax
rock, stone
ash, root
paint, scrapings
gas, vapour
smoke, fumes
spore, particle
extract, incense
vein, alloy, metal, ingot
Object 2
oak, tree
wood, bark
fungus, algae
sap, slime
bane, shade
spore, mould
moss, lichen
cap, pod
leaf, stalk
orchid, flower
blossom, rose
grass, shoot
creeper, vine
willow, pine
fern, needle
thorn, weed
nut, leaf
berry, seed
clover, spice
root, bush
Legendary (d8)
Death
Drain
Enchanted
Power
Prophecy
Restoration
Stasis
Transform
-
REFEREES GUIDE | CHAPTER 4 | CREATING ADVENTURES
COMPONENT PROPERTIES TABLE
Property
Accuracy
Acid
Adhesive
Anti-Magic
Attuned
Bane
Blessed
Camouflage
Chaos
Clairvoyance
Cloud
Commune
Comprehend
Courage
Cure
Dark
Death
Disease
Disorientate
Divine
Drain
Durable
Empower
Enchanted
Explosive
Fear
Fire
Flight
Freeze
Gaseous
Grease
Grow
Heal
Incorporeal
Invisibility
Levitate
Light
Magic
Magnetic
Mind Control
Mutate
Paralysis
Plant
Poison
Power
Powerful
Prophecy
Psychic
Purify
Rage
Resistance
Restoration
Scent
Senses
Shock
Shrink
Sight
Sleep
Slow
Solvent
Speed
Stasis
Strength
Transform
Tremor
Water Breath
Wind
Wood
Basic Effect
Finely balanced element aiding the use of weapons or equipment.
Causes items to corrode.
Powerful glue, useful for climbing equipment.
Magic resistance to magic dampening properties.
Reacts to people with spell casting abilities.
Repels or affects certain people, creatures or monsters.
Grants the user some luck.
Improves chance of detection or hiding.
Wild magic effect.
Grants visions of locations over great distances in your mind.
Creates a mist cloud.
Speak with plants, animals or monsters.
Understand other written languages or speech.
Advantage to will & morale checks for encounter
Commonly cures paralysis, poison or disease and may help with petrification.
Creates a dark cloud which light cannot penetrate.
Lose health, vigour, lifespan or experience
Causes disease effect, impairing the target.
Causes confusion to the target.
Increased effect against chaos, demons & undead monsters.
Has the ability to absorb health or magic.
Grants damage resistance, does not break easily or improves defence.
Enhance physical function (i.e. strength, speed, fortitude).
Possesses some form of magic power or spell effect.
Causes an explosive effect.
Creates a sense of dread.
Causes a fire effect.
Allows users to fly.
Can freeze and incapacitate something.
Allows users to assume a gaseous form.
Makes something slippery.
Target grows to a larger size.
Restores a person’s health.
Phase in and out of existence.
Grants invisibility.
Enables levitation.
Creates an illuminating light source.
Magic which enhances item use and/or grants a power or spell effect.
Attracts or repulses something.
Makes users susceptible to commands.
Causes current form to temporarily mutate.
Causes paralysis.
Grants attunement and control of plants.
Causes the target to be poisoned.
Is a source of magic power.
Element enhances attack or damage (i.e. extra damage die or advantage).
Gains visions of the future.
Enables a psychic attack.
Cleanses small water source.
Gain temporary strength and health through raw emotional fury.
Resistance or immunity to something specific.
Restores life expectancy, vigour or serious wound.
Attracts something (people, monster, creature), may be limited by range.
Enhanced senses (sight, sound or smell).
Creates a shock effect.
Target shrinks to a small size.
Grants dark vision.
Target falls asleep.
Slows target.
Dissolves adhesive and weakens hard materials.
Increase movement speed and number of actions.
Put someone into suspended animation.
Advantage to strength and combat checks for the encounter.
Take the form of another person, creature or monster.
Causes earth tremor.
Can breathe underwater.
Creates a gust of wind.
Harden’s skin to a tough wood exterior improving damage resistance.
53
Rarity
Uncommon
Uncommon
Uncommon
Rare
Uncommon
Uncommon
Uncommon
Uncommon
Rare
Uncommon
Uncommon
Uncommon
Uncommon
Uncommon
Rare
Uncommon
Legendary
Uncommon
Uncommon
Rare
Legendary
Uncommon
Uncommon
Legendary
Rare
Rare
Uncommon
Rare
Uncommon
Uncommon
Uncommon
Rare
Uncommon
Rare
Rare
Uncommon
Uncommon
Rare
Rare
Rare
Rare
Uncommon
Uncommon
Uncommon
Legendary
Rare
Legendary
Rare
Uncommon
Uncommon
Uncommon
Legendary
Uncommon
Uncommon
Uncommon
Rare
Uncommon
Uncommon
Uncommon
Uncommon
Rare
Legendary
Rare
Legendary
Rare
Uncommon
Uncommon
Uncommon
CHAPTER 5 : CAMPAIGNS
CAMPAIGN PLAY
SANBOX PLAY
FRONTS
FACTIONS
WARBANDS
PROPERTY & ENTERPRISES
DOMAINS
PAGE 55
PAGE 56
PAGE 57
PAGE 58
PAGE 59
PAGE 60
PAGE 61
54
REFEREES GUIDE | CHAPTER 5 | CAMPAIGNS
CAMPAIGN PLAY
CAMPAIGN OVERVIEW
REFEREE’S CALENDAR
•
•
•
•
A campaign is a series of linked adventures which follows
an overall story arc.
Campaigns extend beyond episodic adventures and allows
the referee and players to develop deeper, longer or more
complicated storylines if they wish.
This chapter introduces some additional gameplay elements
to support longer-term play or play at a broader scale than
small adventuring party missions.
•
•
•
NEW CAMPAIGN ELEMENTS
•
•
•
•
Factions are groups or organisations with a common
interest or purpose which are progressed through fronts.
Property & Enterprises are constructions or ventures the
players can invest in which drive further adventures.
Domains are areas of land the players can control and
manage which drive further adventures at a different scale.
Warbands are small military forces which act as a group.
CAMPAIGN PRINCIPLES
•
•
CAMPAIGN CREATION
•
•
Campaign Overview: Create a one-page document which
captures the key high-level information for your campaign.
This will include:
• Campaign Theme: The key idea/theme.
• Campaign Arc: Key milestones or events.
• Campaign Elements: Who or what is involved and
details their motivations.
Create your Starting Adventure: Build out the minimum
necessary detail for your first adventure (i.e. region map,
initial hook, adventure location, starting settlement and key
NPCs/factions).
•
•
•
•
CAMPAIGN INFORMATION
•
•
The Referee’s Calendar is used to track the passage of time
and record upcoming events.
This is necessary to provide a degree of plausibility in your
world where the progress of time has a consequence (i.e.
changing seasons, events, holidays).
Share common information with players and provide
opportunities for them to interact with the setting (i.e.
events, festivals, holidays etc).
The Fallen Lands setting uses a 12 month/4 season (Spring,
Summer, Autumn, Winter) calendar.
Create a document or folder of information to record the
following details:
• Campaign Overview
• Referee’s Calendar
• Region Map
• Fronts
• Settlements
• Adventure Sites
• Factions (inc. Warbands)
• NPC’s/Monsters
• Rumour Table
• Heroes information
This will help organise your campaign information as it
develops.
Build Towards the Goal: The campaign are a series of
adventures which the players should feel is building towards
a goal. Story arcs may not be straightforward and plot twists
can be used but do not over-use these.
Layer Elements: Factions, NPCs, monsters and fronts each
with their own motivations will create interactions and
tension in the setting. Link these to encounters,
backgrounds events, rumours and adventures.
Consequences: Consider how people, factions, settlements
and background events will be affected by adventure
outcomes (or inactivity).
Discoveries: Allow the players to continually discover new
things or information they can use or interact with
throughout the campaign.
Keep Preparation to a Minimum: Ask the players what
they wish to do and prepare on a per session basis.
Introduce further detail as it becomes relevant to play and
focus preparation on things the players will see and interact
with.
Be Flexible: Adjust how the campaign progresses based on
the player’s actions. A campaign is the heroes’ story and one
which they shape through adventures.
ENDING A CAMPAIGN
•
•
•
55
A campaign ends when the major story arc has been
completed or the heroes have been defeated.
You may start a new campaign but the previous events and
outcomes should have a consequence in the setting.
Make adjustments to your campaign information such as
region map, settlements, factions, NPCs, rumour or
adventure sites based on the outcome of the last campaign.
REFEREES GUIDE | CHAPTER 5 | CAMPAIGNS
SANDBOX PLAY
SANDBOX PRINCIPLES
SANDBOX PRINCIPLES
•
•
•
This is a style of play where heroes venture forth to explore
the wilderness to discover ‘what’s out there’.
You should start with a wilderness map; settlement;
rumours and one starting adventure site.
•
•
CREATING HEXES
•
•
•
You will need to litter the wilderness map with lots of
adventure sites and elements for the players to discover and
interact with.
For each hex, roll 2d20 on each of the following tables; Hex
Terrain Generator; Hex Landmark Generator; Hex Threat
Generator and Hex Discoveries Generator to create ideas for
the contents of each hex.
Use these results to create places to investigate and
challenges to overcome for the players as they explore the
wilderness.
•
•
•
•
HEX TERRAIN GENERATOR TABLE
d20
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Terrain
Bay, Cliff, Bluff
Bog, Swamp, Fen
Caves, Cavities, Sinkholes
Cold, Snow, Glacier
Crag, Peak, Tor, Mesa
Fields, Meadow, Heath
Flatlands
Forest, Woods
Hill, Downs, Foothills
Hot, Desert, Blight,
Lakebeds, Dunes
Lowland, Depression
Mounds, Hills
Mountain, Range, Plateau
Plains, Expanse, Prairie
River, Lake, Sea
Savanna, Sands
Steppes, Rocky
Valley, Canyon
Wetlands, Moor, Fen
HEX LANDMARK GENERATOR TABLE
Descriptor
Ancient, Remote
Blighted, Toxic
Broken, Fallen
Clear, Light
Cold, Frozen
Deep, High
Desolate, Barren
Eerie, Silent
Endless, Vast
Gloom, Shadow, Dark
Golden, Shining
Grim, Perilous
Holy, Cursed
Hot, Burning
Lost, Forgotten
Misty, Hidden
Overgrown, Creeping
Savage, Wild
Shifting, Changing
Strange, Undiscovered
d20
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
HEX THREAT GENERATOR TABLE
d20
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Threat
Adventure Site
Ambush
Blight, Curse
Contested Area
Natural Vegetation
Den, Lair, Hive, Nest
Difficult Terrain
Enchanted, Cursed
Environmental Hazard
Fog, Cloud, Mist
Natural Animals
Monster
Natural Disaster
Navigation Challenge
Resource Constraint
Sinkhole, Chasm, Pit
Trail, Tracks, Remains
Travellers
Wandering Monster
Weather Event
Start: Give your players some rumours and use the first
adventure site as an initial hook.
Player Driven: Allow the players to decide which places
they wish to explore, they drive the story.
Keep Preparation to a Minimum: Ask your players to
decide their next course of action at the end of each session
and prepare on a session to session basis.
Develop the Setting: Continue to build the setting adding
more detail over time.
Vary the Challenges: Offer some risk vs. reward decisions;
barriers to overcome and build the scale of adventures over
time.
Milestones: Build small adventure arcs and milestones; link
elements where it makes sense.
Consequences: Ensure the outcome of adventures has an
impact in the setting.
Feature
Barrier, Pass
Bog, Swamp, Marsh
Boulders, Rocks
Cave, Tunnels, Grotto
Cliff, Crevasse
Dunes, Mounds
Geyser, Spring
Lowland,
Mountain, Hill
Observation Point
Outcrops, Cliffs
Chasm, Depression, Crater
Plateau, Highlands
River, Lake
Rocks, Boulders, Outcrop
Strange/Rare Vegetation
Trees, Forests
Valley, Canyon
Waterfall, Falls
Wetlands, Ponds
Descriptor
Ancient, Old
Beautiful, Majestic
Broken, Shattered
Ethereal, Magical
Famous, Infamous
Frozen, Burning
Giant, Colossal
Great, Grand
Grim, Bleak
Hidden, Lost
Jagged, Rocky
Mysterious, Forbidden
Plain, Dull
Primeval, Overgrown
Sacred, Hallowed
Shadow, Dark
Silver, Light, Bright
Sweeping, Vast, Endless
Twisting, Shifting
Weathered, Worn
HEX DISCOVERY GENERATOR TABLE
Descriptor
Adverse
Deadly
Destructive
Evil, Chaotic
Fell, Dire
Grave
Hazardous
Hostile
Ominous
Perilous
Poisonous
Precarious
Sickening, Infectious
Sinister
Threatening
Treacherous
Unfriendly
Unhealthy
Unpleasant
Unsafe
d20
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
56
Discovery
Bridge, Crossing
Building, Farm
Campsite
Canal, River
Castle, Keep
Dungeon, Underground
Farmlands
Lair, Den
Man-made Landmark
Megalithic Structure
Mine
Portal
Resource
Road
Ruins
Settlement
Statue, Shrine
Temple, Sanctuary
Tomb, Crypt, Graveyard
Track, Trail
Descriptor
Abandoned, Forgotten
Ancient, Old
Broken, Decrepit
Civilised, Cultured
Criminal, Lawless
Cursed, Chaotic
Dangerous, Deadly
Enchanted, Magical
Habitable, Settled
Hidden, Isolated
Lost, Forgotten
Military, War
Occupied, Busy
Peaceful, Quiet
Poor, Destitute
Prosperous, Rich
Religious, Holy
Ruined, Derelict
Silent, Eerie
Small, Large
REFEREES GUIDE | CHAPTER 5 | CAMPAIGNS
FRONTS
FRONTS
•
A front is an organisational tool used to help manage the
activities of factions or adversaries within a campaign.
A front is written (up to a) 5x5 grid with the faction’s broad
objective written at the top of the grid and the desired
outcome written at the bottom of the grid.
Each row of the grid will describe in short detail (a couple of
words) potential actions, activities or interim goals which
progress in nature towards the objective.
•
•
CREATING FRONTS
•
Decide who you are writing the front for (i.e. faction or
adversary) and write their broad objective (i.e. The
Beastman Tribes want to rule the Dalelands). Use the Front
Objective Generator table for inspiration.
Write down what this outcome will look like in the setting
(i.e. Conquered keep, control villages and own food and
supply stores).
For each row, write 2-3 actions that build toward the final
outcome; each row represents a significant step towards the
outcome. This is all you need to start.
•
•
USING FRONTS
•
•
•
FRONT EXAMPLE: BEASTMAN TRIBES
Objective: Rule the region of the Dalelands
1 Scout Dalelands
Locate Villages
2 Raid Villages
Gather Supplies
3 Build Outpost
Recruit Numbers
4 Control Villages
Plan Keep Assault
5 Assault Keep
Fortify Area
Outcome: Conquered the Borderlands Keep and control the
surrounding villages. Take their food and supplies.
•
•
•
•
Look at the potential actions on the first row and start to
filter these into elements of your adventure through,
encounters, rumours or adventure sites.
At the end of each adventure, if the players have interacted
with an action mark it as follows from the perspective of
the faction, success (tick), failure (cross) or mixed
outcome (question mark).
If it is logical to proceed to the next row (using outcomes as
a guide) then go to the next row of activities and use these
as your next set of events to implement in your next
adventure.
Players should see these events building in importance or
frequency so it is evident something is brewing.
If the players thwart the faction’s events, then add additional
responses or contingency actions in the additional columns
to see how the factions react.
If all five options have been attempted, then the faction’s
goals may be thwarted resulting in the creation of a new
front and change in approach.
Fronts are very flexible tools and can provide inspiration for
your adventure. Feel free to scale these according to the
objective; use multiple fronts to create tension between
different factions.
FRONT OBJECTIVE GENERATOR TABLE
d20
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Protagonist
Faction, Evil
Faction, Good
Faction, Neutral
Hero, Evil
Hero, Good
Hero, Neutral
Legendary Monster
Monster, Evil
Monster, Good
Monster, Neutral
Non Human
Other Power, Secret
Power, in Region
Power, other Region
Religion, Evil
Religion, Good
Religion, Neutral
Settlement, Evil
Settlement, Good
Settlement, Neutral
Objective
Avoid Threat
Capture, Expansion
Conquest, Destroy
Destiny, Prophecy
Escort, Deliver
Fortune, Riches
Hate/Fears something
Help, Support, Charity
Investigate, Discover
Knowledge, Secret
Obtain, Acquire
Occupation, Ownership
Peace, Prosperity
Popularity, Fame
Power, Control
Protect, Defend, Serve
Rebellion, Revenge
Rescue, Steal
Resources, Environment
Trade, Opportunity
Event
Control, Occupy
Create Advantage
Create Resources
Deal, Negotiation
Diplomacy, Trade
Discovery, Info
Expand Influence
Gain Resources
Gathering, Meeting
Hide Resources
Move Resources
Overcome Obstacle
Power, Control
Protect, Defend
Raid, Attack
Sell Resources
Spy, Secrets
Tax, Law, Rule
Theft, Espionage
Use Resources
57
Subject
Adventure Site
Ally Faction
Ally Settlement
Faction
Heroes
Knowledge, Secret
Legendary Monster
Magic
Monster
Threat
NPC
Object, Artefact
Place, Landmark
Region, Current
Region, New
Religion
Resources
Rival Faction
Rival Settlement
Treasure
REFEREES GUIDE | CHAPTER 5 | CAMPAIGNS
FACTIONS
FACTIONS
•
•
Factions are groups that have a common purpose.
They help establish a living world by providing
opportunities for player interaction such as; a source of
fronts, quests, rumours, NPCs contact or even an
adversary.
CREATING FACTIONS
•
•
•
Faction Generator: Roll 4d20 or choose entries on the
Faction Generator Table to create ideas for a faction.
Write three bullet points to summarise the faction’s
description, goals, resources, contacts and location.
Faction details should be noted in concise bullet point
format, additional details can be added over time.
FACTION DESCRIPTION
•
•
•
•
•
Name: The faction’s name.
Description: Details the factions; organisation type;
leadership; philosophy and reputation.
Goals: Objectives the faction is trying to achieve and
progress towards completion (rated from 1 to 5 steps).
Resources: Details power, influence, assets and resources at
their disposal.
Contacts: The leadership structure is presented as a
pyramid structure with three ranks.
JOINING FACTIONS
•
•
USING FACTIONS
•
•
•
Faction goals are used to provide opportunities or tension
between players or other factions.
Use the fronts tool to create a motive and purpose for each
faction. This can operate in the background if you do not
wish it to be the main focus of the adventure.
•
Players may join a faction if they share a common purpose
or belief.
This can provide quest opportunities and benefits but may
also involve some demands from the faction.
Additional details can be added to the faction description
including, requirements, benefits and advancement.
Advancement gives the players an opportunity to climb the
contact pyramid and achieve a higher rank, additional
rewards and benefits and is a good way of developing
personal quests.
FACTION GENERATOR TABLE
d20
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Organisation Type
Criminal, Secret
Family
Clan, Tribe
New Religion
Cult
Trade
Warband
Military
Mercenary
Expedition
Settlers
Enterprise
Guild
Craft, Art
Academic
Political
Law
Established Religion
Old Religion
Magic
Leadership
Secret, Hidden power
People, no leadership
Warlord, Military leader
Sheriff of the people
Front for something
Ruling class or role
Criminal organisation
Hereditary leader
Theocracy, Church
Mayor, Leader elected
Hero, leader
Representatives
Democracy, people
Administration
Elders, wise ones
Influential councillors
Elected councillors
Family or Clan
Wealthy aristocracy
Noble, Lord family
Philosophy
Evil, Chaotic
No rules
No respect
Corrupt, Criminal
Manipulative
Cautious
Self-Serving
Superiority, Rule
Neutral
Honour, Trade
Protect, Defend
Affiliations, Partners
Uses influence
Idealistic, Faith
Seeks opportunity
Moral, Ethical, Community
Protects others
Charitable, Good
Control, Own
Lawful, Justice
58
Reputation
Secret
Banished
Forgotten
Unimportant
Disliked, Feared
Obscure
Old-Fashioned, Traditional
Unpopular, Not Well Known
Known
Notorious
Acclaimed
Prominent
Well-Known
Famous
Beloved
Influential
Important
Popular
Historical
Ancient
REFEREES GUIDE | CHAPTER 5 | CAMPAIGNS
WARBANDS
WARBANDS
•
•
•
•
Warbands are military forces between 20-200 people.
Players can form a warband by recruiting sufficient
followers using NPC hiring costs.
Warbands are used to provide a different scale to adventures
such as, defending territories, managing expeditions or
hunting huge monsters.
The rules are kept deliberately light and are not intended to
act as a detailed battle simulation.
WARBAND DESCRIPTION
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Name: The warband’s name.
Description: Details the type; theme; no. of people.
Weekly Expenses: Costs 20sp per person per level.
Level: Warband’s experience (starts as 1).
Health: Warband’s size (equal to number of people).
Defence: Warband’s defence (starts as 8 for humans).
Damage: Damage in combat (starts as a d6 weapon).
Experience Points XP: XP gained (starts at 0).
Skill Die: Skill die applied to checks.
CREATING WARBANDS
1.
2.
3.
Warband Size: Roll d6 on the Warband Size Table.
Warband Experience: Roll d6 on the Warband Attributes
Table. All player warbands start at Level 1.
Warband Type: Roll 2d20 or choose from the Warband
Generator Table.
WARBAND SIZE TABLE
d6
01-02
01-03
03
04-05
04
06
WARBAND BATTLES
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Number
Level HLT*
20x
1 d4 people
5
20x
2 d6 people
7
20x
3 d8 people
9
DEF**
8
9
10
Skill Die
0
d4
d6
XP Req
0
5
10
d6
Experience Level HLT*
DEF**
01-02 Common
1
5
8
03
Known
2
7
9
04
Reputed
3
9
10
05
Well Known 4
11
11
06
Heroic
5
13
12
*Individual health score **Un-armoured
Skill Die
0
d4
d6
d8
d10
XP Req
0
5
10
20
30
WARBAND GENERATOR TABLE
Warbands act as a single entity using the normal combat
and morale rules.
Warbands can be split into smaller units (minimum of 20)
for tactical purposes.
Each combat turn takes 10 minutes of time in total.
Advantage on attacks should be awarded for tactical
advantages such as; greater numbers (50% or more),
environmental advantages, mounted or led by a hero.
When warbands are damaged this reduces the number of
available combatants through injury.
At the end of the battle, 50% of this number are considered
injured survivors who may recover.
WARBAND GENERATOR TABLE
d20
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
WARBAND ADVANCEMENT
•
Experience
Size
Common
Small
Known
Medium
Reputed
Large
Warbands gain experience and can increase their level and
attributes.
For each battle; award 1XP to the victorious warband and
1XP when 50% or more of a warband survives a battle.
Deduct 1XP when more than 50% of the Warband is
defeated. XP cannot go below zero.
Advance the Warband as per the Warband Attributes Table
and increase attributes accordingly.
Warbands can also be improved through the purchase of
new equipment for every member.
59
Type
Horseman, Cavalry
Light, Heavy Militia
Archers, X-Bow
Mercenaries
Tribe, Clan
Rangers, Foresters
Expedition, Train
Scouts, Guides
Monsters
Bandits, Outlaws
Religious, Cult
Witch Hunters
Bounty Hunters
Villagers, Settlers
Knights, Crusader
Soldiers, Patrol
Traders, Guards
Non-Human
Guerrilla, Irregulars
Hybrid (Roll Twice)
Theme
Primitive, Barbarian
Poor, Destitute
Veteran
Rich, Financed
Independent
Nearby Settlement
Non-Human
Monsters, Beastmen
Undead, Demonic
Mixed Race
Bloodied, Defeated
Victorious, Spoils of war
Noble, Famous Leader
Presumed Dead, Lost
Chaos, Mutants
Exploring, Searching
Conquest, Raiding
Defence, Protection
Hunting, Tracking
Broken Lands, Savage
REFEREES GUIDE | CHAPTER 5 | CAMPAIGNS
PROPERTY & ENTERPRISES
PROPERTY & ENTERPRISES
•
•
•
Properties & Enterprises are constructions or
organisations in which the hero has invested money.
Their primary purpose is to create interesting side-quests,
income generation is a secondary purpose.
The following mechanics should support any role-playing
opportunities which is the primary focus.
PROPERTY & ENTERPRISES DESCRIPTION
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Name/Description: Name the property or enterprise.
Type: Property & Enterprise type.
Size: Starts small and can grow medium, large or huge.
Maintenance (M): Annual cost to maintain x1k sp.
Income (I): Die representing annual income x1k sp.
Perk: A gameplay bonus (determined by the referee) to
owning the enterprise.
Value: Current cost.
Wealth: Cash, recorded in silver pieces, starts at zero.
PROPERTY & ENTERPRISE TYPE TABLE
d20 Type
01 Home
02 Farm, Fishing
03 Fishing
04 Shop
05 Trade
06 Wood Resources
07 Workshop, Craft
08 Stables
09 School, Study
10 Tavern
11 Temple
12 Trading Post
13 Refuge
14 Warehouse
15 Mine, Smelting
16 Guild Hall
17 Estate
18 Tower
19 Dungeon
20 Keep
CREATING PROPERTY & ENTERPRISES
•
•
•
Use Property & Enterprise Type Table as a guide but flavour
this through discussion with the players.
Build time is 1 week per 1k cost.
Existing location renovation costs are, 75% (ruins), 50%
(structural damage) and 25% (cosmetic damage).
PROPERTY & ENTERPRISES EVENTS
•
•
Events: Every quarter, roll 2d20 on the Property &
Enterprise Events Table to generate a scenario for the players
to deal with.
If the players decide to intervene, play out the scenario as a
small adventure, the outcome should have a consequence
for the enterprise.
WEALTH
•
•
•
•
These operate in the background run by NPCs.
Profit: At the end of the year, roll the appropriate die for
income (i.e. d4) and deduct the maintenance cost.
Losses: A negative figure results in a loss which must be
paid by the players, or generate a side-quest to meet their
obligations.
Advantage or disadvantage can be applied based on the
outcome of events during the year.
•
•
•
I
d2
d2
d4
d4
d4
d4
d4
d2
d4
d2
d4
d2
d6
d2
d2
d4
Perk
N/A
Food, Animals
Fish supplies
Unusual Goods
Wagon, Cart
Materials
Quality Item
Horses
Knowledge
Rumours
Visitors
Rumours
Reputation
Uncommon Goods
Resources
Contacts
Visitors
Insight
Hidden Secret
Fortified
Value
1,000
2,000
2,000
2,500
2,500
5,000
5,000
5,000
5,000
5,000
5,000
5,000
5,000
5,000
10,000
10,000
20,000
20,000
50,000
50,000
PROPERTY & ENTERPRISE EVENTS TABLE
d20
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
GROWTH
•
M
1
1
1
2
2
2
2
2
1
2
1
2
1
1
3
1
1
1
1
3
Properties & enterprises can be grown by paying double the
current cost each time it grows. This grows the enterprise
from, small, medium, large to huge.
Maintenance: Increase this by +2 for each size increase.
Income: Increase this by the next die size (i.e. d2 > d4 > d6
> d8 > d10 > d12 > d20).
Additional detail and information can be added over time
through further gameplay and interaction.
60
Opportunity/Threat
Competition/Partnership
Poverty, Wealth
Scandal/Celebration
Good/Bad harvest
Criminal/Opportunity
Religion/Cult
Blessing/Curse
Hunger/Bounty
Cult/Pilgrimage
Discovery/Exploration
Resource discovery/loss
Materials Help/Hindrance
Feud/Calm
Monster Threat/Fortune
Sickness/Good Health
Dispute, Deal
Information, Spy/Insight
Banditry/Expansion
Taxes/Bonuses
War/Peace
Risk
Very High loss
High risk loss
High risk of loss
Medium risk of loss
Medium risk of loss
Medium risk of loss
Low risk of loss
Low risk of loss
Low risk of loss
Roll again (DIS)
Roll again (ADV)
Small opportunity
Small opportunity
Small opportunity
Medium opportunity
Medium opportunity
Medium opportunity
Large opportunity
Large opportunity
Very Large opportunity
REFEREES GUIDE | CHAPTER 5 | CAMPAIGNS
DOMAINS
DOMAINS
•
•
•
•
A domain is a settlement or place managed by the heroes.
Domains are intended to offer a different style and scale of
adventures and role-playing opportunities with players
being accountable for managing the domain.
The rules are kept deliberately light and are not intended to
act as a domain management simulation.
If players own both properties/enterprises and domains,
then the scale of a domain takes precedence.
DOMAIN DESCRIPTION
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Name/Description: Name and add 3 bullet points to
describe the domain.
Type/Population: Domain type and population.
Size: Starts small and grows to; medium; large or huge.
Maintenance (M): Annual cost to maintain x10k sp.
Income (I): Die representing annual income x10k sp.
Value: Investment cost to grow in size.
Wealth: Cash, recorded in silver pieces, starts at zero.
DOMAIN TYPE TABLE
d6
01
02
03
04
05
06
CREATING DOMAINS
•
•
Domains should be introduced as rewards or
opportunities from adventures such as; colonising a
wilderness territory, obtaining a land grant from someone
or being asked to manage a settlement.
Use the Domain Type Table as a guide, this can be flavoured
through discussion with the players.
•
•
d20
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Events: Every quarter, (minimum) roll 2d20 on the Domain
Events Table to generate a scenario for the players, this may
conflict with other quests to create a choice of priorities.
Link the scale of the event to the nature and size of the
domain.
If the players decide to intervene then play out the scenario
as an adventure, the outcome of the adventure should have
a consequence for the domain.
DOMAIN WEALTH
•
•
•
•
Population
50
100
100
250
500
2,000
M
1
1
3
4
3
4
I
d2
d2
d4
d6
d6
d8
Value
20k
150k
200k
500k
500k
1m
DOMAIN EVENTS TABLE
DOMAIN EVENTS
•
Type
Hamlet
Village
Keep
Castle
Town
City
Profit: At the end of the year roll the appropriate die for
income (i.e. d4) and deduct the maintenance cost.
Losses: A negative figure results in a loss which must be
paid by the players. This can be used to generate a sidequest to avoid or mitigate the loss.
Advantage or Disadvantage can be applied based on the
outcome of events during the year.
Players may spend wealth to improve features and services
within the domain through discussion with the referee. Use
the property and enterprise costs as a guide.
Opportunity/Threat
Competition/Partnership
Poverty, Wealth
Scandal/Celebration
Good/Bad harvest
Criminal/Opportunity
Religion/Cult
Blessing/Curse
Hunger/Bounty
Cult/Pilgrimage
Discovery/Exploration
Resource discovery/loss
Materials Help/Hindrance
Feud/Calm
Monster Threat/Fortune
Sickness/Good Health
Dispute, Deal
Information, Spy/Insight
Banditry/Expansion
Taxes/Bonuses
War/Peace
Risk
Very High loss
High risk loss
High risk of loss
Medium risk of loss
Medium risk of loss
Medium risk of loss
Low risk of loss
Low risk of loss
Low risk of loss
Roll again (DIS)
Roll again (ADV)
Small opportunity
Small opportunity
Small opportunity
Medium opportunity
Medium opportunity
Medium opportunity
Large opportunity
Large opportunity
Very Large opportunity
DOMAIN GROWTH
•
•
•
•
61
Domains can be grown by paying double the current cost
each time it grows. This grows the domain from, small,
medium, large to huge and doubles the population size
Maintenance: Increase this by +2 each time.
Income: Increase this by the next die size (i.e. d2 > d4 > d6
> d8 > d10 > d12 > d20).
Additional detail and information can be added through
further gameplay and interaction.
SAMPLE ADVENTURE - ADVENTURE SITE DESCRIPTION
MEZRAK’S FOUNDRY
Overview: Mezraks Foundry is an abandoned place located high within a craggy peak. Two weeks ago, a group of mercenaries hired by the
mysterious Order of Paragon purchased transport and supplies from the village in the valley below and set out to explore the place. They did
not return and a group was sent to find out what happened. Two days have elapsed with no further news. Your party have been hired to
investigate and rescue the villagers. A large bag of silver, the appreciation of the villagers and all the ale you can drink will be your reward.
1. Courtyard (Switchback trail heading up mountain leads here)
• Old grand stone carved walls of dwarven construction.
• Area occupied by d6 Mercenaries guarding supplies from
carts (contains food, barrels of water, general supplies, long
iron bars, tools and large canvas sheets); donkeys are hitched
here.
• Guards will prevent access and deny seeing villagers. The
alarm bell in one wagon alerts guards from 7 (appears in 6
turns).
2. Great Hall (Solid stone door from 1 closed)
• Grand chamber of finely carved stoned architecture. A set
of steps lead up to a stone pedestal the ground is painted
with arcane signs.
• A young robed woman wanders the room, whispering and
murmuring to herself, her mind fractured.
• The girl offers few words but refers to herself as the ‘First
Sister’ (she is the victim of the first failed summoning and is
harmless).
3. Stone Chamber (Solid stone door from 2 closed)
• Stone chamber, dwarven markings inscribed on the wall
(read “Mezrak’s Foundry, the study of pneumatics”).
• Large steam pipes run across walls, these are corroded and
appear to have been patched with small metal plates.
• Warm air can be felt from the descent down to 4.
4. Drilling Cavern (Stairs descend deep from 3)
• Area is hot; fissures emit gas and vapour into the area (d2
damage per turn, can be patched) from corroded pipes. The
room is dominated by a large furnace connected to a
drilling machine. Tools; chains; pulleys are scattered
amongst piles of coal and rock.
• Drilling machine, if lifted using pulleys reveals a 100ft hole,
bored into the ground below. This can be climbed down to
reveal the narrow earthworm tunnels leading past their den
(d4 worms) to 5.
• Coal and barrels of water (from 1 or 5) can be used to ignite
the furnace and activate the steam drill and door to the
vault (9).
5. Storage & Machinery Area (Door locked, Iron key required)
• Room contains a mixture of old crates; wooden chests;
tools; metal plates; equipment and some fresh water barrels
and organised food supplies. Part of the SE wall has
collapsed with rubble.
• Searching reveals; old mining tools, equipment and spare
parts plus some of the group’s food supplies.
• Investigating the rubble reveals a small tight barely crawlable tunnel leading past earth worm den (d4 worms) to 4.
6. Guard Chamber (Torches light the chamber and passage)
• Converted to a rest area with tables and chairs; equipment
racks on the wall which store equipment.
• A Fervent Guard sits in an alcove (has iron key); d6
mercenaries occupy the chamber playing dice; they are offduty and muttering discontent over the motives of their
employer.
• A false wall sits behind one of the equipment racks and
leads to 7; mercenaries are unaware of this.
• Passageway SW (to 10) is hazardous with boiling gasses
bursting from the pipes (d2 damage per turn, metal plates
from 5 can patch these).
7. Solar Room (Wooden door closed, torch-lit chamber, guarded)
• 2 Fervent Guards stand outside; the room contains a high
ceiling with thick glass allowing natural light to penetrate
the room; a large engraved large stone table is the room’s
centre piece (shows a map).
• 2 Paragon Cultists (bronze key, summoning stone) are
planning and debating the return of their god. A dummy
stand contains a luxurious white robe with fine embroidery,
a golden crown and exquisite boots (intended to be clothes
for their deity, all valuable).
• Stone of summoning (magical artefact; rare; allows cross
dimensional contact; 3 uses left)
• False wall hides a passage to 6; everyone is unaware of this.
8. Barracks (Wooden door closed, torches light chamber)
• Room contains bunks, chairs and a small cooking area;
bedrolls and piles of equipment are scattered around.
• d6 mercenaries are resting here; some are in quiet
conversation about ‘what lies within the pit’ (10).
• Mercenaries are discontent and are tempted to leave their
employers.
9. Vault (Mechanically locked vault door)
• Lever outside door can be pulled to open the vault but only
if furnace (4) has been ignited (Cultists not breached vault).
• Inside, contains a vault of crates; chests and a bookshelf
containing scrolls and parchments.
• Searching reveals; 3 chests containing dwarven gold (100 gp
each); a dwarven forged hammer (chaos-bane, masterwork,
ADV damage, x2 damage vs chaos creatures); scrolls and
parchments written in dwarven (invention notes on steam
devices. No immediate re-sell value but highly valuable to
dwarven craftsmen).
10. The Pit (Open access, chamber dark)
• Room shrouded in darkness; clanking chains and raspy
breathing can be heard from within a pit in the centre of the
room.
• The pit is covered by an iron grill; a rusted chain
mechanism can be activated to open the grill (will alert
people in 6). Winding rough-cut passage descends down to
11 & 12.
• An creature of chaos known as Noul-Utl is chained below;
earthworm carcasses and dried blood cover the floor; he
will bargain for his freedom but if released, is weak and
must feed soon (disadvantage until fed on life energy, has
knowledge of cultists plot).
11. Cell (Portcullis bars entry, door locked, bronze key required)
• Small cave area; portcullis blocks access, difficult to break.
• 3 villagers are held prisoner here (Jeyna, Burke, Culan);
possess minor cuts and bruises, scared of their captors.
• Fearful of death, aware may be held for some later purpose.
12. Cell (Portcullis bars entry, door locked, bronze key required)
• Small cave area; portcullis blocks access which is difficult to
break; the room has been reasonably well furnished with a
bed and adequate supplies.
• Lone young man garbed in a simple robe held here.
• This is ‘The First Brother’, a malleable victim and acolyte of
the order chosen to act as the host. He is awaiting his
summons to complete this great honour. He is the second
vessel.
62
SAMPLE ADVENTURE - ADVENTURE SITE MAP
ENTRANCE
THE SOLAR 7
COURTYARD 1
GUARD 6
CHAMBER
BARRACKS 8
GREAT HALL 2
VAULT 9
CHAMBER 3
THE PIT
10
STORAGE & 5
MACHINERY AREA
DRILLING CAVERN 4
CELL
11
1 SQUARE = 10FT
CELL
Rooms 1 & 7 have natural light. Torches are already lit in rooms
3,5,6 & 8. Light sources required in other rooms.
12
RANDOM ENCOUNTER TABLE
ADVENTURE SITE & FACTION NOTES
d6
01
02
03
04
05
06
Mezraks Foundry: An old foundry and mine used by the
dwarven craftswomen Mezrak, famed for her pneumatic
inventions. The cave-like complex is riddled with interconnected steam pipes and machinery. The place was
abandoned due to an unstable rift in the fabric of reality
causing instability and fell into a state of disrepair.
Order of Paragon: Minor cult seeking the return of their
deity, The Paragon, a being of perfection. Contact has been
established and a plan is in place to transfer the spirit of the
entity into a host known as the vessel through the ritual.
The Entity (Xorgnix): Evil being with malicious intent;
seeks escape from the void. Plays the role of a god, until free.
The Ritual: The vessel stands within the circle holding the
summoning stone as the rift opens allowing the spirit to take
control of the host. This will be the second attempt. Xorgnix
will use the rift and stone as a beacon to arrive in its current
(and unexpected) form.
Noul-Utl: A being of chaos from beyond, arrived with the
first summoning. It knows the entity is dangerous and seeks
its own freedom. Feeds on life’s energies and is dangerous.
Villagers: Unwittingly stumbled on the plot.
Description
Rift, opens for d6 turns then closes. Ritual may be completed.
d4 Mercenaries, patrolling a circuit from area 1, heading to 6
d4 Fervent Guards, heading to great hall 2
d4 Earth Worms, surfaced from below seeking scraps to survive
Paragon Cultist & d4 Fervent Guards, checking on vessel in 12
Noul-Utl, escaped his bonds and seeking food or an escape
MONSTER & NPC STATISTICS
Statistics
Mercenary | LVL 1 | HLT 5 | DEF 10 | SKL 0 | TSR L
Shortsword (d6), Spear (d6), Leather Armour (+2), 5d20sp
Fervent Guard | LVL 2 | HLT 8 | DEF 14 | SKL d4 | TSR L
Longsword (d8), Chainmail (+3), Shield (+2), Paragon Ring, Mask
Paragon Cultist | LVL 3 | HLT 10 | DEF 10 | SKL d4 | TSR LT
Poison Dagger (d4, 1 use), Robes, Paragon Ring, Ranked Mask
Earth Worm | LVL 3 | HLT 10 | DEF 10/DR1 | SKL d4 | TSR Large burrowing worm, Bite (d6)
Noul-Utl (Chaos) | LVL 4 | HLT 20 | DEF 13/DR2 | SKL d8 | TSR Humanoid chaotic horror, 2x Claws (d8), Fast, Leap, Tough
Xorgnix (Chaos) | LVL 6 | HLT 40 | DEF 14/DR3 | SKL d10 | TSR Tentacled chaotic horror, 4x Tentacles (d6, short), Grab/Crush
63
Referees
Guide
H E RO E S O F A DV E N T U R E
The Heroes of Adventure Referees Guide contains all the rules and information
needed for a referee to create and run their own adventure or campaign using
the Heroes of Adventure game system. This book contains:
•
•
•
•
Game Rules (only 4 pages)
Create a Hero Class procedure
A guide to running adventures
Tools for creating your own adventures covering:
• Wilderness Map
• Settlements, Rumours & Quests
• Non-Player Characters (NPCs)
• Adventure Sites
• Challenges (Hazards, Traps & Puzzles)
• Random Encounters
• Treasure, Artefacts & Resources
• Campaign guide and tools covering:
• Downtime events
• Sandbox play
• Fronts
• Factions & Warbands
• Enterprises & Domains
• A sample dungeon
64