1
Acknowledgments
Arcane Ugly Version Public Beta 1.3
Arcane Ugly is a hack of Knave 1.0 by Ben Milton
aka The Questing Beast under Creative Commons
Attribution 4.0 International License
Art by
Trent Holbrook
Rachel Clayfield
Luke of NerdCraftHQ
Bill of BerserkerWorks
Raquel of RaqrexArt
Terran Conjured Craft
Jeremy of BlackMagicCraft
Franky of Franky.D.Crafter
Tanner of Simpsominiatures
Danny of 3d Printed Tabletop
Rules & Writings by
Trent Holbrook
Bill of BerserkerWorks
Luke of NerdCraftHQ
Terran Conjured Craft
Tanner of Simpsominiatures
Danny of 3d Printed Tabletop
Matt Batten
Manu Rimoni
Nic Schultz
Playtested by
Matt Batten
Nic Schultz
Mitch Sigley
2
Arcane Ugly Game Li cense
Anyone may publish free or commercial material
based upon and/or declaring compatibility with
“Arcane Ugly” without express written permission,
as long as they adhere to the following terms:
If your product declares compatibility with Arcane
Ugly you must state the following in your legal text
and on any websites from which a commercial
product is sold: “[product name] is an independent
production by [publisher name] and is not affiliated
with the creators of Arcane Ugly.”
The creators of Arcane Ugly take no responsibility
for any legal claims against your product.
The mechanics and concepts of Arcane Ugly may
be reused freely.
The text of “Arcane Ugly” may not be used verbatim.
All artists maintain copyright of their work.
PS. I stole this license from Troika!
Join The Community
https://discord.gg/4pNQA8fSRv
3
Welcome To Arcane Ugly
The world of Arcane Ugly is a place of strange, wild and whimsical magic.
Someone set for an adventure can always find one, typically in a dungeon deep
underground. Dungeons in Arcane Ugly aren’t all drab stone walls and endless
mazes, in fact some dungeons are technicolour landscapes or giant underground
oceans or abstract shifting planes. The deeper you explore, the stranger the
world becomes. Be warned — those who spend too long underground never
return home the same.
How The Game Works
Arcane Ugly is a role-playing game that explores weird and wonderful places in
the pursuit for arcane artifacts and powerful spells. A typical game of Arcane
Ugly consists of 2-6 Adventurers and a Gamesmaster. A Gamesmaster describes
fantastical worlds, challenges, creatures and conflicts for Adventurers to interact
with and the Adventurers in turn describe how they interact with them. The aim
isn’t to win or lose in Arcane Ugly, instead the aim is to share a narrative between
players and have a fun time.
4
What You’ll Need
To play Arcane Ugly you’re going to need some friends, standard RPG dice,
Adventurer Sheet & Backpack handouts and pencils.
The Dice
Arcane Ugly uses a standard set of polyhedral dice to determine random
outcomes in the game. These are referred to as d4, d6, d8, d10, d12 and d20. The
letter d stands for dice and the number proceeding it is the number of sides the
dice has.
Example: A d20 means a twenty-sided-dice.
Sometimes you’ll see a number before the d as well, which means you need to
roll multiple of the same dice and add the results together.
Example: 2d6 means, roll two six-sided-dice and add the results together.
In addition to the six dice there’s also the monstrous d100. This totally exists as
a dice you can buy but most people just roll a pair of d10’s treating one as the
tens value and the other as the units value.
Example: A roll of 3 on the first d10 and a roll of 6 on the second d10 is 36.
By the way, a pair of 0’s is 100, not 0.
Sometimes rules might ask you to modify a dice roll after it’s rolled.
Example: 4d8 + 4 which means you roll four, eight-sided dice and add 4 to the
result.
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Creating An Adventurer
This is where an Adventurer’s journey starts. If you’re playing as an Adventurer,
follow these steps one by one. You will need an Adventurer’s Sheet and
Backpack to mark down your progress.
�. Rolling for Abilities
As an Adventurer you have four Abilities: Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, and
Weird.
For each Ability, roll 3d6 and write down the lowest of the three dice on your
Adventurer’s Sheet next to that Ability.
Example: You roll a 2, 2, and 6 for Strength. The lowest die is a 2, so your
Strength is 2.
You may optionally swap the rolls of
two Abilities.
Any Ability of 1 is particularly ordinary, 3 is extraordinary, and anything over 5 is
otherworldly.
Abilities of 4 or more must have a wondrous reason for such talent. Were
you blessed with a strange mutation, maybe cursed by a witch or drank an
experimental potion you weren’t meant to? Experienced Adventurers should
make a creative bane to this ability.
6
�. Hit Points
Your Hit Points (HP) represent how much physical and mental trauma you can
withstand before you die. To determine your Hit Points roll a d8 + 2.
You may also wish to think of a reason for the number of Hit Points you have,
perhaps it relates to your size, grit, age or previous injuries.
�. Speed
Your Speed represents how far you can move in six seconds. All Adventurers start
with a Speed of 40ft. The distance you can jump is a quarter of your Speed (10ft).
Climbing and swimming is half of your Speed (20ft).
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�. Backpack
Every Adventurer receives a Backpack
which is how you’ll manage your
items while you adventure.
Within your Backpack are Slots,
which represent how many items you
can carry at once.
Your Backpack has 10 + Strength
worth of Slots.
Most items you’ll find take up 1 Slot,
unless more are specified.
The lined pages in your Backpack
(see below) can be used to record
your items and the Slots they require.
You start your adventure with a knife
and two days rations. Add them to
your Backpack now.
Your Backpack­—make sure to label it
and decorate it however you like!
Your Backpack, unfolded.
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�. Starting Weapon
Now for your first piece of Treasure, a weapon! Every Adventurer starts with a
scavenged weapon perhaps reclaimed from a war, a family heirloom, a rusty tool
or a wall decoration.
On the following pages are a set of Starting Weapon Treasure cards. You may
choose or randomly select one, whichever is more fun.
On the back of each card is a Unique Properties table which can be rolled to give
your weapon a unique narrative.
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Sword
UNIQUE PROPERTIES
Roll a d10 in each column
1
Sword
STARTING WEAPON
1
d8 Damage
HAND
Once per session, if you fail to hit using
this weapon you may push the target 5ft.
2
SLOTS
AU#1
1 & moss covered
Rusty
2 Simple
2 & poorly maintained
3 Ugly
3 & blood stained
4 Twisted
4 with a colorful handle
5 Splintery
5 with someone else’s initials
6 Bent
6 with many repairs
7 Dusty
7 & trinket covered
8 Chipped
8 & rattles annoyingly
9 Slimey
9 & a strange shape
10 Shiny
10 and with a animal carving
11 Sticky
11 with a battle cry carving
12 Soggy
12 & uncomfortable
Axe
UNIQUE PROPERTIES
Roll a d10 in each column
1
Rusty
2 Simple
Axe
STARTING WEAPON
1
d8 Damage
HAND
Once per session, if you fail to hit using
this weapon you may move 10ft.
2
SLOTS
AU#2
10
1 & moss covered
2 & poorly maintained
3 Ugly
3 & blood stained
4 Twisted
4 with a colorful handle
5 Splintery
5 with someone else’s initials
6 Bent
6 with many repairs
7 Dusty
7 & trinket covered
8 Chipped
8 & rattles annoyingly
9 Slimey
9 & a strange shape
10 Shiny
10 and with a animal carving
11 Sticky
11 with a battle cry carving
12 Soggy
12 & uncomfortable
Flail
UNIQUE PROPERTIES
Roll a d10 in each column
1
Flail
STARTING WEAPON
1
d8 Damage
HAND
Once per session, if you fail to hit using
this weapon you may distract a nearby
target causing them to skip a Combat
Action.
2
SLOTS
AU#3
1 & moss covered
Rusty
2 Simple
2 & poorly maintained
3 Ugly
3 & blood stained
4 Twisted
4 with a colorful handle
5 Splintery
5 with someone else’s initials
6 Bent
6 with many repairs
7 Dusty
7 & trinket covered
8 Chipped
8 & rattles annoyingly
9 Slimey
9 & a strange shape
10 Shiny
10 and with a animal carving
11 Sticky
11 with a battle cry carving
12 Soggy
12 & uncomfortable
Spear
UNIQUE PROPERTIES
Roll a d10 in each column
1
Rusty
2 Simple
Spear
STARTING WEAPON
1
d6 Damage
HAND
Once per session, if you fail to hit
using this weapon you may boost all
adventurers damage rolls by +1 for 12
seconds.
2
SLOTS
AU#4
1 & moss covered
2 & poorly maintained
3 Ugly
3 & blood stained
4 Twisted
4 with a colorful handle
5 Splintery
5 with someone else’s initials
6 Bent
6 with many repairs
7 Dusty
7 & trinket covered
8 Chipped
8 & rattles annoyingly
9 Slimey
9 & a strange shape
10 Shiny
10 and with a animal carving
11 Sticky
11 with a battle cry carving
12 Soggy
12 & uncomfortable
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Dagger
UNIQUE PROPERTIES
Roll a d10 in each column
1
Daggerd6 Damage
d6 Damage
1 & moss covered
Rusty
2 Simple
2 & poorly maintained
3 Ugly
3 & blood stained
4 Twisted
4 with a colorful handle
5 Splintery
5 with someone else’s initials
6 Bent
6 with many repairs
Once per session, if you fail to hit using this
STARTING WEAPON
7 Dusty
7 & trinket covered
weapon you may switch positions with
your target.
1
HAND
Once per session, if you fail to hit using
this weapon you may switch positions
with your target.
1
SLOT
AU#5
8 Chipped
8 & rattles annoyingly
9 Slimey
9 & a strange shape
10 Shiny
10 and with a animal carving
11 Sticky
11 with a battle cry carving
12 Soggy
12 & uncomfortable
Crossbow
UNIQUE PROPERTIES
Roll a d10 in each column
1
Rusty
2 Simple
d6 Damage
Crossbow
1 & moss covered
2 & poorly maintained
3 Ugly
3 & blood stained
4 Twisted
4 with a colorful handle
5 Splintery
5 with someone else’s initials
6 Bent
6 with many repairs
Once per session, if you fail to hit using this
STARTING WEAPON
Dusty
7
7 & trinket covered
weapon you may switch positions with your target.
d6+1 Damage
Chipped 8 & rattles annoyingly
8
HANDS
2
Once per session, if you fail to hit using
this weapon something of importance
catches your eye.
3
SLOTS
AU#6
12
9 Slimey
9 & a strange shape
10 Shiny
10 and with a animal carving
11 Sticky
11 with a battle cry carving
12 Soggy
12 & uncomfortable
Bow
UNIQUE PROPERTIES
Roll a d10 in each column
1
Bow d6 Damage
d6 Damage
1 & moss covered
Rusty
2 Simple
2 & poorly maintained
3 Ugly
3 & blood stained
4 Twisted
4 with a colorful handle
5 Splintery
5 with someone else’s initials
6 Bent
6 with many repairs
Once per session, if you fail to hit using this
STARTING WEAPON
7 Dusty
7 & trinket covered
weapon you may switch positions with
your target.
2
HANDS
Once per session, if you fail to hit using
this weapon you may elect to hit a nearby
target instead.
2
SLOTS
AU#7
8 Chipped
8 & rattles annoyingly
9 Slimey
9 & a strange shape
10 Shiny
10 and with a animal carving
11 Sticky
11 with a battle cry carving
12 Soggy
12 & uncomfortable
Long Sword
UNIQUE PROPERTIES
Roll a d10 in each column
1
Rusty
2 Simple
d6 Damage
Long Sword
d8 Damage
1 & moss covered
2 & poorly maintained
3 Ugly
3 & blood stained
4 Twisted
4 with a colorful handle
5 Splintery
5 with someone else’s initials
6 Bent
6 with many repairs
Once per session, if you fail to hit using this
STARTING WEAPON
Dusty
7
7 & trinket covered
weapon you may switch positions with your target.
2
HANDS
Once per session, if you fail to hit using
this weapon you may boost your Armor
Value by +2 for 6 seconds.
3
SLOTS
AU#8
8 Chipped
8 & rattles annoyingly
9
9 & a strange shape
Slimey
10 Shiny
10 and with a animal carving
11 Sticky
11 with a battle cry carving
12 Soggy
12 & uncomfortable
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�. Dungeoneering Gear
It’s a dangerous and unforgiving world out there, who knows what you might
need. In preparation for your adventure you’ve managed to acquire a couple
of other odds and ends you might
find useful.
Roll once on the following tables and add the results to your Backpack.
The Local Tavern (d12)
General Store (d20)
1
Flask or Interesting Book
1
Rope (50ft)
2
Bottle of Ale or Wine
2
Chalk or Shovel
3
One Day of Rations
3
Soap or Bear Trap
4
Candle
4
Torch
5
Dice Set or Deck of Cards
5
Lantern + Oil
6
Mirror or Something Fake
6
Bucket
7
Grappling Hook or Caltrops
7
Flint & Steel
8
Sling & Ten Ball Bearings
8
Wine or Bedroll
9
Marbles or Cigarettes (12)
9
Parchment, Quill & Ink
10 Unusual Item of Clothing
10 Crowbar or Spikes (5)
11 A Musical Instrument
11 Facepaint or String
12 Lockpicks or Spyglass
12 Hammer or Matches (12)
13 Whistle or Pick
Third-Hand Armor (d10)
14 Blanket
1-7 Nothing
15 Fishing Rod
8
Unflattering Helmet
16 One Day of Rations
9
Shield with Animal Painting
17 Cooking Pots
10 Itchy Leather Armor
18 Net or Something Gross
19 Glue or Grease
20 Tent or Mule (+5 Slots)
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�. Koppa
Items and services not traded for are bought with tiny pearlescent coins, called
Koppa.
You start with Koppa equal to your Intelligence x 6. Record your Koppa in your
Backpack.
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�. Previous Occupation
Before becoming an Adventurer what was your previous occupation? This
occupation can be anything, be creative! Add an item to your Backpack you
would regularly use on the job.
For ideas, roll on the Occupations table below.
Occup a t ions
(d20 & d4)
1
16
3
4
1
Alchemist
Brewer
2
Arsonist
Tour Guide
2
Beggar
Paymaster
Scout
Cave Explorer
3
Butcher
Wilderness Guide Hireling
Bee Keeper
4
Bandit
Engineer
Toy Maker
Puppeteer
5
Charlatan
Painter
Bird Keeper
Animal Handler
6
Cleric
Priest
Ghost Hunter
Linguist
7
Cook
Town Planner
Shepherd
Pirate
8
Cultist
Farmer
Diplomat
Leathersmith
9
Gambler
Wood Carver
Navigator
Cheesemaker
10 Herbalist
Caretaker
Warden
Courier
11 Magician
Urchin
Debt Collector
Bookie
12 Zoologist
Soldier
Captain
Damsel
13 Calligrapher
Poet
Fisherman
Arcane Assistant
14 Merchant
Bookseller
Possessed
Archaeologist
15 Outlaw
Bodyguard
Counterfeiter
Gardener
16 Singer
Bartender
Nomad
Coffin Maker
17 Pickpocket
Trader
Quest Giver
Fire Breather
18 Smuggler
Collector
Professor
Dreamer
19 Student
Tavern Brawler
Kidnapper
Squire
20 Tracker
Dancer
Story Teller
Dragon Breeder
�. Appearance
What do you look like? Choosing one or two defining features that are easy to
remember is a great way to get other Adventures familiar with you.
For ideas, roll on the Appearance table below.
Appe aran ce
(d20 & d4)
1
2
3
4
1
Athletic
Bloated
Burned
Fungusy
2
Brawny
Bony
War Paint
Slimy
3
Corpulent
Chiseled
Bald
Bright
4
Delicate
Delicate
Curly
Hairy
5
Gaunt
Elongated
Filthy
Cute
6
Hulking
Hawkish
Ponytail
Ridiculous
7
Lanky
Broken
Mohawk
Pale
8
Ripped
Impish
Eccentric
Wrinkly
9
Rugged
Ratlike
Elegant
Missing Teeth
10 Scrawny
Round
Fashionable
Clean
11 Short
Sunken
Frayed
Unblinking
12 Sinewy
Soft
Rancid
Long Nose
13 Slender
Square
Torn
Rotting
14 Flabby
Scars
Spiny
Glowing
15 Statuesque
Birthmark
Lumpy
Forgettable
16 Sweaty
Makeup
Swishy
Silky
17 Tiny
Pierced
Floppy Hat
Translucent
18 Towering
Tattoos
Droopy
Decorative
19 Willowy
Rosy
Beautiful
Sigils
20 Wiry
Weathered
Twisted
Beady Eyes
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��. Armor Value
Armor Value (AV) represents your ability to defend yourself from an attack.
Your Armor Value is described by the armor you are wearing. If you are not
wearing armor your Armor Value is 11.
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Common Armor Types
AV
Leather Armor
(1 Slot)
12
Studded Leather Armor
(2 Slots)
13
Chain Armor
(3 Slots, -1 Dexterity)
14
Half Plate Armor
(4 Slots, -2 Dexterity)
15
Full Plate Armor
(5 Slots, -3 Dexterity)
16
Accessories
AV
Shield
(1 Slot)
+1
Helmet
(1 Slot)
+1
Enchanted
+1
��. Ward Value
Ward Value (WV) represents your ability to
defend yourself from a magical attack.
Your Ward Value is described by the
charms you are wearing. If you are not
wearing any charms your Ward Value is 11.
Common Charm Types
AV
Market Vendor Charm
(1 Slot)
12
Hedge Witch Charms
(1 Slot)
13
Blessed Charm
(1 Slot)
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��. A Helping Hand
Roll a d4 for every Ability of 1 you have.
If you roll any multiples of the same
number, you find a Treasure with a title
described by the Helping Hand table.
Otherwise add the dice results together
and gain that value in Koppa.
Helping Hand
Multiples
Title
1, 1
Master of the Elements
2, 2
So, You Want To Be a Wizard?
3, 3
Ocular Olfactory Omens
4, 4
Meta Magic for Beginners
1, 1, 1
Mysteries of Mirrors
2, 2, 2
The Magic of Art Vol II
3, 3, 3
Forbidden Knowledge
4, 4, 4
Mutant Maker
1, 1, 1, 1
Gods and Deities
2, 2, 2, 2
Time & Untime
3, 3, 3, 3
Magical Maintenance
4, 4, 4, 4
Lost Magic
19
Playing The Game
The rules in this chapter are the foundation of Arcane Ugly and everything a
Gamesmaster should read before playing. First time Gamesmasters may find
learning these rules daunting, but remember the most important thing is to have
fun and keep the game moving—if you are unsure on a rule, improvise and look it
up later.
Abilities
Each of an Adventurer’s four Abilities are used in different circumstances.
Strength: Used for melee attacks and tests requiring physical power such as
lifting gates and bending bars. Strength is also used to resist poison, sickness
and cold.
Dexterity: Used for ranged attacks and tests requiring poise, speed, and
reflexes like dodging, climbing, sneaking, picking pockets and balancing.
Intelligence: Used for tests requiring concentration, perception and precision,
such as recalling information, navigating, searching, crafting and tinkering.
Weird: Used for tests requiring an understanding of magic and the arcane, such
as casting spells and using alien technology.
Ability Tests
If an Adventurer attempts something
other than an attack where the outcome is
uncertain and failure has consequences,
they may be asked by the Gamesmaster
to make an Ability Test. To make an Ability
Test roll a d20 and add the score of the
Ability being tested. If the total is equal
to or greater than the Difficulty Rating
(DR) determined by the Gamesmaster, the
Adventurer succeeds in their task. If not,
they fail.
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Examples of Difficulty Ratings
DR 10
Easy Tasks
DR 12
Challenging Tasks
DR 15
Hard Tasks
DR 18
Very Hard Tasks
Example: An Adventurer describes attempting to scale down a steep cliff in the
rain. The Gamesmaster asks the Adventurer for a Dexterity Test. The Gamesmaster
has decided this task has a Difficulty Rating of 14 but the Adventurer rolls a 15 (A
natural roll of 13 + 2 for their Dexterity) and overcomes the challenge.
Another Adventurer attempts to do the same but rolls a 12 (11 + 1 for their Dexterity)
and fails. The Gamesmaster then describes the failure—“You climb down the cliff
with ease until half-way down your hand grabs a loose rock and you slip! You fall
about ten feet into a puddle of mud and sharp rocks. You receive d4 damage.”
Assistance
Adventurers may wish to combine their efforts to complete a single task that
requires an Ability Test. In which case add +1 to the results of an Ability Test
for each Adventurer that significantly contributes to a task. Adventurers must
describe how they are uniquely assisting the task.
Reattempting a Failed Task
It is natural for desperate Adventures to attempt a failed task over and over in
hopes for a different outcome. It is important to remember Gamesmasters are
responsible for declaring an Ability Test, not Adventurers. Gamesmasters should
only ask for an Ability Test if an outcome is unclear.
In the event an Adventurer reattempts a previously failed task, a Gamesmaster
should ask themselves “Have they gained any significant knowledge that may
help since their last attempt?” or “Are they trying something new this time?”
If the answer is yes to either consider asking for an Ability Test, if no, simply
describe what happens based on the previous outcome.
21
Challenges
When two Adventurers oppose each other in a battle of strength, speed, skill
or wit and the result is unclear it is called a Challenge. Both parties roll a d4 +
Ability and the highest result wins the conflict.
Social Challenges
Sometimes the result of a social interaction may be unclear such as one
Adventurer trying to intimidate another. In which case a Challenge takes place.
Both parties use the most applicable Ability based on their performance or an
attempt to resist/counter a performance.
Example: One Adventurer might try to intimidate with their Strength, while
another might attempt to counter using their Intelligence. An entrancing dance
might use Dexterity, an intimidating stance might use Strength, cunning
deception or charm might use Intelligence or revealing an unsettling mutation
might use Weird.
Recalled Experience
Once per session an Adventurer can recall a moment or teaching from their
Previous Occupation that might help them overcome a challenge that calls
for an Ability Test. If the Gamesmaster finds their recollection reasonable and
applicable the Adventurer gains +1 to that dice roll.
22
Injury, Healing & Death
Injury
Any number of things can cause an Adventurer to lose Hit Points—attacks
from monsters, triggered traps, falling from a height or backfired spells.
Adventurers have a tendency to get themselves into all sorts of mischief, so
as a Gamesmaster it’s not always clear how many hit points to subtract from
a player when they get hurt. As a general rule start with a d4 and add more d4
dice with each increasing level of severity.
Healing
After a meal and a full night’s rest, Adventurers regain lost Hit Points equal to a
d8 plus their Strength bonus. Resting at a safe haven restores all lost Hit Points.
Death
If an Adventurer’s Hit Points reach 0, they must immediately roll a d6. On a
5+ the Adventurer heroically lives to face another day and gains 1 Hit Point,
otherwise they are dead.
If an Adventurer reaches 0 Hit Points but lives to tell the tale they are also gifted
a Permanent Injury chosen by the Gamesmaster or rolled on the table below.
Permanent Injury (d20)
1-5
Leg Wound
-1 Dexterity
6-10
Arm Wound
-1 Strength
11-19 Organ Trauma
-1 Max HP
20
+1 Weird or -1
Intelligence
Head Trauma
23
Combat
After enough time in a dungeon Adventurers will inevitably have to defend
themselves from potential threats.
Who Attacks First?
The instigator of the combat rolls a d6. If the target of the combat was startled
add +2 to the result. On a result of 4+ the instigator and their allies have the first
turn of combat.
How Does Combat Work?
On their turn Adventurers may move their Speed and take up to one combat
action. This action may be making an attack, casting a spell, making a second
move, attempting a Stunt, or any other action deemed reasonable by the
Gamesmaster.
Rolling to Attack
Adventurers can use melee weapons to strike adjacent targets or use ranged
weapons to attack from a distance. While engaged in melee combat a ranged
weapon cannot be used.
To make an attack, roll a d20 and add the attacker’s Strength or Dexterity score,
depending on whether they are using a melee or ranged weapon, respectively.
If the attack total is equal to or greater than the defender’s Armor Value, the
attack hits. If not, the attack misses.
Rolling For Damage
If a successful attack is made, the attacker then rolls their weapon’s damage
die to determine how many Hit Points the defender loses.
Critical Hits
During an attack roll, if the attacker rolls a natural 20 (a roll of 20 before any
modifiers are applied), add an additional damage die of the weapon’s type.
Stunts
Stunts are combat maneuvers such as stunning, shoving, disarming, tripping,
sundering armor, and so on. They are resolved with an appropriate Ability Test
or Challenge determined by the Gamesmaster. They may not cause damage
directly, but may do so indirectly (for example, pushing an enemy off of a ledge).
24
Advantage
An attacker that has Advantage against their target may perform a Stunt action
and an attack action in the same round of combat.
Adventurers can gain Advantage in combat by attacking a target that is
unaware, on lower ground, off balance, disarmed, distracted, or tactically
disadvantaged in any significant way. The Gamesmaster, as usual, has the final
say.
Called Shots
If an Adventurer is attacking a giant-sized target there may be some tactical
advantage in targeting specific parts of the body with an attack (e.g. a tentacle
or feathery wings or a giant unblinking eye.
An Adventurer can announce they are attempting to target a specific part of
the body before an attack roll is made. Then resolve an attack roll as normal
dealing any damage specifically to that part of the body.
The part being targeted must be human size or larger otherwise the attack
is resolved as normal. Resolving called shots is up to the Gamesmaster’s
discretion but using an eighth of the total target’s HP is an easy way to track the
health of the targeted limb.
Cover
Defenders of an attack that are partially behind cover add +2 to their Armor
Value. Defenders with the majority of their body behind cover add +4 to their
Armor Value. Defenders entirely behind cover cannot be directly targeted by
most attacks.
Potions & Poisons
Potions and poisons must be absorbed by the body in its entirety in order to take
effect. Potions may be applied to weapons and will affect the target of an attack
if at least 1 damage has been dealt by that weapon.
Common poisons and venoms deal 1 damage per hour or 1 damage per two hours
if the affected remains unmoving.
Most poisons can be cured with an antidote kit and a DR10 Intelligence Test
unless specified otherwise.
25
Non-Adventurers
Any being, creature, ally, friend or foe controlled by the Gamesmaster is
referred to as a Non-Adventurer. Non-Adventurer could describe anything from
a talking mouse, sentient rock or colossal-sized man-eating giant.
Non-Adventurers Rules
All Non-Adventurers share the same rules as Adventurers unless specified
otherwise. Non-Adventurers perform Ability Tests, Challenges and experience
combat in the same way as an Adventurer but are controlled by the
Gamesmaster.
Why Non-Adventurers?
Many tabletop role-playing games opt to use those terms like monster, enemy
or NPC, or make distinctions between friend or foe, so why not Arcane Ugly?
Arcane Ugly wants to remind players the inhabitants of its world don’t exist to
be slain nor befriended and the distinctions and degrees between friend or foe
are determined by those playing.
Non-Adventurers For Your Game
An ever-growing collection of Non-Adventurers can be found in the chapter The
Bestiary. To make your own Non-Adventurers try modifying an entry from The
Bestiary the best suits your design or use the chapter Creating an Adventurer as
a guide.
26
Treasure
Why else would one become an Adventurer but for the Treasure? Treasure is the
lifeblood of Arcane Ugly. Treasure is power.
What is Treasure?
Treasure are the artifacts of the world that Koppa simply cannot buy. Treasure is
earned though adventure or traded for other Treasure.
When Adventurers are awarded Treasure
from a Gamesmaster, they’ll receive a card
that looks like something like this →
Keywords
Some Treasure cards have keywords
beneath the title that correspond to rules
or further information text not present on
the card. These rules are referred to as
Advanced Rules as there non-essential to
start playing Arcane Ugly and can be read
once relevant to your game. The chapter
Advanced Rules, contains rules for each
keyword found on a Treasure card.
Distributing Treasure
Gamesmasters should build a curated
deck of Treasure cards most fitting for
the adventure taking place, or based on the desires of the Adventurers.
When a reward is needed, the deck should be shuffled and drawn from by an
Adventurer.
27
Items & Shops
No doubt Adventurers will seek more items and reasources beyond their starting
equiptiment. This chapter is a collection of items and shops for Gamesmasters to
populate their world with.
Hunter’s Tools & Dungoeneering Supplies
Item
28
Koppa
Information
Basic Hand Tool
10 Hammer, file, drill, crowbar, saw,
bucket ect.
Basic Building
Material
1 Plank, tar, spike, grease, nails, glue
ect.
Hunting Tool
15 Net, tishing rod, beartrap ect.
Lifting and
Linking
10 Rope (50ft), chain (10 ft), twine (300
ft), block and tackle ect
Cookpots
10
Waterskin
5
Oilskin Trousers
5
Oilskin Bag
5
Tent (3 man)
100
Bedroll
10
Candle
1 Burns for 4 hours
Lantern
30
Lamp Oil
5 Burns for 4 hours
Torch
1 Burns for 1 hour
Tinderbox
10
Deja’s Armory
Item
Koppa
Information
Dagger, Cudgel, Sickle, Staff,
etc.
5
d6 damage, 1 slot, 1 hand
Spear, Sword, Mace, Axe, Flail,
etc.
10 d8 damage, 2 slots, 1 hand
Halberd, War Hammer, Long
Sword, Battle Axe, etc.
20 d10 damage, 3 slots, 2 hands
Sling
5 d4 damage, 1 slot, 1 hand
Bow
15 d6 damage, 2 slots, 2 hands
Crossbow
60 d8 damage, 3 slots, 2 hands
Arrows (20), Bolts (20)
5
Leather Armor
60 AV 12, 1 slot
Studded Leather Armor
500 AV 13, 2 slots
Chain Armor
1200 AV 14, 3 slots, -1 Dexterity
Half Plate Armor
4000 AV 15, 4 slots, -2 Dexterity
Full Plate Armor
8000 AV 16, 5 slots, -3 Dexterity
Shield
60 AV +1
Helmet
60 AV +1
Night Markets
Item
Koppa
Information
Market Vendor Charm
60 WV 12, 1 slot
Hedge Witch Charms
500 WV 13, 1 slot
Blessed Charm
4000 WV 14, 1 slot
Cat
100 WV +1, 1 slot
Eye Makeup
50 WV +1, 0 slot
Life Potion
60 Restores d4+2 Hit Points, only
effective once per session.
29
Sunday Market
Item
30
Thieves & Fools
Koppa
Item
Koppa
Travel rations (1 day)
5
Grappling Hook
10
Animal Feed (1 day)
2
Caltrops (bag)
10
Bacon, side of
10
Cards
5
Bread, 1 loaf
1
Fake Jewels
50
Cheese, 1 lb
2
Glass Marbles
5
Cider, 4 gallons
1
Lens
30
Lockpicks
300
Cod, whole
20
Eggs, 24
1
Mirror (small, silver)
5
Flour, 5 lbs
1
Musical Instrument
10
Fruit, 1 lb
1
Padlock and Key
10
Garlic, bunch
1
Spyglass
Grain, 1 bushel (8 gal.)
4
Set of Loaded Dice
5
Herbs, 1 bunch
1
Spiked boots
5
Lard, 5 lbs
1
Manacles
Onions, 1 bushel
8
Salt, 1 bushel
3
Spices, 1 lb
100
Sugar, 1 lb
12
Wine/ale, bottle
1
Chicken
1
Cow
100
Dog
50
Donkey (5 Slots)
300
Goat
10
Hawk
1000
Horse (10 Slots)
1000
Ox (5 Slots)
300
Pig (2 Slots)
30
1000
600
Gammy’s Garments
Item
Common Clothing
Koppa
10
Fine Clothing
50
Noble Clothing
3000
Fur Clothing
5000
Winter Clothing
100
Ab’s Academia and
Apothecary
Item
Koppa
Bottle/Vial
1
Chalk (10 pieces)
1
Holy Water
25
Incense (packet)
20
Quill and Ink
50
Book (Blank)
300
Cauldron
40
Poison
100
Antidote Kit
100
31
Items & Shops
Marvelous Magic
Item
32
Koppa
Information
Wand of
Protection
2000 Should you fail to cast a spell while
holding a Wand of Protection you may
choose to not trigger a Miscast! Event
if your casting roll is within 2 of the
spells DR.
Staff of Protection
4000 Should you fail to cast a spell while
holding a Staff of Protection you may
choose to not trigger a Miscast! Event
if your casting roll is within 5 of the
spells DR.
Wand of Sparks
4000 Spellcasting through this wand
mutates all spells and MISCAST!
Events to have a hint of lightning to
their function, appearance and sound.
Wand of Bang!
4000 Spellcasting through this wand
mutates all spells and MISCAST!
Events to have a hint of explosion to
their function, appearance and sound.
Wand of Flames
4000 Spellcasting through this wand
mutates all spells and MISCAST!
Events to have a hint of fire to their
function, appearance and sound.
Wand of Seas
4000 Spellcasting through this wand
mutates all spells and MISCAST!
Events to have a hint of water to their
function, appearance and sound.
Wand of
Toadstools
5000 Spellcasting through this wand
mutates all spells and MISCAST!
Events to have a hint of fungus to their
function, appearance and sound.
Wand of The Wild
6000 Spellcasting through this wand
mutates all spells and MISCAST!
Events to have a hint of madness to
their function, appearance and sound.
Items & Shops
Marvelous Magic
Item
Koppa
Information
Wand of Focus
5000 The DR of spells cast through this
wand are -1
Staff of Wisdom
6000 The DR of spells cast through this
wand are -2
Orb of Undoing
3000 Once per session you may ignore
the result of a Miscast! Event but not
before making a note of the would-be
outcome.
Any time you or a nearby Adventurer
would use an Orb of Undoing in this
way again, roll a d4. On a result of
4, all would-be Miscast! Events by
nearby Adventurers are executed.
If an Orb of Undoing is destroyed, all
would-be Miscast! Events from nearby
Adventures are executed.
Staff of Time
4000 You may postpone the result of a
Miscast! Event by d6 minutes.
Wand of Power
6000 The DR of spells cast through
this wand are +3. All successful
spellcasting attempts are cast at
double power.
Hat of Knowledge
1000 While wearing a Hat of Knowledge
you may use Intelligence in place of
Weird while casting a spell. Should
you fail to cast a spell while using the
Hat of Knowledge, the hat becomes
mundane.
Orb of Strength
1000 While holding an Orb of Strength you
may use Strength in place of Weird
while casting a spell. Should you fail
to cast a spell while using the Orb of
Strength, it breaks.
33
Advanced Rules
The rules in this chapter are Advanced Rules and are non-essential to start
playing Arcane Ugly. These rules can be read as you play when directed by a
Treasure card to do so.
Consumable (*)
Some Treasure is consumed upon use, perhaps eaten, destroyed in the process
or stolen by a floating hand from an interdimensional hellscape abyss.
A Treasure with the Consumable (*) keyword has a limited number of uses
denoted within the parentheses. Treasure with Consumable (1) can be used
once, Treasure with Consumable (3) can be used three times and so forth.
Lightning
While rolling to hit a target using a weapon with the Lightning keyword, roll
a d6. On a 6, a zap of lightning shoots from the weapon, and the target is
momentary stunned reducing their Speed by half for the following turn. If the
target is halfling-sized or smaller their Speed is instead reduced to 0.
Tattoo
Treasures with the Tattoo keyword must be permanently applied to an
Adventurers skin via a magical tattooist. A tattooist is never far away from the
location of which a tattoo Treasure is found.
34
Brewing
At first glance, the art of potion-making can seem like nonsensical madness,
and for the most part, is it. Few potion-makers understand the process in its
entirety and those that do typically have names that end in “the Mad”, “the
Unsound” or “The Delirious.”
Brewing Potions
To brew a potion you must have an understanding of how it is made by studying
a sample or by following a recipe. Combine all the necessary ingredients in a
boiling vessel of water and brew for four hours in the presence of the night’s sky.
The potion recipes in this section list ingredients in either quotations or in
italics. Ingredients described in quotations like “snake” mean an item with that
word in its title. Ingredients described in italics such as something furry could
be any item that fits that description.
Example: A potion asks for “spider”, “tooth” and something sharp. So an
Adventurer adds a giant spider leg, a lizard tooth and a knife to their potion.
Potion Recipes
Potion
Grow Potion
Ingredients
“chicken egg”, “spider”, “fur”, “giant”, “wing”, “human
skull”, yellow flower, shiny blue object.
Essence of Great “giant”, “slug”, “chicken skin”, “tooth”, “bat spleen”,
Slug Skin
“dried moss”, “blood”, root of a tree.
Odd Milk
“milk”, “stomach”, “clock”, a rare insect, something you
love.
Pin Toad Venom
“dreamcatcher”, “wing”, “lamp oil”, something toad
shaped that is not a toad, gills of a large water creature.
Potion of The
Twisted Hand
“hand”, “dung”, “star”, “twine”, a secret from a stranger,
heart from something with exactly six limbs.
Potion of
Undoing
“lock”, “key”, “tentacle”, “acid”, “dead”, a rare tool,
something stolen.
35
Spellbook
Spells
A Treasure with the Spellbook keyword allows an Adventurer to cast a spell. The
Treasure will list four locked spells, unable to be cast until unlocked. Upon first
touch one spell is randomly unlocked determined by a d4. All spells and their
effects can be found in The Arcane Library chapter.
Casting Spells
To cast an unlocked spell, an Adventurer must succeed its described Ability Test
or a Miscast! Event is triggered. Every spell has its own Miscast! Event, which is
described below the spell.
Unwilling Targets
If the spell is cast upon an unwilling target, the Ability Test result must be equal
to or greater than the target’s Ward Value. If not, the spell is still cast but spell
misses the target.
Dueling
As a reaction to having a spell flung at them the target of a spell may increase
their Ward Value by in-return casting a spell to defend themselves. The spell
must be successfully cast at a higher Ability Test result than the opposing
caster’s Ability Test result. The Adventurer must be able to describe why their
spell can counter the opposing spell e.g. “My water spell will turn the fire spell
into steam”. Spells cast in this way can still trigger a MISCAST!.
FAQ
Q. Can you elect to fail casting a spell instead of rolling in order to trigger a
Miscast!?
A. Are you mad!? Yes.
36
37
Treasury
Potion of Undoing
Mr. Hungry
d6 Damage.
Heal 1 Hit Point every time this weapon
successfuly damages a target.
1
HAND
1
SLOT
AU#83
38
CONSUMABLE (1), POTION
The gray sludge inside this jar appears
to be alive.
This concoction will unlock all nonmagical locks. Simple mechanisms can
take d4-minutes to unlock while complex
mechanisms can take 4d6-minutes.
2
HANDS
2
SLOTS
AU#26
Key to the Other Basement
Wand of Fire
Spellcasting through this wand mutates
all spells and MISCAST! Events to have a
hint of fire to their function, appearance
and sound.
1
HAND
1
By finding this key, you will soon
discover a secret room in your favourite
tavern known only to you. The finder of
this key is also granted unquestionable
ownership of that room.
AU#1
AU#89
Map of Nowhere In Particular
Forbidden Knowledge
2
HANDS
1
SLOT
AU#3
1
SLOT
SLOT
CONSUMABLE (1)
Upon spoken request this tattered map
reveals a secret passage in a nearby
location. If no secret passage exists, one
is created.
1
HAND
SPELLBOOK
Forbidden Knowledge of Body & Mind
Written by Gaius Rego, a book never
meant to be found.
Contains spells: Exquisite Corpse,
Harden Skin, Split Self and Limb
(Re)attachment.
1
HAND
1
SLOT
AU#63
39
Arcane Library
Eat To Transform
Bear Lobber
DR20 | Range: Self | Duration: Instant
You must eat a feature of a creature in its
entirety. Within 1 hour that feature will grow
on your body.
DR14 | Range: 20ft | Duration: Instant
You summon giant catapult from which a
single black bear is thrown.
Miscast!
Miscast!
Follow the Miscast Event:
What Have I Become!?
Follow the Miscast Event:
Magical Scraps
SPELLS #27
40
Black Bear
Strength 2, Dexterity 2, Intelligence 2, Weird 0
Hit Points: 10, Speed: 40ft, Armor Value: 14,
Ward Value: 12, Slots: 4.
Combat Actions:
Rip & Tear: Melee damage, 2d4 damage.
SPELLS #37
Exquisite Corpse
Harden Skin
DR14 | Range: Self | Duration: 10min
You summon a lifeless body into existence.
You have no control over the size, species
or (likely obseen) appearance of the body.
DR14 | Range: Self | Duration: 30min
Your skin toughens and your pain threshold
rises. The weight of your own body seems to
double. Your Armor Value and Ward Value
increases by 2 and your Dexterity score
decreases by 1.
This spell can be cast at DR 19 to animate
the summoned body to follow a 3 word
command.
Miscast!
Miscast!
Follow the Miscast Event:
Dead.
Follow the Miscast Event:
Who Am I?
SPELLS #9
SPELLS #10
Split Self
Limb (Re)attachment
DR14 | Range: Self | Duration: Instant
You feel your negative emotions tear
themselves away from your soul. These
negative emotions manifest themselves as
an physical, functioning and near-identical
copy of you.
DR14 | Range: Self | Duration: Instant
You may reattach a limb to yourself or any
being and it will function.
Miscast!
This spell can be cast at DR 19 to attach any
limb to any being and have it function as
intended.
Miscast!
Follow the Miscast Event:
Forbidden Texts For a Reason
Follow the Miscast Event:
Dead.
SPELLS #11
SPELLS #12
41
Miscast! Events
Miscast Event!
The Elements Have Gone Mad!
You loose control of the magic you attempt to harness, your body turns hot,
then cold, then weightless and then you feel nothing at all—before:
d20 + Weird
1-5
The spell you’ve attempted to cast has grown wild and is entirely
out of your control. With the assistance of the Games Master roll
on the Narrative Table below. Create a narrative that severely
hinders, both you and your party using each of the keywords
rolled.
6-18
The spell you’ve attempted to cast has grown wild and feels nearly
impossible to control. With the assistance of the Games Master
roll on the Narrative Table below. Create a narrative that hinders,
both you and your party using each of the keywords rolled.
19+
The spell you’ve attempted to cast has grown wild and
unpredictable but you attempt to harness it. With the assistance
of the Games Master roll on the Narrative Table below. Create a
narrative that assists you in accomplishing a goal using each of
the keywords rolled.
Narrative Table: The Elements Have Gone Mad! d6, d6, d6
42
1
Fire
1
Colorful
1
Explosion
2
Water
2
Odd-shaped
2
Steal
3
Wind
3
Dusty
3
Swap
4
Darkness
4
Sticky
4
Chase
5
Earth
5
Twisted
5
Destroy
6
Heal
6
Fragile
6
Mutation
Miscast Event!
Put It Out!
You loose control of the magic you attempt to harness, your body turns hot,
then cold, then weightless and then you feel nothing at all—before:
d20 + Weird
1
You feel yourself burning from the inside. Pain travels up through
your arms, to your chest and eventually, the pain is so much you
can't feel anything at all. You receive 4d10 damage.
2-10
You create a stream of water.
11
You create a herd of flaming cats.
12-13 You create a:
Flaming Bull
Strength 3, Dexterity 1, Intelligence 0, Weird 3
Hit Points: 10, Speed: 50ft, Armor Value: 13, Ward Value: 13, Slots: 4
Combat Actions:
Charge: Melee attack, 2d4 damage.
14
You create a d4 bonfires.
15
You cause fire to rain from the sky. d8 individual balls of fire may
be directed anywhere within 100ft. Fireballs may be dodged by
succeeding a DR11 Dexterity Test otherwise they deal d6 damage.
16
You create a giant magical explosion 10ft wide in a location of your
choosing within 50ft. Those inside the giant explosion are dealt
d4 damage.
17-19 For 1 hour upon command a 10ft stream flames shoot from your
finger tips. This can be used an attack action using Dexterity
dealing d4 damage.
20+
You summon a:
Baby Dragon
Strength 3, Dexterity 3, Intelligence 3, Weird 3
Hit Points: 20, Speed: 50ft, Armor Value: 15, Ward Value: 15, Slots: 4
Combat Actions:
Rip & Tear: Melee attack, 2d4 damage.
Firebeath: Range attack, 25ft, d6 damage.
43
Miscast Event!
Magical Scraps
You loose control of the magic you attempt to harness, your body turns hot,
then cold, then weightless and then you feel nothing at all—before:
d20 + Weird
1-2
You are the sworn enemy of all birds for 7 days.
3-4
Mundane creatures that aren’t birds are now birds.
5-6
You summon d100 big toes, bowls of soup, sword handles or
coffins. (d4)
7-8
You are unable to blink unless a conscious effort is made.
9-10
You’re now dying of hunger or thirst.
11-12
The day in the middle of the week is now universally named
something else.
13-16 Something important that happened today, didn’t happen.
17+
44
You unknowingly create a wild tornado that will encounter in d100
minutes. Any creature within 15ft must pass a Dexterity or Strength
DR12 test or be sucked into the tornado. Creatures within 5ft
must pass a Dexterity or Strength DR15 test or be sucked into the
tornado. Creatures within the tornado are dealt d4 damage every
round of combat (or every 6 seconds).
Miscast Event!
What Have I become!?
You loose control of the magic you attempt to harness, your body turns hot,
then cold, then weightless and then you feel nothing at all—before:
d20 + Weird
1
Your hands swap sides or all fingers move to one hand. -1
Dexterity
2
A limb turns to stone. -1 Dexterity or -1 Strength
3
Your arm falls off an scuttles away. -1 Dexterity or -1 Strength
4
You are now cube shaped.
5
You glow blue, always.
6
Your face becomes that of an animal you dislike.
7
You loose a finger, toe, ear or tooth. (d4)
8
Your hair falls out, turns white, grows furiously or turns curly. (d4)
9
Your mouth doubles in size.
10
Your hands are always covered in ink.
11
You shrink by 10%, shrink by 25%, grow by 10% or grow by 25%.
(d4)
12
You are now the tallest being within 100ft.
13
Your skin sheds and gains random splotches of irregular colors.
14
Your pupils become lizard-like and you can only see in black and
white.
15
You face swaps with someone else's far away.
16
During this session everywhere you step is now wet and your
constantly cold.
17
During this session everything you touch feels sticky and your
hands seep ooze.
18
Your face becomes that of an animal you like.
19
Edible (but vile) mushrooms now forever grow on your skin.
20+
Your skin grows scales increasing your Armor Value by +1.
45
Bestiary
Sad Jacks
Strength
3
Dexterity
1
Intelligence
1
Weird
3
Hit Points: 10
Speed: 40ft
Armor Value: 12
Ward Value: 13
Slots: 1
Combat Actions:
▸ Bludgeon: Melee attack, d8
damage.
46
These guys live underground and don’t
enjoy it. Said to be the spirits of lost
Adventurers who travelled too deep and
could not get home. Their low blubbering
can be heard through the tunnels, only
stopping as they attack with cries of
“take me home.”
Small and slow, they will usually attack
in groups of three. They will use their
massive mouths to hold Adventurers
down while they bludgeon them.
Erik
Strength
0
Dexterity
0
Intelligence
2
Weird
1
Hit Points: 40
Speed: 1ft
Armor Value: 14
Ward Value: 14
Slots: 1
Combat Actions:
▸ Squish: Melee attack, d4
damage. Erik is now on his side
unable to stand back up until a
DR19 Dexterity test is passed.
In the depths of the forest hides a
sizable lump of fluff. It huffs. When
Erik signed up for life as a monster he
pictured infamy and striking fear in
villager’s eyes as he tore them to shreds.
Instead, he has found himself at the
bottom of the monster pecking order,
the boxing bag for the other, stronger
beasts.
47
Bestiary
Sainted Yeti
Strength
4
Dexterity
1
Intelligence
4
Weird
5
Hit Points: 60
Speed: 40ft
Armor Value: 14
Ward Value: 14
Slots: 25
Combat Actions:
▸ Silent Walk: Make a Move action
that is absolutely silent.
▸ Devour: Melee attack , d6+2
damage.
Slots:
▸ d10+5 survival themed items
▸ 1 survival themed Treasure
48
Through the falling snow and frozen fog
you begin to see a silhouette. Surely
nothing could survive on the sides of
these mountains at this elevation. A
large hairy creature dressed in a clean
robe takes shape, its appearance
causes fear, but its demeanor is calm
and inviting. The Yeti will offer you food
and survival equipment, which they
retrieve from inside their robe, and give
it at no cost. Exactly 66mins later the
yeti will attack anyone who accepted
a gift, and retrieve their items to place
under its robe.
Spud
Strength
1
Dexterity
3
Intelligence
1
Weird
3
Hit Points: 4
Speed: 60ft
Armor Value: 11
Ward Value: 11
Slots: 2
“Look like yummy shroomy b-on’t taste
too great, too bony.” - Bork The Orc
Combat Actions:
▸ Sneeze: A spray of spores
paralyses all targets within 10ft if
they fail a DR10 Dexterity Test.
▸ Fast: Can perform 2 Combat
Actions as 1.
▸ Punch: Melee attack, 2 damage
▸ Kick: Melee attack, 2 damage
49
World Building
Magic
For centuries the art of magic was lost to man, in a blink of an eye; it vanished.
But something like magic could never be lost forever, it’s just not how these
things work. One day, suddenly, like little seeds planted all over the world, the
arcane texts, the study books, the rune inscribed artifacts, the sigil covered
tomes—they all began to grow. Not grow in a literal sense, but instead, the
words on the pages transformed; the runes, the sigils, the diagrams and charts
themselves—all became magic. Through these artifacts spells once lost, could
again be cast—but this is young magic, wild magic, insatiable, unpredictable
magic—it comes with a risk as much as a reward.
Gods
The greatest of the Gods, Her, created a perfect world, well not at first, but over
time it just sort of worked itself out. When Her grew bored of this world in all
its perfection, they destroyed it but not before collecting 100 or so of the most
interesting inhabitants.
Her created a second world on the ruins of the first and made the 100 or so
recused inhabitants into Gods to make the world as they wish.
Her, watched.
The Three Witches
Three Giant Witches stir a bubbling brew in the center of the earth. This brew is
the embodiment of magic. This magic is pure, this magic is wild and this magic
corrupts.
It is said that the further below the world’s surface you explore the weirder and
wilder it becomes.
50
Node
Nodes are giant magical contraptions and a gift of Her to the Gods that walk the
world of Arcane Ugly.
Nodes allow Gods to express themselves and shape parts of the world and its
rules to their own design.
A rule might be “The creation of black power is impossible.” Or “The sun never
sets” or “Floating islands exist here”.
The rules of a Node are enforced by ancient and otherworldly magic and are
impossible to break unless the Node is destroyed or it’s rules are changed.
By design, changing the rules of a Node is difficult and requires powerful,
magical energy, typically reserved for Gods.
Nodes are typically hidden or well guarded. Some Nodes have been abandoned,
some Nodes have been lost. Some Nodes have been taken over.
Nodes in Your Game
Before a game of Arcane Ugly starts, a Gamesmaster and Adventurers should
discuss the Node of the region they’re about to adventure in. The rules of
the Node should be a group decision, led by the Gamesmaster. All players
must agree and feel comfortable with the rules of the Node before the game
continues.
Ruins
Remnants of an old civilizational can be found scattered throughout the world
you adventure. These remnants might be arcane treasures, strange places or
even very, very occasionally and against all odds, ancient beings. These ruins
are often an Adventures motivation to... well, adventure.
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