DESIGNED BY
ILLUSTRATED BY
J.D. Maxwell
Per Janke
Grimwild is designed to grow with its community. Both Grimwild and Moxie are open licensed,
with all text in this book under CC-BY, free for personal or commercial use—for adventures, rules
supplements, or entirely new games! You can use the logo below to indicate compatibility.
Learn more: odditypress.com/licensing
You can find playsheets, the Discord server, and updates on the next printing of the book on our site:
odditypress.com
Grimwild wouldn't be what it is without its community of contributors. Endless thanks
to all who helped: Aleksandar Saranac, Alex Reynolds, Alexandru Seinedin, Andrew Eaton,
Archer Whitman, Benji Tham, Betsy Brinkerhoff, Blake a.k.a zzyzx, Cassandra Frey, Christopher
Umali-Lam, Cinna Store, Clinton Pong, Colton Janisch, Denis Gusarov, Felix-Antoine G,
Gatien Manzac, Harakeke, Jack Mann, Jackson Cassidy, June Bloom, Kyle Roderick, Luke
Saunders, Mads Marturin, Mark Eckenrode, Matthew Kessler, Michael Joseph, Michael Villaronga, MilleVitasVixi, Mitchell Stevenson, Noel Warford, Olin Kirkland, Owen Townsend,
Vesper Silverflame, Victor Turner, Walter Weingard, Zach LaBounty, and zemrx.
Grimwild © 2024 by J.D. Maxwell and Oddity Press, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
Grimwild is based on Moxie © 2024 by J.D. Maxwell and Oddity Press, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
All art, layout, and design in this book is © 2024 Oddity Press.
First Edition, Version 1.0 (January 2025)
CONTENTS
CHAPTER 1: GAMEPLAY ��������������������������5
CHAPTER 2: GM TOOLKIT����������������������29
Getting Started����������������������������������������6
GM Rules ������������������������������������������������ 30
Gameplay Overview�������������������������������� 7
Hit With Impact������������������������������������ 30
Playing with Moxie ���������������������������������� 8
Story Moves �����������������������������������������31
Example Character Sheet���������������������� 10
Suspense Moves������������������������������������ 32
Core Rules ���������������������������������������������� 12
Impact Moves���������������������������������������� 33
Teamwork���������������������������������������������� 12
Challenges ������������������������������������������ 34
Dice Rolls�����������������������������������������������13
Vigilance ���������������������������������������������� 36
Diminishing Pools ���������������������������������13
Combat Kit�������������������������������������������� 38
Vantage ������������������������������������������������ 14
Running Combats �������������������������������� 39
Character Details �������������������������������� 14
Factions������������������������������������������������40
Creative Freedom�����������������������������������15
GM with Moxie ������������������������������������ 41
Story Arcs ���������������������������������������������15
Example of Play������������������������������������ 42
Damage�������������������������������������������������� 16
Recovery������������������������������������������������ 16
Odds & Ends�������������������������������������������17
Before & After Sessions �����������������������17
Spellcasting�������������������������������������������� 18
Touchstones������������������������������������������ 19
Rituals ���������������������������������������������������21
Treasure�������������������������������������������������� 22
Arcana �������������������������������������������������� 23
Examples of Play ������������������������������������ 24
CHAPTER 3: ADVENTURERS������������������47
Starting a Campaign ������������������������������ 47
Adventurer Paths ���������������������������������� 48
Character Creation�������������������������������� 49
Backgrounds ���������������������������������������� 50
Paths & Talents�������������������������������������� 52
Bard �������������������������������������������������������� 54
Berserker ������������������������������������������������ 56
Cleric ������������������������������������������������������ 58
Druid��������������������������������������������������������60
Fighter ���������������������������������������������������� 62
Monk�������������������������������������������������������� 64
Paladin���������������������������������������������������� 66
Ranger ���������������������������������������������������� 68
Rogue ������������������������������������������������������ 70
Sorcerer�������������������������������������������������� 72
Warlock�������������������������������������������������� 74
Wizard ���������������������������������������������������� 76
BUY GRIMWILD TO
UNLOCK THIS CHAPTER
CHAPTER 4: EXPLORATION ������������������79
CHAPTER 7: EXTRAS �����������������������������137
Exploring the Grimwild?������������������������ 79
Flavors of Fantasy ������������������������������� 137
The Three Realities ��������������������������������80
GM Tools �����������������������������������������������138
Seasons���������������������������������������������������� 81
Fiction Pillars �������������������������������������138
Exploration System�������������������������������� 82
Token Initiative�����������������������������������138
Region Maps������������������������������������������ 84
Enemy Tactics���������������������������������������139
Site Maps������������������������������������������������ 86
Character Options���������������������������������142
Settlement Maps ���������������������������������� 87
Group-Building Questions �����������������142
Exploration Crucibles���������������������������� 88
Distinctive Features ���������������������������143
Thieves' Cant �������������������������������������� 144
CHAPTER 5: MONSTERS ������������������������ 91
Artificer���������������������������������������������� 146
Monsters A ~ Z���������������������������������������� 92
Psion �����������������������������������������������������148
Various Arcana ������������������������������������ 150
CHAPTER 6: STORY KITS���������������������� 119
Minor Arcana�������������������������������������� 150
A Plague of Goblins������������������������������ 120
Major Arcana���������������������������������������154
The Masquerade ����������������������������������� 121
Mythic Arcana�������������������������������������158
The Bloodpits�����������������������������������������122
Solo Play �����������������������������������������������162
The Fall of Bastion�������������������������������123
Solo Party Mode ���������������������������������163
The Bacchanal���������������������������������������124
Designer Notes ������������������������������������ 164
The Witchfire War �������������������������������125
The Quiet Winter�����������������������������������126
Beacons of Gloomdale �������������������������127
Wanderstone�����������������������������������������128
The Bleeding Tree ���������������������������������129
The Grand Hunt������������������������������������ 130
Shacklemine Breakout ������������������������� 131
GRIMWILD HARDCOVER
WAITING LIST
Pirates of Blightwater �������������������������132
The Thornwatch ����������������������������������� 133
JOIN THE DISCORD
The Starving God-thing�����������������������134
CHECK OUR NEXT PROJECT
GAMEPLAY ◈
CHAPTER 1
GAMEPLAY
WHAT IS GRIMWILD?
Grimwild is a game of cinematic fantasy adventure.
You go on quests, delve into dungeons, and explore
the wilderness. It’s set in a world of your choosing,
or one you create together—the key being it's a
world in need of adventurers. Grimwild isn't a setting. That's up to you. This game gives you the
rules, monsters, and adventurers to play a campaign in that setting that feels like a fun, ensemble cast TV series, each session a new episode.
Things get dramatic. You're rewarded for playing
into your traits in ways that complicate the situation, giving good reason to think in-character
and sometimes picking the less than optimal
path. Inevitably, sparks fly, leading to in-fighting
between protagonists, just like any great story
with characters driven by their own motivations.
This is all cleanly resolved with quarrels—a simple
roll to move things forward, encouraging and
providing a release valve for this friction!
Gameplay flows smoothly. The rules resolve actions
quickly, favoring the dramatic over the realistic.
They provide a strong framework to pace the
game, manage tension, and create great scenes.
They give significant creative freedom to add set
dressing and even larger details into scenes to
play off of, keeping the story moving forward and
prioritizing common sense over detailed tracking.
The story is a maelstrom of dice rolls and fun ideas.
From all this pushing and pulling on the narrative,
storylines and side plots emerge. In spite of the
tension, the choices you make about your party's
arcs and the characters growing together over
time give compelling reason to stay together and
focused. It's a TV show that you're the main characters of, messy and fun and full of surprises.
The story is character-driven. As players, you work
together to decide your adventuring party's identity, then make characters that fit well within it.
You set your group arcs, then choose your own
character arcs, broad themes that give you experience when you bring them into play and help
steer the story.
Characters are revealed through play. You start
with a clear concept that fits well within your
party, but you don't necessarily need all of the
details upfront—focus on what sounds fun to
bring into play. You can always use the tools the
game gives you to add details about your past
and connect the dots as they come up, leaving
plenty of space to grow together into a cohesive,
colorful party.
5
GAMEPLAY
GETTING STARTED
Grimwild's a tabletop roleplaying game, which
this book assumes you're familiar with. The basics aren't covered here, but there are plenty of
resources online and you can always join our
Discord community to ask questions. Visit us at
odditypress.com to join.
Thematically, Grimwild draws heavily on the heroic fantasy of Dungeons & Dragons and wears this
influence on its sleeve. It’s especially rooted in
modern D&D, from 3rd edition onwards. Inspiration was also taken from Dungeon World and its
many descendents, like Unlimited Dungeons, Chasing Adventure, Homebrew World, and Stonetop.
Mechanically, the Moxie system that Grimwild is
built on draws from a variety of character-driven
games, with the biggest influences being Burning
Wheel, Cortex Prime, Blades in the Dark, and Fate.
TO PLAY, YOU NEED:
CONVENTIONS IN THIS BOOK
◆ Players: You need one person as the game-
◆ System Terms: These are bolded when first
master (GM) and some players, ideally three
or four. Guidelines for solo and duet play are
in Ch. 7: Extras.
introduced or when clarity is needed. Otherwise, they're not specifically styled. Emphasis
is shown with italics, sometimes boldly. The
index includes definitions of most terms.
◆ Time: Sessions work best at 3 hours. For longer
sessions, consider using downtime (pg. 16) to
break them up and reset per-session rules.
◆ Pools: In Grimwild, "pool" always refers to
diminishing pools (pg. 13), differing from its
broader use in other RPGs.
◆ Rules: All players should know the core rules,
including GM rules. They're short, free, and
referenced on the sheets. It makes play go
much more smoothly.
◆ D66 Tables: These are 6x6 random tables. Roll
re-read them again. They'll make more sense.
2d6: one die for the tens place, the other for
the ones place (e.g., 1 and 3 is 13 or 31). Look at
both results (13 = column 1, row 3; 31 = column
3, row 1) and choose the one that grabs you.
◆ Dice: Each player needs 4-6 d6s, notated as
◆ Crucibles: These are d66 tables that provide a
◆ Understanding: Read the rules once, then
few words to smash together for inspiration.
Interpret them literally or figuratively. Re-roll
if needed.
d (e.g., 2d, 4d), and 2-4 d8s, called thorns and
notated as t (e.g., 1t, 3t). The GM needs 8 d6s.
◆ Sheets: Character, GM, and reference sheets
are available at odditypress.com or drivethrurpg.
com. Links to supported VTTs and online tools
are on the website. A smaller version of the
blank character sheet can be found in the back.
◆ The Reader: This book addresses the reader as
◆ Safety: To help everyone feel comfortable with
are the core Moxie system. Those pages will
be marked with this logo in the bottom-right.
"you," typically from the player perspective. In
Chapter 3, "you" is the GM perspective.
◆ Made with Moxie: Most of chapters 1 and 2
the themes within your campaigns, use the
TTRPG Safety Toolkit: bit.ly/ttrpgsafetytoolkit.
6
CHAPTER 1
GAMEPLAY ◈
GAMEPLAY OVERVIEW
Grimwild is built with the Moxie cinematic toolkit, a tabletop RPG ruleset that focuses on cinematic
action and character-driven gameplay. Below is how the key parts tie together and an intro to the
game's terms. The rules are explained throughout chapters 1 and 2, followed by examples of play.
SETTING UP THE GAME
RUNNING THE GAME
As a group, form an adventuring party by choosing a few key words that clearly say what your party is and what it's not. Your PCs have already adventured together, each fitting into the party
concept in some way. This cuts right to the story
in progress, ready to jump into your next adventure.
As the GM, present dilemmas and drama, then
let the players come up with solutions. Keep the
spotlight moving to give everyone screen time
and prompt the players to describe their actions.
Map the fiction to rules, and make rulings to fill
in gaps. Open the door wide for collaboration and
enjoy the story.
Make characters by choosing two backgrounds
that reflect your past, like your heritage and professions, along with an adventurer path that grants
a powerful core talent. Assign stats, traits, and
desires, then forge bonds with the other PCs. Establish group and character story arcs, which you
play towards to drive the story.
Use GM moves as tools and guiding principles
to act as the world and pace the story. Impact
moves hit the PCs with direct consequences. They
require prompting from foreshadowing, grim
rolls, or by spending suspense, gained from making suspense moves or holding off on making a
prompted impact move.
PLAYING THE GAME
Make story rolls to disclaim decision-making
and use the GM crucible to help come up with
ideas. Control the camera to create a cinematic
feel, zooming in and out on what’s important.
Use diminishing pools to create and track tension
and challenges to represent the toughest, most
interesting obstacles PCs face.
As a player, describe what your character thinks,
feels, and does. When you try something risky,
you make an action roll. When the GM puts you
in direct danger, you make a defense roll. You
can also make a montage roll to skip past parts
you don’t want to play out in detail. Rolls are made
with a handful of d6s equal to a stat, keeping the
highest to set the outcome: perfect, messy, or
grim. Rolling two 6s is a critical and you choose
a bonus. Difficulty and damage add one or more
d8s called thorns to your roll, which might cut
the outcome down a level. If a grim gets cut, it’s
a disaster and things get really bad for you!
Use your creative freedom to add set dressing to
scenes to play off of, and a narrative currency
called story to declare significant story details
to push the fiction. Earn spark by introducing
character-related complications called tangles
and facing adversity, then spend it to gain a bonus on rolls.
After each session, you earn experience (XP) towards increasing in level, which grants new talents.
7
GAMEPLAY
PLAY WITH MOXIE
Grimwild is built with the Moxie ruleset and designed for cinematic gameplay. The heart of that is
narrative collaboration. It's all about creating a shared imagination space, managing the spotlight, and
diving into narration. The rules will get you halfway there—they're all pointing towards keeping the
pace flowing quickly and the action dramatic. The other half is in your hands, the players at the
table, and the attitude you all approach the game with.
PLAY CINEMATICALLY
Trust in the collaborative process. Everyone at the
table adds details into the story. You have to work
together and play off of each other or the game,
and the story you're telling, will fall flat.
Tell us what it looks like, before and after your rolls.
Give details about what you do, don’t just leave
it at broad statements. Zoom in and out. Use the
camera to show things outside of your own character as well—pan around, cut to other scenes,
and describe NPCs. Invoke cinematic vibes and
create great scenes.
Use the camera, your shared imagination. Each
player has two perspectives, from your character
and as the audience watching this TV show. Use
the camera and vivid description to paint a cool
scene in everyone's mind.
PLAY IN GOOD FAITH
Know the rules. Everyone can get a copy of the
game PDF (it's free!). The rules say a lot about the
types of stories to be told with the game, and the
less time you spend talking about the rules, the
more time you have for roleplaying. Making a
cheat sheet on rules you often forget can be a big
help, or even just skimming the book pre-game.
Don’t be a weasel. Do what your character would
do, then let the GM map it back to the rules. Don’t
overdo it trying to work your way into better rolls.
The fun is letting the story flow naturally. When
you ask the rules what happens next, follow
where it points with enthusiasm.
Separate player and character knowledge. It’s more
fun when everyone knows what’s going on in the
game. Don’t keep secrets from each other, keep
them from characters. As a player, be aware of
what your character knows and doesn’t know and
play towards both.
Use the meta-channel sparingly. This is conversation about the game between players. It’s unavoidable, but minimize it to keep that shared
imagination in sync at the table. For anything
longer than a quick question, call for a pause to
talk things through, a clean break point to resume
from later.
8
CHAPTER 1
GAMEPLAY ◈
PLAY TO TELL A STORY
Think of the game as a series of improv prompts,
posed by yourselves and the rules. When you
respond to them, consider the following:
Work the spotlight. There’s no turn order of any
kind, but there is screen time. Strive to make sure
everyone gets their fair share, including yourself.
◆ What would my character do?
◆ Grab the spotlight when there’s a lull or you
have a great idea.
◆ What would make for a cool scene?
◆ Share the spotlight by opening doors or fol-
◆ What would move the story forward?
lowing up on another PC’s actions.
◆ What opens the door to get others involved?
◆ Pass the spotlight when you’ve been hold-
Don’t talk yourself out of fun. The first idea that
jumps into your head is often the one you should
go with. Don’t overthink or rationalize yourself
out of it. Like any great TV show character, go
where the fun lies. Great stories involve excitement, danger, and hard choices.
ing it too long.
◆ Point the spotlight to see another PC’s
response or what they’ve been up to.
◆ Never steal the spotlight. Everyone works
hard to set up their moment.
Don't play to win, play to tell stories. Work towards
the same goal—to tell a great story where everyone's character has a chance to grow. Failure isn't
losing, it's just another opportunity to have a
great scene. Of course, your character wants to
succeed! However, your goal as a player is keeping the story interesting. Play into the bad luck
just as you do the good to help ensure you craft
compelling stories.
Open doors and step through them. The best scenes
involve characters playing off of each other, so
make chances for others to get involved. When
someone invites you into a scene, step through
that door—even if it means a bit of mental gymnastics to justify your character’s actions. And as
long as you step through the door at times, remember that it can be just as interesting to close
the door instead.
PLAY CHARACTERS THAT GROW
Leave lots of blank space. Your PC starts with a
past and connections to the world, but it's best
as latticework. Learn who they are through play.
Leave space for the other PCs and story to fit in.
Make time for smaller moments. Quiet time, a
conversation about nothing, introspection, reflection—these make for great scenes to flesh out
your characters and the world. Don't just rush
from action scene to action scene.
Don’t be afraid to change. PCs often go through
hell. Any dramatic story has adversity. Let what
happens change who they are. Announce what
your PC's thinking, especially big shifts. If nobody
else at the table knows, it’s not really happening
in that shared imagination.
Most importantly, do stuff! Find reasons to get
into the spotlight, push story arcs forward, and
make fun scenes. When there's no opportunity,
add some details to the story to create one!
Don’t be afraid to stay the same. Some aspects of
your character might be immutable. That’s also
part of what makes a great character. There can
be those things they will stick to, even to the
bitter end. Just make sure it’s worth it, and fun.
Don’t die on small hills—die on entertaining ones.
9
GAMEPLAY
CHARACTER SHEET
Jem Mellick (they/them)
scarred up face
missing a tooth
tired, too many battles
Sam
3
2
/
1
2
/
4d
4d badly twisted
ankle
/
Noble
diplomacy, influential contacts, luxuries
Warrior
battle plans, military contacts, war stories
Tarcan Lemris
Complex Rivalry
Merrigold
Lowkey Doubts
Trishela Primrose
Tense Affection
10
CHAPTER 1
GAMEPLAY ◈
2
/
Make Things Right
Explore the World
11
GAMEPLAY
CORE RULES
EXAMPLES OF PLAY PG. 24
CORE MECHANIC. When things get risky and
THORNS. One or two d8s (t) added to your roll
by the GM to reflect a tougher than normal task.
Each 7 or 8 on a thorn cuts a roll’s outcome by
one step (messy→grim).
dramatic, roll to see what happens. Grab a few d6
dice (d) equal to the stat the GM picks to test, roll
them, and take the highest to determine the
outcome—6: perfect, 4-5: messy, 1-3: grim.
A normal roll is +0t/tough. The GM adds thorns
with their gut feeling, given the situation. They
can make it +1t/very tough or +2t/extremely tough.
If it’s at +3t/impossible or more, the task can’t be
done—break it up into steps or try a new approach.
If needed, they can assess factors:
◆ A critical happens when you roll two or more
6s. Ignore any cuts and choose a critical bonus:
greater effect—secondary effect—setup a follow-up.
◆ A disaster happens when a grim is cut by a
thorn. Whatever the risk was before, double
it—the worst case scenario comes to pass.
◆ Intrinsic: Scale, opposing skill, numbers...
Huge chasm, expert detective, group of thugs.
SPARK. Pure protagonist energy. Take spark when
◆ Externals: Environment, training, tools...
you add a tangle, roll a disaster, resolve a story
arc, or quarrel. Spend it to take +1d on a roll.
STAT DICE
1d
~ 3d
SPARK
1d
Heavy rain, not a doctor, shovel’s broken.
◆ Intangibles: Strong feelings, bad info, mojo...
THORNS
1t
You love him, the map is wrong, you’re cursed.
Damage to a PC also adds thorns to a roll, but
they don’t count towards making it impossible.
~ 2t
roll
CRITICAL
PERFECT
6
MESSY
5
4
GRIM
3
2
DISASTER
1
SMOOTH FLOW. If a grim threatens to grind the story to a halt, the GM can keep things moving—
you get what you want, but in a way that makes things much worse. If a roll somehow turns out to
have no effect (the guard was already dead), you learn new info or setup for a follow-up.
TEAMWORK
ASSIST. Help another PC on a roll. State how &
TEAMWORK. When 3+ PCs work together, the
why, then roll 1d and share the risk. Include your
roll result with theirs for the final outcome—then
each narrate your contribution, using your own
result and bonds as a guide.
GM picks who rolls the action—sometimes the
most skilled (lifting a boulder), sometimes the least
(sneaking in). The other PCs assist.
You can assist when another PC's action prompts an
impact move. You make a 1d defense roll for them.
more effective, you assist without risk. You roll
1d as a normal assist, but don't share the risk.
SETUP. When a previous action makes a follow-up
When you share the risk, you open yourself up
to consequences, which can prompt a more powerful or additional impact move, or the GM can
take suspense instead.
OUTSIDE ASSISTANCE. When an assist or setup
comes from the world, like an NPC or the environment, the GM rolls 1d to represent it.
12
CHAPTER 1
GAMEPLAY ◈
DICE ROLLS
ACTION ROLL. Roll to pull off something risky.
DEFENSE ROLL. Roll to avoid incoming trouble,
State how & why, clarifying your intent. The GM
picks the stat that matches your intentions.
but only when not caused by your own action. The
GM calls for the roll and picks a stat to test.
PERFECT. You do it, and avoid trouble.
PERFECT. You avoid the trouble.
MESSY. You do it, but there’s trouble.
Prompts an impact move.
MESSY. You avoid the brunt of the trouble.
The GM lightens the consequences.
GRIM. You fail, and there’s trouble.
Prompts an impact move.
GRIM. You fail to avoid the trouble.
The GM follows through on the move.
The GM makes an impact move to introduce consequences. You don't get a defense roll against
impact moves prompted by your own action rolls—
avoiding danger is already factored into the roll.
The GM calls for defense rolls when they target
you directly with an impact move. On a messy,
there's still some trouble, like taking lesser damage, losing the chance to act, or being in a worse
position (knocked off the cliff→your sword is knocked off).
MONTAGE ROLL. Roll to condense a sequence
Defense is cinematic—a reaction, out of your hands.
The GM picks the stat to fit the danger, your PC’s
likely reaction, vulnerabilities, and what feels
right for the moment. This keeps it varied—you
can’t always use a strong stat.
you don’t want to play out in detail, but still want
to leave up to the dice. Roll 2d, resolving it all as
a single action roll, then narrate a few beats. Keep
things moving or zoom in on a grim.
If multiple PCs join, each rolls 2d and shares the risk.
Collaborate on the results. 6s on separate rolls don’t
count towards criticals.
Brawn absorbs a punch, Agility dodges it, Wits sees it coming, and Presence avoids the fight. (Players can soft veto!)
DIMINISHING POOLS
Pools can be flexibly applied in many situations,
usually by the GM. Some typical pools are listed
below. Others are found throughout the book.
POOLS. A set of d6s used to track things like
time, resources, or effort. When triggered (🎲),
roll the pool and drop 1d for each 1-3 result. At
0d, the pool depletes and the fiction changes.
Timer Pools. Events unfolding in the background. 🎲 Key moments, time passing, or a few
PCs take action. 6d Reinforcements Arrive, 8d Sunrise.
The size of a pool is 4d/short, 6d/mid, or 8d/long.
At 0d, an event occurs, a situation ends, or a
resource is depleted. Make sure to reflect the
fiction—if a pool and the fiction don't match up,
adjust or scrap the pool.
Danger Pools. Threats becoming more likely.
🎲 Impact moves, major events, or threat level.
6d Lookouts Spot You, 8d Corruption Grows.
◆ If no dice are dropped from a task pool on a
Task Pools. Effort to overcome tasks. 🎲 Task
progress, usually an action roll. 4d Barroom Brawl,
messy or perfect action roll, instead take a
secondary effect (they spill a secret, some mooks
die). If the roll was only 1d, you can instead
push yourself to drop the last die.
6d Tracking Quarry, 8d Escape the Guards.
Resource Pools. Quantity of something precious. 🎲 The resource sees significant usage. 4d
◆ Drop 1d from the pool before rolling it when a
Food Supplies, 8d Manpower Left.
talent tells you to do so, you have potency, or you
take the greater effect critical bonus. This stacks.
Note: Pools are always notated with the size of the pool in front of it, usually written in italics.
13
GAMEPLAY
VANTAGE
VANTAGE. Your character's frame of reference,
TOOLS OF THE TRADE. You’re assumed to have
the sum of your backstory, talents, and the current
fiction—everything on your sheet and what’s
affecting you in the story. When a question arises
about what you can do, have, or know, check it
against your vantage: does it feel like a given, a
stretch, or a reach?
the gear and skills that are a given for your vantage.
This avoids detailed tracking and ensures PCs are
competent where it makes sense.
DETAILS. Use the details on your sheet as creative
inspiration—and limitations!—for roleplaying.
They are player (not GM) tools. When unsure of
your PC's actions or thoughts, play towards or
even against a relevant detail. Update details as
the story unfolds, announcing the change and
giving a vignette to give it weight and clearly convey
the change to the other players.
A doctor can suture a wound, a thief likely has a lockpick,
but a farmer probably wouldn’t know an actress.
Proper vantage opens up possibilities and gives
the freedom to declare story details. Lacking it
makes things more difficult, or even impossible.
CHARACTER DETAILS
CHARACTER CREATION PG. 49
BACKGROUND. Your heritage, upbringing, and
STATS. Your core capabilities rated from 1/poor
profession—the core of your vantage. You choose
any two that most influences who you are now.
Each gives you three wises, evocative key phrases
that clearly expand your vantage.
to 3/great, used for action and defense rolls.
Brawn
Power, menace, toughness.
Agility
Precision, athletics, reflexes.
Wits
Smarts, trickery, reading situations.
Presence Influence, willpower, reading people.
The ragamuffin background means you learned a lot from
the streets; without it, your upbringing is just set dressing.
◆ Brawn and Agility are paired physical stats.
◆ Wits and Presence are paired mental stats.
TRAITS. Choose 2 that strongly describe you and
1 that definitely doesn’t. Brave and rash, not quiet.
BONDS. Your dynamic with each PC. Match an
intensity (left) and a nature (right) below, or write
your own. Interpret them as makes sense.
DESIRES. Choose 2 that you strongly desire and
1 that you don’t at all. Love and thrills, not wealth.
FEATURES. Detail your 3 most distinctive, outward
features that others quickly notice.
TALENTS. Special advantages and abilities that
set your PC apart. At character creation, you
choose a path (rogue, wizard, fighter), which gives
you its core talent and a list of talents that align
thematically with it. You gain new talents as you
level, choosing from your path list or taking talents
from other paths.
deep
affection
complex
camaraderie
growing
curiosity
lowkey
doubts
playful
respect
tense
rivalry
Bonds are your strongest view of the other PC,
and not necessarily reciprocal (your tense doubts is
their playful rivalry). You can change a bond anytime,
such as in response to something they've done
or something new you've learned about them.
When it changes, give a short vignette (better if
together!). The other PC takes spark.
The path name is simply a label for organizing
talents thematically. On its own, it doesn't expand
vantage. However, talents do expand vantage.
Being a "fighter" doesn't mean anything, but the Fighting
Style core talent expands your vantage.
14
CHAPTER 1
GAMEPLAY ◈
CREATIVE FREEDOM
STORY ROLLS PG. 29
SET DRESSING. Add minor, common sense details
STORY. Pure cinematic momentum. Each session,
freely. Make assumptions and add set dressing to
scenes to play off of to keep things flowing dynamically. There’s no need to check in with the
GM—they’ll step in if a detail goes beyond set
dressing. Anything that’s a given for your vantage,
like knowing someone or having equipment that
makes sense, is set dressing.
you have 2 story. Spend it to add story details that
go beyond set dressing, creating new opportunities
or shifting the scene in your favor. Added details
must fit your vantage, at least as a stretch, or tie to
a story arc. Example details:
TANGLES. Character-driven complications you
◆ Scene: NPC actions, objects, atmospherics...
◆ Character: Gear, contacts, backstory...
The wizard was your mentor. You have just the thing!
The guard falls asleep. There's a secret door.
introduce into a scene and have to follow-up on.
In return, you take spark. Tangles must stem from
your vantage or story arcs and always have an
immediate impact, like an action roll, an option
closing off, or forcing inaction at an important
moment. These are things like:
◆ Setting: History, geography, factions...
There's a town over those hills. The king falls ill.
Added details can't override rolls or contradict
the established story. If your detail affects another
PC, get permission. The GM can make a story roll
to see how true or beneficial it is, or add nuance.
On a grim, it may backfire! The GM can also veto
details to keep things coherent.
◆ Unwise decisions your PC would likely make.
You toss aside your sword to keep things fair.
◆ Personal motivations over group goals.
You poison the general's wine, getting your revenge.
There are gray zones between set dressing, story
details, and details simply too impactful to add.
Set boundaries with your group.
◆ Complications from beliefs or backstory.
You forgot to tell everyone you dated the baron.
STORY ARCS
Evocative phrases that give your PC
and group a thematic direction. Find
out where they lead through play—
they're a starting direction, not the
destination.
Pick a group arc together, then a
cvharacter arc. Pick from the examples or write your own. Keep it short.
Take spark by resolving an arc with a
meaningful moment, however big or
small it is. This could mean achieving
your goal, adjusting it for the next
step, or moving on from it entirely.
You shrug your shoulders and let the knight
ride off—you have more to worry about than
your revenge.
Ambitions
Struggles
Growth
Build a Reputation
Explore the World
Finish the Mission
Make Things Right
Satisfy Desires
Uncover the Truth
Come Unraveled
Doubt Convictions
Feed My Vices
Flirt with Betrayal
Keep a Secret
Survive the Storm
Embrace Change
Escape My Past
Find Belonging
Just Enjoy Life
Prove Myself
Settle Debts
Group arcs unite players around a theme, while character arcs
help you express your own story. Most importantly, they give
you authorial power—you can use story or tangles to add
story details tied to your arcs to bring them into play!
Story arcs signal to the GM that you want drama, dilemmas,
and opportunities to arise around them. Aim to resolve arcs
within 3-5 sessions to keep things fresh. For struggles (flirt
with betrayal), get group permission—limiting them to a few
sessions and involving everyone makes it more fun.
15
GAMEPLAY
DAMAGE
HIT WITH IMPACT PG. 30
CONDITIONS. Specific injuries or maladies that
impact only relevant situations and are often
lasting. They often come combined with harm or
a mark (rattled + broken heart), and can be:
MARKS. Lesser damage, a temporary hindrance
to a stat (winded, confused). Take +1t on the next roll
with that stat, then clear the mark.
If a stat is already marked, mark its paired stat
instead—for physical, brawn/agility, and for mental, wits/presence. If both are already marked, take
the related harm. Note that a mark can be taken
even if you already have the related harm.
◆ Urgent. 4d bleeding out, 6d losing your mind.
◆ Short-term. Twisted ankle, drunk.
◆ Long-term. Broken arm, a deep hatred.
◆ Permanent. Gouged out eye, insanity.
Marks are often combined with another mark or
other consequences when inflicted directly (Agility
mark + thrown off your horse). You also take a mark
when you push yourself.
Take +1t when a condition specifically hinders a roll. It
can also make an attempt impossible.
Conditions clear when it makes sense, like after
a scene, with rest, or when a pool tracking them
depletes. They may also require treatment or
another specific method to clear them.
HARM. A hard hit to your mind or body, general
damage that doesn't need to be tracked in detail.
This is the default damage from an impact move.
You have the final say on long-term and permanent
conditions. When you take one, work with the
GM to find a good fit for your PC and the situation.
◆ Physical damage leaves you bloodied.
◆ Mental damage leaves you rattled.
Bloodied and rattled each inflict +1t on all rolls.
However, when you have harm, you ignore thorns
from marks to the related stats and the marks don't
clear. Getting bloodied or rattled a second time
leaves you dropped—you're out of the scene. Make
a story roll (usually 2d) to see if you're just out
temporarily, take a condition (4d dying, broken leg),
or wind up dead.
VEX. An intense flash of emotion like anger, fear,
or confusion. Vex is inflicted as a consequence,
sometimes in addition to a mark or harm. You
can also spend spark to take vex in place of rattled,
if it fits the situation. Vex prompts an immediate,
instinctive response. Choose one:
Fight | Flight | Freeze | Freakout
Although bloodied and rattled are the default,
especially dangerous attacks with high risk can
lead straight to dropped, while low risk situations
might leave you with a mark by default.
Interpret the response. Your PC is driven by emotion,
but you decide how it plays out. Aim to balance
what's fun and what fits the story. If there's a
follow-up roll, take +1t on it. After the response,
which always takes a beat or two, the vex clears.
A messy defense roll leaves you with lesser damage
(dropped→bloodied, rattled→mark).
RECOVERY
HEALING. When you get bloodied or rattled, start
REST. A stretch of time between significant action
a 4d pool to track its healing. When you heal harm
from rest, treatment, or another source, roll the
pool. At 0d, clear the harm. Treatment requires
time, tools, training, and carries risk, and each pool
can only benefit from treatment a single time.
(a night's camp, a week's travel). Paced for drama, not
realism. Clear all marks and heal (roll pools).
DOWNTIME. Extended breaks (a month, a season).
Fully heal and reset per-session talents. The GM
rolls faction pools. After, they pick and deplete
one to move the story forward. You can roll a
montage to achieve something non-pivotal.
Marks can't benefit from treatment. They are light
enough already that only time heals them. They
can only be cleared with rest, talents, or rolling.
16
CHAPTER 1
GAMEPLAY ◈
ODDS & ENDS
POTENCY. The ability to pull off jaw-dropping
QUARRELS. Conflicts between PCs—arguments,
feats. When you have potency on a task, you ignore
thorns from difficulty (but not from other sources
like damage) and can attempt normally impossible
(+3t) tasks. A potent feat can do things like:
competitions, or even violence. Quickly resolve
impasses in the story—don't waste time debating!
First, make sure all players agree to the quarrel.
Clearly state the stakes for winning and losing,
erring on the side of dramatic (bruises, not bloodied;
hurt feelings, not vex). Each player rolls 2d and the
highest wins (5 beats 4). Others can assist, or they
can join at 2d with their own agenda. On a tie,
compromise or keep quarreling.
◆ Group action: Something a team of people
could accomplish with an action.
Lifting a boulder, a volley of arrows, inciting mutiny.
◆ Stretching Limits: Something just beyond
normal human limitations.
The winner narrates how they won. Then, the
loser narrates how they handle losing. The results
of the quarrel are final—it's okay for the PC that
lost to be bitter, but the story moves in the winner's
direction. Both sides take spark.
Leap a massive gap, endure fire, tell ridiculous lies.
◆ Mystical: Feats that don't fit in with the
above, but have similar narrative impact.
Befriend a wild tiger, use echoes to create a rockslide.
Potency is only concerned with difficulty. It makes
a normally +3t/impossible roll possible at +0t. On
a +1t/very tough or +2t/extremely tough roll, you
take greater effect (critical). On a +0t roll, you
automatically succeed.
PUSH YOURSELF. Expend extra effort to activate
certain talents that require it. After using the
talent, mark a related stat (your choice). Talents
that require you to push yourself can be activated
without a mark once per session.
There's a gray zone between jaw-dropping and too
much. Something +3t is okay, but +4t is too far.
INTERRUPT. Make an action roll to try to stop an
impact move. This requires a specific talent. If
not already involved, you now share the risk. On
a messy, the GM takes or keeps suspense.
POWER POOLS. The power of some talents or
items, rolled as part of using it or in place of a
stat. The same roll determines the outcome and
drops dice from the pool. You can roll fewer dice
to risk losing less. 🎲 The talent or item is used.
ALWAYS. If you have the ability to always succeed
or receive a benefit, it holds true unless the GM
makes a Counter move, a strong NPC trait is in
play, or other extenuating circumstances arise. In
short, "always" means 95% of the time.
3d Bulwark talent, 4d Fireball Wand, 6d Cleric domain.
BUFFS. Beneficial effects (fearless, invisible) that
expand vantage, ease tasks, make rolls unnecessary, or provide outside assistance. If you give a
buff to an ally that persists in your absence, you
can assist relevant rolls without risk.
LEVEL. A PC starts at level 1 and can go up to
level 7. This takes 6 months of weekly play. For
longer play, slow down progression (below).
BEGINNING & ENDING SESSIONS
PRE-SESSION RECAP. Before each session (after
POST-SESSION XP. After each session, take 1 XP
the first), recall the previous session and share
your PC's best moment. Each player takes spark.
and fill in its box. You start at level 1 and advance
when you fill boxes equal to the next level (Lvl. 4→5
= 5 more boxes). This lets you choose a new talent.
When all are finished, the GM Recaps (taking
suspense) tying all of these moments together into
a proper "Previously on..." and starts the session.
The GM can award 1 bonus XP for a standout session
(about 1 in 4). For a slower pace, slash each XP
box before filling it.
Note: Spark carries over and story resets each session.
17
GAMEPLAY
SPELLCASTING
Spellcasting is the ability to harness magic, acquired through talents or arcana. While each
style has its quirks, they all follow the same laws
of magic. Spells are cast using touchstones—key
terms like spell names, godly domains, or item
descriptions. You interpret these on-the-fly, defining the permissions and limitations of your
magic when you cast. Each source clearly defines
its touchstones, casting methods, and costs.
CANTRIPS
Cantrips are set dressing, minor effects that don't
require rolls. Success is automatic.
A fire cantrip lights a candle. The brooms sweep the room
clean for you. You talk to the flower and it starts to bloom.
Cantrip utility lets you flavor other action rolls
with cantrips, or even use them to replace gear
when using relevant touchstones. This reasonably
expands vantage. You roll the stat you'd normally roll for the now-possible action, like Brawn or
Agility to swing a conjured sword.
Magic has four magnitudes: cantrips, spells,
potent spells, and rituals. Determine the magic's
magnitude by comparing:
◆ The final result, not the method, to what can
be achieved by a non-magic action roll.
SPELLS
◆ The narrative impact, not the result, to the
Spells have effects equal to an action roll, results
one person with the right training and tools can
achieve. They're the baseline magnitude of magic.
impact of a normal action roll.
Final result is used to judge most cases, seeing
if the magic is replicating what can be done
through non-magic means. The second is then
used when the first isn't possible.
▸ Just like sticking an arrow in a bugbear, a spell can blast
it with flames or enchant their ally to backstab them.
[Result: The bugbear is dead.]
Narrative impact is used to judge spellcasting
results without mundane equivalents, to ensure
that magic and non-magic means have the same
overall impact on the story.
▸ Just like picking a lock or smashing it apart, a spell can
melt through it with acid or let you phase through the
door. [Result: You get past the lock.]
▸ Just like outplaying someone at a game, a spell can read
your opponent's mind or commune with your ancestors
for help. [Result: You win the match.]
The GM uses the guideline and examples on these
pages to set the line between spells and potent
spells, as well as the upper limit—beyond extraordinary magic (+4t), only accomplishable
with rituals. This is a judgment call set through
play, so transparency and consistency are key.
POTENT SPELLS
Potent spells accomplish more than a normal
spell—they give potency and broaden vantage. A
potent spell can achieve effects equal to an entire
group working together, as with normal potency.
You can attempt jaw-dropping effects (+3t/difficulty). A normally +1t or +2t task has greater effect
(critical bonus), and a +0t roll is automatic.
◆ Cantrips are similar to something that doesn't
require a roll. They should feel flavorful.
◆ Spells are similar to an action roll, impactful but
not dominating a scene. They should feel useful.
◆ Potent spells are similar to a group effort,
effort over time, or a single effort with potency.
They should feel powerful.
▸ Normally, fighting this group of goblins would be extremely
difficult (+2t), but a potent spell Fireball is like a whole
group fighting them (+2t→+0t, plus greater effect!).
Transforming a cat into a dog temporarily is a spell, as the
GM feels the narrative impact within this scene is similar
to a normal action. If there was little to no impact in this
scene, it might even be a cantrip. However, turning it into
a tiger is most definitely a potent spell.
▸ Normally, someone couldn't bust down this thick stone wall,
but a potent spell Thunderous Boom can do it (+3t→+0t).
▸ Normally, your nemesis would never help you (+3t), but
a potent spell Charm can convince them (+3t→+0t).
18
CHAPTER 1
GAMEPLAY ◈
TOUCHSTONES
Spellcasting ability comes with touchstones and
all magic effects must logically align with them,
making sense and feeling natural. If it feels like
a reach, it’s beyond the touchstone’s bounds.
You cast Flaming Claw as a spell at the goblins, aiming for a huge claw to grab one, ignite it, and hurl it
into the rest. This fits the touchstones, but your intent—
harming multiple goblins at once—might work as a
spell on a bunch of mooks, but these are some tough
goblins. You'll have to choose to target just one or cast
a potent spell to pull off the full effect.
▸ Flaming can burn or illuminate, but can’t calm someone.
▸ Dazzling can blind or distract, but can’t mend objects.
▸ Warding can create barriers, but can’t attack.
The GM can veto spells that don't align with your
touchstones. They can also instead allow it, but
inflict a thorn or collateral effects when it's pushing
your touchstones, but not completely implausible.
You want to grab a treasure chest and haul it across the
chasm and try to cast your flaming claw spell to do it.
Discussing it with the GM, you both decide that the
claw has a physical form, but since it's on fire, it'll scorch
anything it touches. The GM says that the chest will be
4d On Fire. This is just a spell, since you could get across
the chasm with an action.
▸ A Slime Wall spell can slow enemies, but has trouble
completely blocking them (+1t).
▸ A Dominion domain spell can command someone to help,
but can’t cause wounds.
▸ A Wand of Invisibility can make objects disappear, but
can’t make sounds vanish.
EXAMPLES
Below are some touchstones and how their effectiveness increases with the magnitude of magic.
TOUCHSTONE CANTRIP
SPELL
POTENT SPELL RITUAL
Shimmering Vision Flash of light
Simple illusion
Complex illusion
Permanent illusion
Jovial Wings
Glide downstairs
Soar up a wall
Fly to the clouds
Grow real wings
Shadow sorcery
Snuff a light
Blind a foe
Summon darkness
Eternal night
Healing domain
Heal a headache
Heal a mark
Roll a healing pool
Regrow a limb
Warding domain
Block the rain
Shield an ally
Shield a group
Build a town wall
Reaper patron
Summon hellflies
Summon imp
Call a hellhound
Summon demon
Air primordial
Scatter leaves
Push off a cliff
Carry up a cliffside
Craft a tornado
Touchstone Limitations: When you take a magic talent, have a discussion with the GM about what
your magic can and can't do. Clearly defining it in this way makes the magic more fun to play with—
creativity thrives within limitations. If a PC's magic feels too broad during the campaign, consider
discussing new limitations to keep it balanced and engaging.
A shadow sorcerer might limit their magic so shadows can never cause physical harm, or they might make them tangible
but useless in direct sunlight. Most limitations arise naturally from the touchstones.
19
GAMEPLAY
SPELLCASTING RULINGS
Magic's a freeform system, built on flexibility and creative rulings from the GM, with the understanding that its freedom is meant to preserve the feeling of magic. While this system can be exploited
in unfun ways aimed at "winning," it relies on you buying into your magic touchstones and the
magnitudes of magic. Don't be a weasel—play in good faith and have fun with the freedom it gives
you. With that in mind, here are some common rulings for various situations involving magic:
Magic Trappings: Discuss with the GM how your
casting appears, its visual style, movements you
make, and tools you use. All magic is clear and
evident—trying to hide it is extremely difficult
at best, but usually impossible. Losing implements
or being hindered can deny permission to cast or
inflict thorns.
Healing Magic: Spells can clear marks, heal minor
conditions or immediate conditions (4d bleeding
out), or calm a vex response. Potent spells can pull
off +3t/impossible healing, such as roll a healing
pool (bloodied, rattled) or mending broken bones
(but not a severed arm). Rituals are needed for things
like regrowing limbs, curing blindness, or removing
deep trauma.
Magic on Defense Rolls: The GM chooses the
stat for defense rolls, and can choose to let you
use spellcasting. This counts as set dressing and
doesn't cost a resource, like dice dropped from a
pool. If the GM calls for another stat, but you
have a clear spell-based counter, you can ask
them if you have time to cast a spell instead. This
is a spell as usual and it's the GM's choice if you
have time.
Resurrection: Bringing back the dead is a costly,
extremely risky ritual rarely worth the price you'll
surely have to pay. Tread carefully.
Buffs & Debuffs: Spells that help or hinder are
considered on a case-by-case basis, with the
player and GM working together. As a starting
point, a buff can apply the effects of a critical:
greater effect—secondary effect—setup. Debuffs can
do the same against anyone working against the
foe. They can also add vantage (the ability to fly,
invisibility). Potent buffs might last longer, affect
multiple targets, make +0t rolls automatically successful, or allow for a potent feat. Get creative with
applying the mechanics and capture the feeling
the spell is going for.
Assisting with Magic: Using magic to assist a
roll is just set dressing with no cost—just keep the
narration reasonable (the weaker end of a spell).
Remember you're assisting. If you're making the
action roll on a group level, cast as usual.
Detecting Magic: With a relevant touchstone,
you can recognize magic easily. Without one, it's
harder, though magic ability counts as a factor.
Without training, the magic must be very obvious
to be noticed.
Magic Duration: As a rule of thumb, a spell lasts
just a moment, maybe two, and a potent spell
lasts for a scene. This is judged by the GM based
on the intended effect, which you balance against
the magnitude of spell.
Dispelling Magic: Anyone aware that something
is magic can try to dispel it. This does not require
training—you can cast a spell with relevant
touchstones that counters it, cause enough of a
disturbance to it (smashing the arcane shield with a
battleaxe, shaking someone until they're no longer charmed),
or outsmarting the magic's logic in some way
(throwing water on a fire spell). Creativity should be
rewarded here.
Potions: Magical items, like potions, that allow
you to use them as tools require an action to
apply, such as rolling Agility to throw and hit
someone with a potion. The efficacy of a potion
is usually automatic, based on what tier of potion
it is, but you can make a story roll if it's unclear.
The more powerful the potion, the more dice you
roll for the story roll.
20
CHAPTER 1
GAMEPLAY ◈
RITUALS
Rituals can accomplish magical effects far beyond what can be done
with even potent spells, equal to the labor of an entire team of people
over an extended period, effects that can have significant impact on
the world, or push the very limits of implausibility. Casting a ritual
consists of 3 parts:
ANCHORS
Ancient Knowledge
Artifact or Relic
Auspicious Timing
◆ Possess a source of magic with relevant touchstones.
◆ Anchor the ritual to the physical and metaphysical realms.
Circle of Casters
◆ Complete the ritual's rites to finalize its casting.
Divine Guidance
Source of magic can be a spellcasting talent or a scroll, potion, or
other arcana. It might also be something creative like asking or tricking
a monster into helping. Even a PC without magic ability can initiate
a ritual as long as they have a source of magic.
Enchanted Location
Anchors for a ritual are chosen by the GM and players together. They
should feel connected to the ritual's touchstones and intent, and match
the intended impact of the ritual. Two or three anchors, like those on
the right, are best.
Item of Great Import
Rites are the act of casting the ritual, a challenge that must be overcome, made far more difficult or even impossible if any of the anchors
are missing.
Sanctified Ground
Exotic Ingredients
Harness Energy
Sacred Dance
Sacrificial Offering
Specific Helper
Below are some example rituals and anchors.
▸ Binding Ritual: Nine chanters. A circle of perfectly round stones. A sacrificial imp.
▸ Summoning Ritual: Phoenix feathers. A moonlit glade. The hour of the eclipse.
▸ Regeneration Ritual: Sacred water. The tears of a unicorn. A high priest's blessing.
An enormous fire is raging across the countryside and your party seeks to stop it with a Ritual of
Torrential Rains. You realize the risks in getting the ritual wrong, but you have no choice. First,
you have to convince both a water elemental and an air elemental (circle of casters) to help, then
lead them high atop a mountain overlooking the land (enchanted location). You gather everything
and begin the rites, but at the mountaintop the elementals begin to fight, complicating the ritual (+1t).
Just then, the tribe of the gnoll shaman who's been starting the fires arrives to stop you.
A restless spirit is driving the village to madness, and you must banish it with the Ritual of Opening
the Veil. First, locate the cursed Tablet of Communion, a major arcana that lets you communicate
with the spirit. With its guidance, you uncover the spirit’s grave and gather sanctified soil. At the
witching hour, you combine the anchors to perform the rites, but the cursed Tablet wrestles for control,
threatening to tear open the Veil—a new challenge, 8d | Maintain Control.
21
GAMEPLAY
TREASURE
Treasure is the currency of an adventurer, useful
in trade with the powerful entities in the world
to further your own aims. Your skills put you
beyond worrying about the expenses of daily life
and adventuring gear.
Treasures are shared by the party, unless chosen
otherwise. With each adventure, it's assumed that
you're gaining some coin to spend on your own.
Treasures are the things beyond that, valuable
resources the party can leverage.
You deal in treasures—minor, major, and mythic,
anything from a stash of gold to a rare artifact or
magical item. While the treasure's label gives
some indication of its value and the table below
shows what you might get for it in trade, a treasure
is only truly as valuable as what someone will
give you for it.
Hauling treasure isn't a problem unless the GM
specifically makes it one. You can also assume
that when a PC needs one of the party's treasures,
they happen to have it on them if it makes sense.
That is, unless the GM Complicates Things (pg. 33).
VALUE
TANGIBLES
INTANGIBLES
MAGIC
Minor
Gift, noble
Pet, exotic
Map, detailed
Service, highly skilled
Mercenaries, a few
Provide help, town
Arcana, minor
Casting, spell
Ritual, simple
Major
Gift, royal
Estate, spacious
Sailing ship, swift
Service, very risky
Mercenaries, a squad
Provide help, city
Arcana, major
Casting, potent spell
Ritual, moderate
Mythic
Gift, imperial
Keep, formidable
Sailing ship, mighty
Service, unique
Mercenaries, an army
Provide help, kingdom
Arcana, mythic
Ritual, complex
Soul, powerful
EXAMPLE TREASURES
Finding Treasure: When you gain treasure, the
GM can either specify what it is or just give its
tier and handwave it. If you want specifics on it
later or it becomes important to the story, figure
it out then. It's the GM's job to match up treasure
and the nature of the adventure and campaign.
When unsure about what exactly is found, they
can use a story roll or GM crucible to help.
Minor Treasures
Noble signet ring, found in the ruins of an ancient castle.
Map to a hidden city, discovered in a bandit's hideout.
Bag of enchanted seeds, unearthed in a druid grove.
Major Treasures
Beautiful coastal estate, a gift from the prince.
Living Crystal pendant, from a golem's shattered core.
Starlit Compass, from the wreckage of the Nightship.
Carousing: Any time you're in a settlement, you
can carouse by selling off a minor treasure, with
each PC spending their leisure time as they like.
Make a montage roll and narrate—or suffer—the
results. After the scenes finish up, everyone takes
spark regardless of the roll.
Mythic Treasures
Phoenix Feather Cloak, pulled out of a volcanic lair.
Dragonbane Sword, found on a corpse in the dragon's lair.
The royal treasury, carried right out of the vault.
22
CHAPTER 1
GAMEPLAY ◈
ARCANA
Arcana are rare artifacts of power, magic imbued
in them through ritual or other esoteric forces.
They grant vantage, letting you do what's otherwise
impossible, or greatly enhance specific tasks by
granting outside assistance, at a cost. Some create
strange, unique effects tied to their creator's intent.
As always, it's the GM's role to map fiction to
rules for each arcana. Arcana have the same tiers
as treasure: minor, major, and mythic.
ARCANA RULINGS
Arcana are as flexible as spellcasting—if not more
so—and demand just as much creativity and GM
rulings when used. Here are some examples:
Wands and similar: Bestow spellcasting ability
on those wielding them. They have limited usage,
a power pool rolled to cast from them. They don't
require training to use.
An arcana's name and description serve as its
touchstones, while its tier reflects the magnitude
of magic bound to it. Unlike the rigid laws of magic
governing PC magic, guidelines for arcana are
looser, typically following this pattern:
Potions and similar: Potions have a magnitude
one level higher than its tier. A Minor Healing
Potion can accomplish what a spell can (heal a
mark). Major potions are potent spell effects and
Mythic potions are ritual-level effects.
◆ Minor arcana have cantrip to spell-level effects.
Scrolls: Single-use arcana that match the tier of
their effects, unlike other consumables. Lacking
vantage to cast spells means you take thorns
casting from them. Scrolls are also highly sought
after for learning spells with the wizard's Spellcraft
talent (pg. 76).
◆ Major arcana have spell to potent spell-level effects.
◆ Mythic arcana have ritual-level effects.
DESIGNING ARCANA
Arcana are generally tools for the GM, crafted to
fit the campaign. The GM Crucible (pg. 29) is a
great source of inspiration for designing them.
Crafting Arcana: The act of binding magic to
items requires a ritual and a source of magic with
the proper touchstones to make it. A ritual of
creation generally takes far longer, though is often
less dangerous, than merely achieving the same
effect through a ritual.
Arcana are what they are—they're truths within
the fiction. They can do what their description
says. A shortcut to creating one works like this,
though. Start with an evocative name and a single
touchstone word, then apply one or two Sorcery
techniques (pg. 72): attack—creation—defense—
enhancement—hindrance—influence—transformation—traversal. From that, you can build out the
description. Or begin with the description and
work backwards towards defining the touchstones.
Purchasing Arcana: Prices depend entirely on
the seller's desires, usually something other than
coin. Finding one for sale is exceedingly rare, but
you might locate someone willing to craft it for
you for the right price.
▸ Staff of Embers (fire, elementals, creation)
LIST OF ARCANA
▸ Ring of Solitude (time, hindrance, traversal)
In Chapter 7: Extras, you can find 12 pages
of minor, major, and mythic arcana, as well
as a thorough random potion generator!
▸ Swiftblade (attack, multiple strikes)
An arcana's power level can be balanced by giving
it requirements, like the following:
◆ Activation: Requires spending spark, pushing
yourself, or another resource to activate.
◆ Limited Usage: Has a resource or power pool,
usually 4d. At 0d, it must be recharged by
satisfying a specific anchor, like a ritual.
23
GAMEPLAY
EXAMPLES OF PLAY
DESIGNER COMMENTARY
You tell the GM you want to punch the guy in the face, so he calls
for a Brawn roll. Confused, you rewind a bit and explain that you're
sucker punching him, and it's mostly just to get him to back down.
Seeing the situation more clearly now, the GM calls for Agility.
With an Agility of 2, you roll 2d and get 3, 5 :: messy. You're going
to do it, but the GM makes an impact move. That guy will be back
with some friends. The GM starts a 4d Hooligans timer.
The fighter grabs the orc by the shirt and threatens him, but the orc's
not budging. The GM makes his impact move—the price for the
horses just doubled, and you all have nowhere near enough treasure.
You step up and try a softer approach, negotiating with Presence at
+1t from the price doubling. You 3d1t and get 4, 6, 6 - 7 :: critical!
In spite of the price, your critical ignores the cut. You get the horses
for the cost of the treasure and choose a secondary effect—you want
to make sure this orc remains friendly permanently. The GM okays
it and you're now friends with the best horse trader this side of the
Ironback Mountains.
You want to climb up this cliff to get away from the goblins shooting arrows at you. The GM has you roll Agility and adds a thorn to
represent the goblins. You roll a 5 - 7 :: grim. Your messy gets cut
by the 7 and turns into a grim. The GM lets you know you're getting
an arrow in your back and falling back down the wall, ending up
bloodied. You start gleefully narrating how horribly it goes.
You decide to make a second attempt. This time, you spend spark
and now have another thorn from being bloodied. You roll 2d2t and
get 6, 3 - 7, 1 :: messy. The messy means you did it, so the GM thinks
on the consequences and makes you rattled. That was one scary as
hell climb. Once again, you get to narrating your near-demise.
You call the guard over to distract him with chit-chat, rolling Presence and get 3, 6 :: perfect! This gives your rogue friend a chance to
pick the lock. They spent a story point to have found some wire they
could finagle into a makeshift lockpick, but using it on the lock is
still +2t. They roll Agility, getting 3, 4, 2 - 7, 8 :: disaster! The messy
(4) is cut by the thorns twice (7, 8) from a messy to a grim, then to
a disaster. The lock opens, but the GM makes two impact moves
here. The guard runs over, kicks the door, bloodies the rogue, and
slams it shut, locking it.
24
CHAPTER 1
This is why the how & why is important.
Without it, the GM can't get the stat right.
▸ On a grim here, X would have happened.
▸ On a messy, Y would have happened.
▸ On a perfect, you could have...
For the critical, you could have chosen
something else.
▸ Greater effect would have gotten you
the horses for a nominal price.
▸ Setup just doesn't make much sense in
this situation, though if you were looking to rob the orc later, it might apply.
It's possible to roll again for the same thing,
as long as the situation's changed. If nothing has changed, it shouldn't need a roll in
the first place.
One very important point is that messy is
successful, it's just not pretty. Here the GM
faces a bit of a dilemma—you're being shot
at with arrows. If you took bloodied, you
could have died. But you did make it to the
top of the cliff. They went with rattled due
to how terrifying it was, but bloodied could
have worked as well. It's just that you would
have been dropped at the top.
Without spending that story, the rogue
wouldn't have even been able to pick the
lock. Had the guard been watching, the
difficulty (+3t) would have also prevented
them from trying. These are the kinds of
factors players and GMs must consider
when judging rolls, and how thorns can
affect the outcomes.
At the end, the GM's second impact move
comes from the disaster. In this case, the
GM could have even dropped the rogue.
GAMEPLAY ◈
You want to cast a healing spell to remove an arrow from the rogue.
The wizard and fighter assist. The GM decides you make the action
roll, which ends up being a 2, 4, 1. The fighter rolls a 1 and the wizard a 6. The end result is 2, 4, 1, 1, 6 :: perfect!
You start narrating. Your describe your healing spell going awry and
things getting real bloody. The rogue starts fighting it and the fighter says they can't quite hold the squirrely rogue down. The wizard
steps in with their enchantment magic and soothes the rogue, letting
you finish your work.
As the session winds to a close, the GM calls for a montage roll to
escape the collapsing dungeon. You're bloodied, so you have a thorn
and roll 1, 1 :: 7, disaster. The wizard in your group rolls 2, 2 :: grim.
The fighter rolls a 4, 2 :: messy! The best outcome is a messy, so the
overall outcome is a messy. You manage to get out, but the impact
move leaves you each with Agility and Presence marked. You collaborate on the narration.
You already have an Agility mark, so it goes to Brawn—that's marked,
too, so it goes to bloodied. Unfortunately, you were also bloodied
so you're instead dropped. You make a 2d roll and get a messy,
completely knocked out.
The wizard describes getting everyone lost in the tunnels. You narrate collapsing from your wounds, telling the group to leave you
behind. The fighter refuses, hoists you over their shoulder, and heads
in a single direction—and somehow finds their way to the surface!
Outside, the rogue stands waiting and cheekily asks what took you
so long. They were elsewhere and got a perfect on their montage.
You're walking through the library at night when an assassin strikes
from above. This could be Wits to see it coming, but the GM thinks
it's more of a physical reaction, Agility. The GM makes it clear this
is high risk—a grim means you're dropped, maybe dead!
You take +1t since the assassin has the drop on you. You get 6, 1 - 8
:: messy! The knife misses and you don't end up bloodied, but Brawn
gets marked as the assassin crashes into you, knocking the wind out
of you. You're both sprawled out on the ground, the knife now between you. What do you do?
25
GAMEPLAY
When you roll assists, all of the results are
combined towards one outcome, but each
person rolls their own dice.
In this case, the healer is most important
so they're leading the roll. If nobody had
medical knowledge, the leader might have
been the fighter—holding down the rogue
now becomes vitally important.
Post roll, be sure to narrate together!
After a long adventuring session is the
perfect timing for a montage. Everyone
has grown a bit tired of that location and
want to move on to bigger things.
Had the overall result here been a grim, it
may have been a good idea to zoom in on
a tough scene as they get caught fleeing
the dungeon. The GM could have inflicted
those marks, dropped your character even,
then started the scene off.
This is a good look at how damage escalates. If Brawn wasn't marked, you could
have gotten away with just a mark even if
you were already bloodied. Unfortunately,
the adventure had taken a toll and just that
last small hit was the straw that broke the
camel's back.
A 2d roll on dropped is a good default. That
last hit was from a mark, so unlikely to have
killed you. Even 3d would have been okay.
The GM has a lot of flexibility in choosing
the defense they want to test—and testing
the stats is the best way of thinking about
what's happening. The player has no choice
in the stat, besides a soft veto on things
that are very out of character.
The GM could have made this Brawn if the
assassin had tried to garrote them, or Wits
if they didn't want to assume the assassin
went unspotted. Presence is pretty hard to
make sense of in this scenario, though.
You have a special pack of blessed incense you brought from your
home temple. It's a 4d resource pool. Each time you use it, it triggers
a roll to see how much is remaining. The first time you use it, you
roll 4d and get 6, 2, 6, 4. The 2 result drops the pool by 1, 4d→3d.
The next time you use it, you roll 3d and get 4 5 5. Nothing is dropped
from the pool! While you did use it, the pool's an abstract measurement of how much is remaining and doesn't change this time. The
final time, though, you roll 3d again and get 2 1 2, 3d→0d. The pool
depletes and you're out of incense!
This is a really straightforward example of
how pools work. If you were working
against a task pool or trying to affect a
timer with an action roll and it dropped
nothing, remember that you instead get a
secondary effect instead.
Deep in the dungeon, you want to access your memory of the abbey
monastery. As a cleric, you cast from your 6d Knowledge domain, but
you don't want to risk losing so many dice on this. The domain gives
you the vantage to try this, but it's not such an important task. You
decide to roll 2d of the pool and spend spark to make it 3d, rolling
6, 3 and then 1 on the spark. You get a perfect and drop the pool by
1 from the first part of the roll.
Sometimes it can be smart not to risk your
entire power pool on a roll that's not vitally important. Also when rolling spark or
any other bonus dice, make sure to roll your
power pool separately. A good rule of
thumb is that the left-most dice when
rolled represent your power pool results
so you can know how many to drop.
You and the cleric, as honored prisoners, are hauled out to join the
chieftain at the head table. The GM has made it clear that the chieftain angers easily, so they start a 4d Temper pool. You find a chance
during the meal to try to persuade the chieftain to let you go, but
roll a grim. Annoyed with your badgering, they bash the table and
gesture for the guards to haul you back to your tent. This triggers
the Temper pool and the GM rolls 1, 3, 1, 6 :: 4d→1d. With just 1d
left, the GM makes sure to describe the chieftain being on the edge
of losing it. The cleric decides to keep their mouth shut.
Pools can be very swingy, which is by design. Here we see things almost instantly
move towards an incredibly tense situation.
This is very cinematic.
You look to your desire for belonging and, feeling found at last, replace
it with a new one—honor. You introduce a tangle, deciding to stay
on the bridge. "Go," you tell your friends, turning to hold off the
horde on the bridge while they escape.
While traits and desires don't give spark
directly, they do give you vantage to add
tangles. When they change, you should
also let your group see it play out.
The heir must survive as the battle turns into a rout. Just then, you
introduce a tangle—you spot your nemesis, Mortica, across the
battlefield. By choosing the tangle, you risk the mission to protect
the heir, but your vengeance is more important. You take spark.
Here we see the player introducing story
details via a tangle instead of using story,
which is completely fine.
The GM decides to make a 2d story roll and lets you know first what
might happen. On a perfect, you spot her first. On a grim, she spots
you first. On a messy, you both spot each other.
Fleeing from a massive cave troll, you spend story and invoke your
Dwarf of the Deepmoot heritage's underground navigation wise. You
say you spot a tight side tunnel to lead the troll in to fight it. The GM
decides the cave troll can't maneuver well and +2t becomes +1t.
26
CHAPTER 1
You might also end up with a much longer
leash than you imagined if the pool doesn't
drop much at all. Either way, it's clear that
they had best tread lightly. Even when not
rolled, pools have a great passive effect on
scenes like this.
On a perfect, you might also consider another tangle—to wait until Mortica sees
her to engage honorably. Mortica, however, would definitely blindside you with an
impact move on that grim.
A cave troll is massively dangerous, +2t,
but if it can't maneuver well, it's only kind
of dangerous. Story can definitely be used
to gain mechanical advantage like this.
GAMEPLAY ◈
You start the game with the character arcs Enjoy Life and Keep a
Secret, which makes sense since you're the runaway heir to the Orchard Kingdom. Your job is to find ways to express these arcs through
play, especially growth arcs like Enjoying Life. The GM's job is to
challenge them and offer opportunity, especially a crisis arc like
Keeping a Secret. It's clear that you don't want to live a life of responsibility, but that life will come calling whether you like it or not.
The game will hum along just fine without
story arcs. They're a player tool that expands vantage and lets you push the story
towards what you want to be doing. They
tell the GM, and other players, that you are
interested in these themes.
As you enter the small city, you remember your Settle Debts story
arc and want to explore it. You spend story and declare that the
father you never knew is here and you've carried this chip on your
shoulder a long time—now's the time to confront him.
Here, you don't use a tangle, instead opting
to spend story. Tangles are always bad,
while story just makes things happen.
Through play, you learn that your father has become a benevolent
guild leader in the city, looked up to by all. Not very interested in
bringing down someone helpful to the community, you bury the
feelings and move on. You take spark for finishing the arc.
If they fit your play style well, lean into
them.
Arcs aren't prescriptive. They don't have
any ending in mind. Whether you accomplish it, end it through failing at it, or just
give up on it, you take spark as your character finds something new to drive them.
You want to spend story to add a detail about the guard dozing off
to create a new opportunity to sneak in, but the GM vetoes it—they
established earlier that the Toadking runs a very disciplined army.
While not impossible to occur, it still feels off.
Hunting for mechanical advantage with
story is okay, but it's best used to enable
scenes you want to explore and bypass
those you don't. Still, the Toadking says
you have to deal with the guards here.
Your party meets with the archmage, who reveals a dark secret about
your past. The GM targets your Presence to keep it together, adding
a thorn—the secret is especially damning. You roll 4, 1, 5 - 7 :: grim.
You're overwhelmed by memories, becoming rattled but choose to
spend spark to take vex instead!
Rattled can be quite debilitating and vex
is an easy out if you have spark, but it does
come with the consequences—you have
to play true and follow through in a way
that makes sense.
Now you have a choice. You could fight and attack the archmage in
a rage, someone your party sees as an ally. You could flight away
from the group, back outside the tower. You could freeze, dropping
the potion you intended to give the archmage. You could freakout,
lashing out at your allies' shocked, judgemental stares.
The dragon roars! The party all roll Presence defense, getting grims.
Everyone takes vex, terrified! You choose flight and scurry away to
hide. The fighter decides to freakout, and runs to hide behind the
wizard. The wizard freezes, dropping her spellbook, which the fighter kicks away. The cleric grabs his battlehammer and chooses to
fight, charging towards certain doom.
27
GAMEPLAY
Also, don't forget that you take +1t when
you follow through due to the emotional
turmoil! Not all vex responses require an
action roll, though.
Vex gives a chance to really double down
on who your character is or go in the exact
opposite direction with something surprising. Either way, it's a big open door to
roleplaying.
28
CHAPTER 2
GM TOOLKIT ◈
CHAPTER 2
GM TOOLKIT
RUNNING GRIMWILD
As the GM, you play the game by a different set
of rules, utilizing the tools laid out in this chapter
to craft an engaging and dynamic game. You wield
GM moves and suspense to drive the narrative
forward, challenges to model difficult tasks, the
combat kit to create thrilling battles, and story
rolls along with the GM crucible for inspiration
when the unexpected arises.
STORY ROLLS. Roll to disclaim decision-making,
letting the dice decide story questions when you
don’t want to, like an NPC’s reaction, off-screen
action, or how good or bad something that just
happened is. You can also collapse any rule back
to a story roll when there's no specific mechanic
to map it to.
Roll dice based on the odds of a favorable outcome
for the chosen perspective. Are you rolling for the
fish or the fisherman?
Your primary role is mapping fiction to mechanics,
keeping the players immersed in the story while
you seamlessly weave the rules into the narrative,
and know when to instead ditch a rule and just
let the narrative take over.
1d Bad Odds | 2d Even Odds | 3d Good Odds
PERFECT. It’s the ideal situation.
Above all, be creative. Use the mechanics as a
springboard to manufacture drama, tension, and
memorable moments.
GM CRUCIBLE
MESSY. It’s okay, but there's a catch.
GRIM. It’s not good, and now it’s a problem.
Roll 2, smash them together, and interpret.
tough
muffled
broken
forgotten
festive
rugged
quiet
aged
dwindling
abundant
lost
splintered
precarious
romantic
distant
hidden
immense
sacred
wild
menacing
perilous
withered
serene
relentless
mysterious
puzzling
bleak
chaotic
vibrant
tangled
rustic
eerie
tense
looming
flickering
twisted
journey
tremor
sanctuary
peak
territory
dilemma
juncture
debris
betrayal
threshold
rumor
tradition
rift
symbol
trail
boundary
standoff
jackpot
scheme
scar
wasteland
beacon
strife
omen
nexus
archive
help
secret
maze
deception
team
chasm
mystery
wall
pact
illusion
What’s inside the temple?
Roll: aged + beacon
Interpret: Forgotten artifact
Why is the village so quiet?
Roll: tense + scheme
Interpret: Plotting rebellion
What caused the havoc?
Roll: flickering + rift
Interpret: Demonic portal
A forge for inspiration, encouraging emergent, low-prep gameplay. Turn to the GM crucible, often
along with a story roll, when you want the seed of an idea to expand upon to help answer questions
about the story. Roll once on each table. Each roll gives two results (3, 1 = 31: precarious or 13: broken). Let
your mind drift towards the most evocative, then drill down on it and interpret what it might mean.
29
GM TOOLKIT
GM RULES
EXAMPLES OF PLAY PG. 42
GM MOVES. A framework for good GMing prac-
PROMPT. A trigger for you to make an impact
tices and the rules that you (the GM) play by. While
they can be called out specifically, they typically
sit in the background left unsaid, aligning naturally with what you do as GM.
move, caused by things like grim or messy action
rolls, a relevant depleted pool, an unaddressed
Foreshadow move, or by spending suspense.
SUSPENSE. Pure rising tension and cinematic tim-
◆ Story moves set up scenes and pace the game.
ing. Gain suspense by skipping a prompted impact
move or making a suspense move. Spend it to
prompt an impact move at any time.
They hint at problems and give players a
chance to react to what’s happening. Make
these moves as you like at any time.
Skipping an impact move feels like the PCs got
off lucky—something should have happened, but
didn't. That lingering suspense builds tension,
ready to strike later. Use this when no immediate
move feels compelling or when you want to shift
focus to other scenes.
◆ Suspense moves help the players out in some
way or escalate tension. Take suspense when
used. Make these moves with good timing.
◆ Impact moves deal significant consequences,
crank up the tension, and make the world feel
powerful. Make these moves when prompted.
HIT WITH IMPACT
CONSEQUENCES. What happens when things go
THINKING OFFSCREEN. Fallout that happens
wrong—from failed rolls, timers, or impact moves.
They should feel hard but fair, reflecting the stakes
and severity of the situation. Every roll carries
risk; otherwise, assume success and move on.
beyond the immediate action. Not all consequences need to occur in the spotlight. Hitting
elsewhere builds tension, hastens incoming trouble, or creates missed opportunities. These unseen events make the world feel alive, adding
depth beyond the present moment.
Damage is a solid baseline: in a fight, injuries
leave you bloodied by default. Other consequences, even narrative ones, should sting just as much.
There’s no strict formula—it’s a gut feeling. Let the
fiction guide you, and make sure to give the fiction its teeth.
USING POOLS. Building pressure with danger or
timer pools. Start or roll a danger or timer pool
as another outlet for consequences, often offscreen.
These create looming threats and situations the
PCs want to avoid or mitigate. They build pressure
and offer a strong alternative to skipping the move
and banking suspense.
SPLITTING IT. Breaking big consequences into
smaller ones. Multiple effects can be just as effective and make more sense in the situation. You
might break up bloodied into a few marks, or
rattled becoming vex and rolling a pool instead.
Splits make the story move in multiple directions.
SETTING RISK. Framing danger when it's not the
default. Most rolls assume meaningful consequences. Declaring high risk before a roll or situation signals severe stakes—death or worse
looms (an assassin strikes). Low risk shifts outcomes
into lighter territory, rolling for things you'd normally skip, with softer consequences (a cat's stuck
in a tree). It's a tool for tone, moving between
intense and light play.
SPREADING IT. Hitting multiple PCs, nearby
NPCs, or even a PC who didn't prompt the move.
Consequences can be identical, vary in severity,
or differ entirely. If a PC other than the one
prompting it is hit, they get a defense roll. Spreads
make the impact feel broader and pulling more
people into a dynamic scene.
TAKING SUSPENSE. When nothing comes to mind,
skip the impact move and take suspense instead!
30
CHAPTER 2
GM TOOLKIT ◈
STORY MOVES
Use these moves anytime.
◆ Foreshadow: Hint at trouble, sometimes with a timer pool. Prompts a later impact move.
"The wizard narrows his eyes angrily as you enter. • You hear hoofbeats coming, a 4d timer."
◆ Question: Ask provocative questions to stir up drama or flesh out the world.
"Why did you let them kill that bandit?" • "What do you say about the queen as you sit around the fire?"
◆ Set the Scene: Use a story roll to determine how a scene starts off when it’s unclear.
"All seem in festive spirits in the great hall." • "All eyes coldly turn as you enter the great hall."
◆ Spotlight: Focus attention on a PC, encouraging them to act or follow-up.
"You’ve been quiet for a bit—what are you up to?" • "The crone’s eyes lock onto yours, expecting an answer."
◆ Wrap It Up: Call for a montage roll or jump to a likely conclusion to a scene.
"Let’s montage your escape from the collapsing dungeon." • "Okay, you finish mopping up the goblin rabble."
STORY MOVES. Keep the narrative flowing, the action engaging, and get things moving when they
stall out. Player actions drive the story, and story moves nudge them forward. That doesn't mean the
world is passive—you can describe anything happening that makes sense. However, from a story
and gameplay perspective, it's more satisfying when the players have fair warning about trouble.
They know actions have consequences and suspense you've earned can come back to bite them. This
feels fair, so outside of these you give them the initiative. It shows things aren't arbitrary—the GM
is also playing the game, just by different rules.
Foreshadow to signal upcoming threats and
give the players a chance to react. This is a
great way to introduce adversity when you
don't have or want to spend suspense. If they
fail to deal with it or ignore the danger, it
prompts an impact move and the pace of the
story picks up.
Set the Scene when you're unsure about the
specifics of the current fiction or want to dive
straight into the action. Skip detailed planning
and cautious leadups that often drag gameplay
down. Instead, jump straight into the action,
an in medias res shot of things already in motion! The roll sets the opening mood and
stakes for the scene. On a grim, it can even
trigger an impact move, kicking things off with
a bang and raising tension right away.
Question players to help suss out what kind
of story they're interested in, share the creative
load, and keep the story fresh for yourself. Try
to keep this focused on their character's perspective, but feel free to dip into the meta
channel here and talk directly as players about
what you all want to see play out in game.
Wrap it Up when a scene has served its purpose, grown stale, or feels like a foregone conclusion. Don't waste game time on these.
Closing these scenes out decisively keeps the
narrative tight and focuses on what's next.
Spotlight PCs to help direct the action, ensure no one is left out, and put focus where
it's needed. This prompts players towards
action. Mix in cinematic language like "We cut
to..." or "The camera pans over to show..." as you
use the "camera", your group's shared imagination space. Cut back and forth between PCs
and scenes to build tension and avoid focusing on a single PC for too long.
31
GM TOOLKIT
SUSPENSE MOVES
Use these moves with cinematic timing.
◆ Bridge: Resolve a problem the PCs face or use exposition to connect some dots.
You hear from above, ‘Need some help down there?’ • It suddenly makes sense—the baron is a vampire.
◆ Buildup: Give spark to each PC, who give a brief vignette before upcoming action.
The dragon roars in its lair. Let’s do a buildup. • What does it look like as you enter the masquerade?
◆ Cutaway: Narrate an info-rich scene elsewhere, clueing the players in.
In a distant village, a strange sickness begins to spread. • Meanwhile, we see shadows climbing the walls.
◆ Entangle: Propose an interesting tangle to a PC. Take suspense only if they accept.
He looks at you with a smirk, daring you to speak up. • The prisoner knows where your mother is.
◆ Recap: Summarize the last session or events further in the past.
Okay, so last time you wrecked that keep. • Remember when you let that bandit go?
SUSPENSE MOVES. Create familiar moments inspired by TV shows, incentivizing you mechanical-
ly to take the time to structure the story cinematically. You earn suspense, so they reward you for
handling some of the tedium of GMing and remind players to stay engaged. Suspense keeps the world
active when things stall. When your supply of suspense runs dry, you can use these to jumpstart the
action again. However, use them carefully—overuse can get frustrating for players, so pick your spots.
But timely use makes good, cinematic sense.
Bridge a scene when players are stuck, backed
into a corner, or a scene feels dull. It provides
a quick out and moves the story forward. Normally, it would feel like an unearned freebie,
the suspense you gain makes it a fair trade.
Never use it when players are engaged—save
it for when it's needed.
Entangle a player by proposing a juicy tangle
for their PC. Push dilemmas and drama towards
their traits, desires, bonds, and story arcs. The
players pick them because they want the choices that come with! When you have a great idea,
propose a tangle for a PC. Remember you only
gain suspense if they accept, so it's up to you
to make the tangle irresistible. Don't push
hard—this mechanic is built to respect player
agency. Don't punish for saying no.
Buildup to focus in tight on your PCs, and to
create moments that set the stage for major
events. These vignettes, whether a quiet
campfire scene or tense moment before a battle, give players a chance to add depth and
feeling to their characters that might get overlooked, and the "free" spark they gain lets them
know that what's ahead is going to be a real
challenge.
Recap at the start of each session to get everyone on the same page. Hearing the last
session's events builds tension for what's to
come. The suspense you gain can immediately push the action, or hang over their heads.
If a player wants to recap, skip taking the suspense! You can also use a mid-session Recap
to remind players of a vital piece of information they've forgotten.
Cutaway to clue players in on the bigger picture,
like a TV show scene. Show villains plotting,
armies marching, or even positive events. It’s
more fun when players know what's happening
and they can steer their PCs' actions toward that
drama, even if their characters don't explicitly
know about it.
32
CHAPTER 2
GM TOOLKIT ◈
IMPACT MOVES
Use these moves when prompted.
◆ Complicate Things: Escalate a situation, introduce a new problem, or pressure a bond.
"A huge storm rolls in." • "The guard catches sight of you and rings the alarm bell."
◆ Counter: Deny things a PC can always do or negate something they did.
"The lich casts a quick protective spell, slowing your strike." • "The queen raises a hand, silencing everyone."
◆ Force a Choice: Present tough options, with room to only choose one.
"Your gold pouch and sword slide towards the lava." • "Now’s the choice—the prince or the marquis?"
◆ Hit ‘Em Hard: Inflict damage on a PC, like bloodied, rattled, vex, marks, or a condition.
"The ceiling collapses, raining rocks down on you." • "She smirks wickedly at you—take vex, you’re pissed."
◆ Lock It In: Declare something occurs, closing off immediate attempts to change it.
"The thief gets away, nowhere to be seen. • "The bridge behind you collapses. No going back."
IMPACT MOVES. Deliver hard-hitting consequence that challenge PCs and push the action forward.
They require prompting, so when you use them, they're sure to be justified and fair, codified into the
rules. They've had fair warning and should have an idea of the risks. So when you make a move,
make sure it has IMPACT to ensure the choices leading to them matter and the world feels powerful.
When not prompted by a roll, impact moves directly against a PC give them a defense roll. Some
talents also give the ability to interrupt impact moves, possibly negating them. If the roll to interrupt
is a messy, you take suspense or keep it if you spent it to prompt the move.
Complicate Things to add twists and elevate
drama. Use it when things feel too stable or
you want things to be even more chaotic than
they already are. It's also great for adding a
thorn to a roll by introducing sudden environmental obstacles, a great outlet for extra
suspense that doesn't introduce new drama.
Force a Choice to present stark, binary decisions that they can't wiggle their way out of.
This move offers no easy way out. When you
use it, make sure to follow through without
softening the impact. This adds a real cinematic edge, reflecting the truly difficult decisions protagonists must face.
Counter to make the world tenaciously formidable, showing that it won't just roll over.
You can stop anything a PC does, including
successful action rolls, talents they "always"
have permission to use and extra vigilance. If
they use a talent that costs them resources,
they generally don't have to expend that resource (your call) but can't quickly use it again.
However, this can never be used to stop defense
rolls and criticals—don't steal their thunder.
Be careful, players get frustrated if their victories and advantages are snatched away, so
use it in interesting ways and make sure the
spotlight works its way back to them after you
take advantage of the moment.
Hit 'Em Hard when you need to inflict direct
consequences. Whether it’s damage, betrayal,
or loss, this move underscores the seriousness
of the situation. It's a heavy reminder that the
world pushes back against their actions. When
you use it, you should be hitting them just as
hard as they're trying to hit the world.
Lock It In to definitively close off an opportunity and close out a scene that's threatening
to drag on. Players can be tenacious and keep
trying to find some way to not be defeated.
This puts a definitive end to a situation. It
makes follow-up attempts impossible, which
refocuses players' attention forward rather
than trying to find yet another way to attempt
something they've already failed at.
33
GM TOOLKIT
CHALLENGES
CHALLENGES. A framework to represent tasks, obstacles, enemies, and
scenarios that have greater tenacity and complexity than a single action
can accomplish. Challenges allow you to track progress towards them,
but also proactively oppose the PCs. Each has 2 bonus suspense
to
be spent on moves relating to it, and a task pool to represent its tenacity or complexity. They can also have:
◆ Traits (✱): Qualities they have with strong narrative impact, inflict-
ing thorns, denying permissions, or changing vantage.
◆ Moves (◉): Suggested impact moves they might make. These are
examples, not limitations.
◆ Fail State (✘): A trigger that signals the challenge failed, like a
competing timer pool or a specific event. It prompts Lock It In.
Interpret these short, evocative phrases as fit the situation. Keep your
own created challenges similarly brief and flexible. Some uses:
◆ Create a dangerous enemy or exceptionally tough task.
Navigate a mountain pass. Fight the rogue wizard. Make the mayor pay up.
◆ Zoom in on pivotal moments.
8d | Navigate Channel
✱ Shark-infested waters
✱ Treacherous currents
◉ Graze Reef
◉ Violent Winds
◉ Dense Fog
✘ 6d Storm Blows In
8d | Trial by Ordeal
✱ Increasingly difficult
✱ Benevolent chieftain
✘ Roll a grim
6d | Escaping Thief
◉ Blend into Crowd
◉ Narrow Alleys
◉ Street Musicians
Disable a complex trap. Complete the ritual. Court the prince.
◆ Zoom out to collapse related tasks into one objective.
Evade castle guards. Track down the criminals. Organize a mutiny.
◆ Turn a broad concept into an actionable objective.
6d | Stop the Ritual
✘ 4d Ritual Completed
Restore the desecrated temple. Secure enough alliances. Atone for your sins.
BUILDING CHALLENGES
USING CHALLENGES
1. Assign a task pool (4d, 6d, 8d) for its tenacity.
Challenges are for moments of narrative importance. They make whatever you assign them to
a proactive element in the story. Use them to
spotlight what's happening—not because it's
harder, but because it deserves proper screen time
and presence. Introduce challenges at times like:
2. Add traits (1 or 2) that shape the situation. Skip
the obvious (storm is windy) and highlight what
matters (strong winds are blinding). Keep them
brief and evocative.
3. List short, punchy moves (2 or 3) with flexi-
◆ An impact move is prompted.
ble interpretations. These are examples, not
limits. You can spend bonus suspense on other
moves, or trigger these when an impact move
is prompted by something else.
The sleeping dragon wakes up. They fail to reach the
pass before winter. The dying goblin blows the horn.
◆ You Foreshadow to give fair warning.
4. Define a fail state, a specific trigger that pre-
Drumming from the deep. Wind blows out the torches.
There are signs of battle.
vents that challenge from being accomplished.
Avoid obvious outcomes (dying in a fight) and
focus on what creates tension (breaking a code
of honor). Players should know the fail state
unless mystery is part of the fun—and even
then, make it clear one is in play.
◆ You Complicate Things without warning.
Arrows whizz by, an ambush! The statues spring to
life. A huge storm hits the ship.
◆ The PCs head straight towards trouble on
their own.
Note: Not all of these parts are needed for a challenge.
Sneak into a well-guarded keep. Call out the drake.
Pass through a haunted forest.
34
CHAPTER 2
GM TOOLKIT ◈
LINKED CHALLENGES
Linked challenges are greater, more complex interactions, like epicly powerful enemies or unbelievably tense social situations. Each part of the whole has its own proactive presence in the scene.
Give them traits that prompt impact moves, triggered by the fiction (protect the body) for dynamic
interactions.
NEGOTIATING PEACE IN A CIVIL WAR
8d | Duchess Lysandra
4d | Baron Reynard
6d | Count Lucian
✱ Lineal Heir
✱ War weary
✱ Diplomatic
◉ Show Strength
◉ Challenge Honor
◉ Reveal Secret
✘ 4d Leaves the Table
✘ 4d Leaves the Table
✘ 4d Leaves the Table
Following the death of the Ember Queen, the realm descended into chaos sparking a long and bloody
civil war. The PCs have managed to bring all three sides to the negotiating table, but the road to
peace is rocky. They need each to sign off on splitting the realm.
CONSPIRACY WITHIN THE ORDER
4d | False Prophecies
8d | Altered Scriptures
◉ Dead End (for now)
◉ Dead End (for now)
4d | Missing Relics
◉ Dead End (for now)
8d | The High Priests
◉ Assassins Strike
✘ 8d Ritual of Usurpation
The cleric's obsession with the
odd occurrences within his order
has consumed him—missing
relics, false prophecies, and altered scriptures. He knows that
something is up and is determined to figure it out.
THE GREAT RED DRAGON
6d | Claws
8d | Body
6d | Tail
✱ Protect the Body
✱ Frightful presence
✱ Protect the Body
◉ Snatch
✱ Impenetrable scales
◉ Tail Sweep
◉ Scratch
◉ Breathe Fire
◉ Crush
◉ Chomp Down
6d | Wings
◉ Roar
4d | Kobold Minions
◉ Wind Buffet
✘ Fly Away
◉ Die for Master!
The Great Red Dragon descends, lured into the PCs' trap by the goats as bait. They ready the barbed
ballista, knowing they must prevent the beast from escaping into the sky. The dragon's kobold
minions scurry down from its back, swarming the clearing. The battle commences.
35
GM TOOLKIT
VIGILANCE
VIGILANCE. The assumed alertness of the PCs,
HINT
avoiding overly cautious gameplay to keep the
focus on the action.
Tests a player's skill.
Foreshadow with a subtle clue about a hidden
element. The player gets a single chance to interpret the situation. They're limited to just one
to highlight the natural response of the PC and
to keep things flowing. Player intuition guides the
story forward. A correct response leads to a reveal
or possibly bypasses the situation entirely. That
PCs are always considered to be as vigilant as their
vantage allows when dealing with hidden dangers
like traps, lies, or secret doors. However, this doesn't
mean they are always aware of hidden threats.
Instead, the GM uses a gut feeling to decide how
much the PC perceives based on their vantage
and the type of tension the GM wants to build.
funny feeling of being watched. A blood trail down a hallway.
REVEAL
Each of the three levels of vigilance creates a
different dynamic in the scene, a different view
of PC competence and the danger of the world.
These three levels are: hint, reveal, and strike.
Tests a character's skill.
Foreshadow with an obvious unveiling of an
immediately imminent threat. The PC that becomes aware has one chance to react before the
danger strikes. Character competence guides the
story forward. Spotting the assassin in hiding. A whirling
Against a prowling panther, it's most likely that a farmer
gets a hint, a hunter gets a reveal, and a scholar takes a
strike. You can always mix it up, though, and give just the
scholar the reveal, putting them out of their element.
of gears betraying the swinging scythe trap about to spring.
STRIKE
Against a duke lying about their lineage, a priest gets a hint,
another noble gets a reveal, and a commoner takes a strike.
You can always mix it up, though, and give the commoner
a hint, knowing just the right random tidbit.
Tests a character's defenses.
Make an impact move as the danger immediately
strikes them. The GM assumes the PCs were not
vigilant enough. The dangerous world guides the
story forward. The servant slips poison into your glass. A
trapdoor opens beneath you.
VIGILANCE EXAMPLES
Below are some ways that a danger can manifest as hints, reveals, or strikes.
DANGER
HINT
REVEAL
STRIKE
Poisoned dart trap
Floor creaks unnaturally
Dartgun in wall spotted
Darts fly from the walls
Flammable gas trap
Faint smell lingers
Bit of gas ignites
Area engulfed in flames
Political intrigue
Inconsistencies in letter
Wax seal is clearly fake
Forgery leads to crisis
Hidden malice
Suspicious glances
Threatens a PC
Calls the guards
Fractured resolve
Hesitates when speaking
Express doubts or fears
Act against plans
Concealing illusion
Shimmering distortion
Reveals true form
Causes a wrong move
Shattered trust
Avoids eye contact
Lets intentions slip
Betrays the party
Crumbling ceiling
Dust falls lightly
Cracks spread visibly
Debris crashes down
Swarming insects
Animals running away
Cloud of insects in the sky Swarm descends viciously
Cursed relic
Air grows unnaturally cold It speaks your name
36
CHAPTER 2
It curses the handler
GM TOOLKIT ◈
37
GM TOOLKIT
COMBAT KIT
GM tools to create dynamic antagonists and combat scenarios quickly. Tier is an opponent's threat
level. Role is a keyword used to guide its behavior in battle to vary its tactics. Battlegrounds make
the environment a proactive or obstacle-ridden part of the scene. Mix these for dynamic combats.
ROLES
TIERS
BLASTER
MOOK
◆ Mostly just set dressing.
BRUTE
◆ One action roll can take out several.
LURKER
◆ Large groups can be a task pool.
MARKSMAN
TOUGH
◆ A typical, dangerous enemy.
OVERSEER
◆ One action roll can take out one of them.
MARAUDER
◆ Small groups can be a task pool.
PREDATOR
PROTECTOR
ELITE
◆ Strong scene presence.
SKIRMISHER
◆ A 4d/6d challenge.
◆ Often leads a group of lesser enemies.
BOSS
◆ Commands the scene.
SWARMER
TACTICIAN
TRICKSTER
◆ A 6d/8d challenge or linked challenge.
◆ Extremely powerful.
BATTLEGROUND. Make the location an important, pro-
active part of the scene. Identify environmental elements
to bring into play.
◆ Features: Elements likely to impact, usually compli-
cating, the ongoing action. They have a strong effect on
vantage and difficulty.
Heavy winds, cluttered warehouse, angry onlookers.
◆ Threats: Hazards that present extra dangers. They
either get 2 suspense
or repeat on a timer. They
have a strong proactive presence in the scene.
4d heavy waves, 6d guard patrols, 8d artillery.
Aggressive spirits,
Tornado,
Raging waters.
Note: Enemies gathered into a single task pool are listed with the dice in front (4d Archers). Challenges are shown
with a | after the pool (8d | Dragon).
38
CHAPTER 2
Lair of the Magma Serpent
Features Lava pools, unstable ground
Threats 4d Lava Eruptions
5 Fire Elementals (Tough Blasters)
8d | Magma Serpent (Boss Predator)
Boarding a Pirate Ship
Features Stormy waters, cramped decks
Threats 4d Waves Crashing
Kraken Tentacles
4d Deckhands (Mook Soldiers)
4d Rigging Archers (Mook Marksmen)
3 Swashbucklers (Tough Soldiers)
4d | Pirate Captain (Elite Overseer)
GM TOOLKIT ◈
RUNNING COMBATS
When a fight breaks out, the action flows naturally, following the spotlight. There are no specific rules that differentiate combat from any
other scene.
COMBAT RULINGS
You map the fiction to the rules just like any scene,
making rulings to fill in gaps. However, in combat
you'll often see the same scenarios come up, so
for the sake of consistency, some common rulings:
There's no turn order. The GM describes the impending danger in the current situation and asks
how the PCs respond, or the PCs take action on
their own. The spotlight is often on the PCs, and
the world's actions flow from what they do. You
make enemies more proactive by Foreshadowing events and following up after, or spending
suspense to make impact moves. This results in
a cinematic ebb and flow to combat.
Movement: Moving usually accompanies another action—the goal isn't just to get somewhere,
but to get there and do something. If an interesting obstacle blocks the way, it needs an action roll.
Weapons: Compare the weapons in play and use
common sense to resolve any issues. Most weapons are evenly matched; the roll only shifts if
there's a clear imbalance.
Battles occur in the theater of the mind, using the
group's shared imagination to keep track of each
participant's fictional positioning to map fiction
to rules. However, using battlemaps or sketching
maps with minis or markers to track locations
during a fight works well, too. This helps organize
the chaotic situation, makes sure everyone gets
time to shine, and keeps everyone's imagination
aligned. Don't get caught up in detailed tracking—update the map with big changes.
Melee combat: Most melee attacks use Brawn,
while light, fast weapons rely on Agility. Dirty
tricks call for Wits, but rarely work more than once.
Ranged combat: Precision attacks roll Agility,
while thrown weapons use Brawn or Agility based
on weight and range. Charging an enemy with
ranged weapons is reckless, adding +1t or requiring a separate action to close the gap.
Ranged and Casters vs. Melee: Spellcasting and
precise ranged attacks demand focus, which is
tough with nearby threats. Inflict +1t to these rolls
when under immediate danger.
Defense Rolls: The GM selects the stat to test.
Melee attacks are dodged with Agility, blocked
with Brawn (using armor or shields), anticipated
with Wits, or keeping your nerve with Presence.
Armor: Armor and shields are represented by
talents like Bulwark (pg. 62). Otherwise, they are
vantage and set dressing for defense rolls.
Vulnerabilities: Exploiting a vulnerability can
lower thorns, drop 1 before rolling a pool, or even
bypass the need for a roll. In some cases, finding
a vulnerability is required to attack at all.
Enemy Magic: Enemy magic doesn't follow the
same rules as PC magic. It manifests through GM
moves and is constrained only by the fiction.
39
GM TOOLKIT
FACTIONS
FACTIONS. Track off-screen developments of
CAMPAIGN POOLS. Timers that pace long-term
major forces, creating a feeling of a living world
beyond the PCs. They have:
events across sessions (lunar eclipse, wyvern migration). They work like faction pools but don’t require faction details. Use them to signal upcoming events or remind you to reintroduce plotlines
(betrayed NPC seeking revenge).
◆ Resources that show their power and influ-
ence, like assets, traits, and relationships.
◆ Goals that show their ambitions. Track them
with a timer called a faction pool, rolled
between sessions or when triggered by events
in the story.
When a faction pool depletes, the goal is either
accomplished or they make their move against
another faction, with a story roll in their favor
determining how it plays out.
Keep 4-6 active factions, balancing major and
minor ones, with competing goals. Replace factions that are no longer relevant to the story.
Village of Ellit
Twisted Forest
Elders (wise, cautious)
Fine archers
Growing eldritch roots
Ancient spirits
4d Ask Baron for Help
8d Build a wall
4d Grow Forth
6d Lure in Outsiders
Gorge Goblins
War in the East
Unlimited numbers
4d War Refugees Arrive
6d Baron Dies
4d Raid the Village
PEMTOWN POWDERKEG
Baron Prog of Pemtown
Baron's Unpaid Troops
Druids of the Oldgrove
Tax collectors (corrupt)
Paying off Shaz
Veterans of the Goblin War
Captain Morris (charismatic)
Sworn to non-interference
Magical wards
4d Squander Treasury
6d Discipline Troops
4d Abandon Posts
6d Depose the Baron
6d Quiet the Horrors
8d Parley with Shaz
Goblin Horde
Shaz, Orc Warlord
Woodland Horrors
Nomadic forest dwellers
Heavily trapped territory
Small, elite warband
Secret tribute from Pemtown
Goblin War remnants
Ominous whispers
4d Crown the Goblin King
6d March on Pemtown
6d Subjugate the Goblins
8d Subjugate the Druids
4d Troops Disappear
8d Night of Terror
The air in Pemtown hums with tension. Baron Prog’s coffers run dry, his troops grow restless, and whispers
of rebellion stir in the ranks. Meanwhile, deep in the forest, alliances shift as Shaz’s warband, the goblin
horde, and the druids of the Oldgrove edge closer to explosive confrontation.
40
CHAPTER 2
GM TOOLKIT ◈
GM WITH MOXIE
Map fiction to rules. Encourage players to focus
on the fiction and let you handle the rules. The
more narratively important something is, the
more mechanical weight you should give it.
Use the moves, or don't. The GM moves can be
explicit rules, merely guidelines, or somewhere
in between. Some GMs will call them out by
name, while others never bring them up at all.
Either way, as long as your GMing aligns with
their intent, you're doing it right.
In a game of courtly intrigue, slaying a dragon might be a
montage roll for a knight while an important dinner party
is a complex linked challenge full of dire stakes.
Make moves with impact. Don't pull your punches—impact moves are called that for a reason.
They shove the story forward. Players have a lot
of tools at their disposal, so give the world teeth.
It makes victory even sweeter.
Get creative applying the rules, mixing them up
in ways not explicitly laid out. Don't be afraid to
tinker. Moxie is modular and you're not going to
break it. Graft on rules from other systems you
like, or hack Moxie and make it your own.
A single impact move is flexible. You can split it
up into a few lesser effects (inflict a mark as you break
their sword), hit multiple PCs at once, or have a PC's
action affect a totally different PC, though they
do get a defense roll in that case.
If the rules clash with what makes sense in the
fiction, the fiction wins. Engage with the rules
quickly, resolve them, and return to the story.
"What does that look like?" or "Give us a quick scene."
When an impact move doesn't naturally flow
from what's happening on-screen (common with
messy rolls), think off-screen instead and complicate their lives elsewhere or take suspense and
hit later with better dramatic timing.
Make rulings to fill gaps. The rules are a flexible
framework and designed not to cover every detail.
When things fall through the cracks, try to interpret the rules' intent and make a ruling that fits
the moment. If it's a judgment call, tell the players. If you're unsure of a rule, make a quick call
now and check later. When in doubt, everything
can collapse down to a single story roll—ask the
players what they want to happen, then roll to
see if that's how it goes down.
Prompt player narration. After a roll, make sure
the players narrate how things play out—even,
or especially, on a grim. Describing failure is a
great way to express their character. Collaborate,
but keep them narrating their actions.
Encourage them to play off of each other as well,
especially with assists and montages. Ask for
reaction shots as other PCs' scenes play out to
gauge how they feel about it, or how their bond
affects their reaction.
Pace the game cinematically. Keep the game flowing like a well-paced movie. Don't let scenes drag,
Wrap It Up to move on to something more interesting. If players don't seem keen on an upcoming situation, suggest a montage. Skip long
planning phases by cutting to the action with a
Set the Scene move. Reward players buying into
these techniques by giving them good odds.
Most importantly, after the rules come into play,
get right back to narration. Make sure that the
flow remains Fiction→Rules→Fiction.
Follow the players' lead. Keep tabs on story arcs and
Be endlessly curious. Ask provocative questions
about the PCs and their motivations to give players a chance to expand on their characters.
present drama, dilemmas, and opportunities related to them. Follow where the characters want to
go. Present interesting situations related to it.
When players hesitate or hit an impasse, spur
them into action with danger timers, quarrels,
Entangles, or Bridge and move on.
◆ Why in the world would you do that?
◆ Okay, so who'd you steal that sword from?
◆ So are you pissed off or cool with it?
41
GM TOOLKIT
EXAMPLES OF PLAY
DESIGNER COMMENTARY
The cleric charges the Minotaur King. This minotaur is a powerful
foe and the thorns it inflicts when fighting it must reflect that, so
you make it +2t and call for a Brawn roll: 2, 3, 5 - 7, 8. The initial
outcome is a messy, which drops to a grim for the first cut, then to
a disaster for the second. You hadn't declared high risk on this roll,
but you know that a disaster can cut past the need. You check in
with the cleric, "You okay losing a limb here?" Leaning into the
awfulness of the situation, they laugh it off and nod. You decide the
Minotaur King rips off their arm! You toss the narration back to the
player to let them describe how it all went down.
Horrifying enemies need horrifying consequences. If you hit hard, especially when
the dice tell you to, players will understand—the world is dangerous. That's why
what they're doing is heroic.
The fighter stands off alone against 10 bandits. This one's borderline,
but the bandits all have combat experience and there's an overwhelming number of them, so you make this impossible (+3t from
inherent difficulty).
As GM, you have to be really on point and
consistent with thorns. There are no hard
rules, but it's easy to forget how tough
enemy numbers can be. Even a great fighter will struggle against ten all coming at
them.
The fighter thinks on it, then they take off running. They want to
split the group up for better odds. You know this bunch is disorganized, so you decide a trick is relatively easy—no thorns, and you
call for a wits roll: 4, 3 :: messy! You let them know they pulled it
off, but the impact move means they're still facing three bandits
— fightable, but still +1t. You also give them a mark to Agility as
they stumble and twist their ankle.
The fighter grabs the narration and works in that the stumble is how
the bandits ended up catching up to them. Then they introduce a
tangle—they'll start off on the ground, in a terrible position, if they
can have spark. You give the thumbs up!
The PCs have made a grave mistake, and the entire cemetery surrounding them is starting to come to unlife. You (the GM) tell them
there are skeletons and zombies everywhere. They have a choice—
they could run, and it would be an 8d | Escape challenge, but the
town would be gone for sure. Or you can stay and fight, just wave
after wave of undead. You then Entangle the rogue's definitely not
honorable trait. The rest seem deadset on staying, but the rogue
wavers. They quarrel, and finally the other three win out—they stay,
and fight like the heroes most of them are.
You think on what waves of zombies might look like. Each undead
is weak individually, but the entire horde is epic. You set it up as
waves, three linked 4d-6d-8d | Undead Horde challenges.
You then call for a Build Up move. Each player describes their character getting ready as the horde starts to claw its way out of the
ground. They take spark from the quarrel earlier, spark from the
Build Up move, and the GM takes suspense.
42
CHAPTER 2
Still, it's good to check in. You can't give a
longterm condition like losing a limb to a
player without their say so. Had they wanted to avoid that, you could have dropped
them instead and risked death or found
something equally fitting.
When considering whether to add a thorn,
err on the side of adding it! It makes rolls
more interesting with higher stakes, but
also makes players not just try the first
thing that comes to mind.
Finally, splitting up consequences like this
is a good way to keep scenes moving without hammering a PC as things get started.
Give them a fighting chance to make for a
cool scene. A perfect probably would have
had them facing 2 bandits.
Setting up challenges on the fly is one of
the most important parts of being a GM.
With time, it becomes second nature and
lets you set up dynamic scenarios quickly.
Don't forget about Build Up. This is perfect
timing for it. They just got spark from quarreling, but a huge horde is incoming, and
they're probably going to need more spark
for narrating a great scene. Unfortunately,
the rogue here got stuck with losing out
on a spark—but it all happened so quickly
that as the GM, you should give them a
pass and let them have three (Entangle,
quarrel, Build up) just this once.
Giving PCs opportunities to get spark like
that as well incentivizes them using it. In
these cases, usually one or two PCs will
have spark still on their sheet and miss out
on getting that second one as theirs is full.
GM TOOLKIT ◈
The 8d | Gnoll Marauders begin their assault on the walled town.
You spend suspense to make a move and hit the town gate with the
battering ram. You roll the 6d Walls Breached pool: 3, 4, 5, 1, 1, 6 ::
6d→3d. If the gate falls, chaos will reign. The cleric casts a warding
domain spell and gets a perfect! Without a specific rule, you make
a quick ruling and add 2d to the Breached pool (3d→5d).
The wizard steps up and launches a Frenzied Embers potent spell at
the gnolls—a critical! You roll the marauders' pool, getting 3, 5, 4,
3, 6, 2, 1, 6 :: 8d→4d. For the critical, the wizard takes a secondary
effect—they want that battering ram to catch fire. You think it'll
probably take a while to burn, so you start a 4d Ram Burning pool
and roll it: 2 3 3 1 :: 4d→0d! Nevermind, it's engulfed in flames!
The wizard's brought before the kobold elders for her 4d | Trial by
Ordeal (pg. 34). The first trial is to lift a boulder, and she gets a
perfect! You roll for progress (4d→4d), but none is made. The elders,
unimpressed, call for a larger boulder, but you say that the benevolent chieftain silences them. You make a ruling, dropping 1 from the
pool (4d→3d).
Next, the wizard must walk across a very narrow balance beam (+1t).
Her perfect gets cut to a messy. As she makes it to the end, she
stumbles off and smack her head. You decide that Wits gets marked,
but the elders seem pleased (3d→1d). The final ordeal is a ridiculous
riddle (+2t), and she also takes +1t from damage—and ends up
rolling a disaster. You decide it's death by volcano!
The fighter takes the helm as they 8d | Navigate Channel (pg. 34).
They roll Wits, but the thorn from the treacherous currents cuts their
perfect to a messy. You roll for their progress navigating (8d→4d),
then make a move—Graze Reef. The rogue up in the lookout makes
a Wits defense roll but gets a grim. They don’t see it and the boat
slams against the reef. You start a 6d Taking on Water pool, then roll
it (6d→4d) alongside the 6d Storm Blows In pool (6d→2d). Things
are getting bad!
At the edge of catastrophe, the fighter tries to right the course. They
spend spark and the rogue and wizard jump in to assist. Before they
roll, you make another move—Violent Winds puts a second thorn
onto the roll, and you declare high risk at this pivotal moment. If
this fails, the pools are rolled and one or more of the PCs is going
overboard into shark-infested waters. Everyone grabs their dice.
43
GM TOOLKIT
This is a great example of secondary effect,
and also how pools can quickly change the
dynamics of a scene.
Had they chosen greater effect, you would
have dropped 1d from the pool before
rolling it. If they had went with setup, they
could have rolled an assist without risk with
whoever came at the gnolls next. Imagine
a berserker flying off the wall, greataxe in
hand, cutting through the exploding fireball at some surprised gnolls!
Mastering setting up and rolling pools is
another key GM skill. Here, it's rolled right
as it's set because it makes sense.
And here's where it all comes together, the
mix of setting up challenges, rolling pools,
reacting within the fiction to how those
pools progress, and hitting with appropriate impact moves while giving out thorns.
Throughout all of this, there's of course a
lot more narration, but this is the ideal flow
of a challenge. Each roll is giving great
prompts for narration and it progresses
smoothly towards its horrible ending.
Fail states provide an important check
against neverending rolls to whittle down
pools. Setting up a proper one, here the
Storm Blowing In and even later a second
one with Taking on Water, means there's
urgency and care in what they do. They'll
work hard together to make sure those
pools don't get rolled.
This kind of pressure creates teamwork and
teamwork is what an adventuring party
should be all about. If you find your players
struggling against challenges, make sure
to point out mechanics like assists that they
might be missing out on.
And don't be afraid of Locking It In if they
don't do it. The story will just move on in a
different direction!
You (GM): “Your ship rams the pirate ship!” You Set the Scene and
get a grim. "You see the Pirate Captain pull out a horn, look terrified,
and then blow it. Amidst the high waves surrounding both ships,
the
Kraken’s Tentacles burst forth from the water. There are
about 20 deckhands below and a group of 10 archers above, each a
4d mook pool. There are a few swashbucklers too, and the Captain's
an elite.”
When you're using Set the Scene, be ready
to hit them a bit hard if a grim comes up.
Here we have a scene-altering change just
because things didn't go well. Only make
the roll if you're ready to follow through
with it. That goes for a perfect, too. If they
get the perfect, they deserve the easier
start! Don't take it from them.
You put out some tokens representing all of this on the battlemap.
You: “Go ahead and put your tokens where they make the most
sense. You were ready for a fight, and the grim resulted in the Kraken getting summoned. What do you do?”
Fighter: “I have my bow out and start launching arrows at the archers.”
They roll Agility and get a grim. You give a mark to Brawn and
Presence as an arrow slices their arm. You follow up by spending
suspense. You have the Pirate Captain swing onto their boat and
attack the fighter, who rolls a grim on their Brawn defense roll because of the mark. A second mark to Brawn instead marks Agility,
then they clear the Brawn mark because it was rolled.
Rogue: “I want to trick the Kraken into trying to hit me! I’ll slice at
a tentacle, then jump over towards the deckhands, like right into
the middle of them.”
You double check their intent, to make the kraken hit the deckhands,
and then have him roll Wits (+2t), warning that this is high risk—this
could get them dropped. Hearing that, the cleric uses their crossbow
to assist with some cover fire at the deckhands. The rogue agrees
and they roll a messy, but it works! You think on it and make a
ruling prioritizing the fiction here. That tentacle is enough to wipe
out those deckhands without a roll. However, the rogue is definitely
dropped, out of the scene in some way.
You get ready to make a story roll to see if the rogue's dead, but the
cleric jumps in to assist again! They roll 1d on a defense roll since
the rogue didn't get one and get a perfect! They run across and
tackle the rogue out of the way just as the tentacle sweeps the deckhands off into the sea.
You check in that the battlemap has the tokens in roughly the right
spots. You also feel it's good timing for the threat pool and roll 4d
Waves (4d→0d). Waves wash over the boats and you have everyone
make Brawn defense rolls. They all get a perfect except the cleric,
who rolled a grim—they're washed overboard!
Wizard: “Can I try to save the cleric just before he goes over? Or
like right as he goes over? I want to cast Flaming Claw to grab him.”
(continued on the next page)
44
CHAPTER 2
Clearing marks after other marks are applied makes sure you don't end up in weird
situations where you take a mark, roll it,
clear it, take another, roll it, clear it, and so
on. It's better to change the fiction up and
have it move to a different stat.
This all looks a bit clunkier written out than
it feels in play, as the character sheet helps
a lot with this flow visually.
If you know a situation could cut straight
to a dropped on a grim without being
bloodied first, you need to let them know
that it's high risk. Players buying into a roll
that could leave their PC dead makes them
way more okay with it if it happens, or even
laughing it off when it does.
However, if you drop them out of nowhere
and they roll a grim on the story roll, it's
likely to fall pretty flat.
Remind your players a few times when you
first start playing that they can assist on
action rolls that prompt impact moves.
They only get to roll 1d and open themselves up to the risk, but it's a chance! They
can also spend spark on the roll.
GM TOOLKIT ◈
(continued from the previous page)
You let her know she can’t undo something that happened, but there’s
enough gray area to try this. You remind her that Flaming Claw
scorches whatever it touches, so the cleric's Agility will get marked
no matter what here. She makes the roll and gets a messy. The cleric is scorched a bit, but safe as the claw drags him back up the side
of the boat. Not wanting to further complicate this beat, you decide
to take suspense instead of making an impact move, a nice soft reset
on the action. You point the Spotlight back at the PCs.
You: “Alright, we have waves and the Kraken smashing the ship, the
Pirate Captain looking for a fight with the injured fighter, and the
rogue and cleric almost getting killed. Fighter, I think the action's
on you and the pirate captain, who just got joined by one of the
swashbucklers. Tell us what’s next—and do remember that I have
that suspense I just took.”
The rogue spots the ambush and sneaks into the trees, up behind
the 4 Bandit Rabble. He strikes, rolling Agility and gets a perfect.
You let him know these are just mooks and this takes out all of them,
so he takes the creative liberty to narrate a sequence of him dispatching the bandits quietly, one by one.
The limtations on Flaming Claw are important to make sure magic doesn't start
overshadowing normal actions. Magic can
have a lot of versatility, so make adjustments in play to keep things feeling balanced.
Suspense is a great fallback on a messy
when you want to wrap up a beat and move
on. Sometimes a perfect or a grim both
make sense, but the middle zone doesn't—
let the PCs have their easy victory for now,
then hit them out of nowhere with suspense later.
A single good roll can take out a couple of
mooks or one tough. With a good enough
pool roll, it can even take out one elite.
The player knows there’s also a Bandit Leader here, but the rogue
character doesn’t—he introduces a tangle. They recently changed
their trait from definitely not honorable to definitely not quiet, so he
wants to say his character doesn't know about the bandit and walks
out loudly bragging. That makes sense and seems in-character, so
you okay it and he takes spark.
The player expected the leader to run away, but you check his role—
brute. A smart enemy might flee, but not a brute. You make a 1d
(unlikely) story roll for the rogue to see if the bandit runs and get a
grim. Looks like it's a fight. You declare high risk, then make a move
that was prompted by the story roll—Hit 'Em Hard.
The Bandit Leader charges from the bushes. The rogue rolls a grim
and gets blindsided. You skip marked and go straight to bloodied.
The rogue describes the attack, blood flying from a blow to the head.
You use a Build Up move and you both narrate a moment, the bandit looking to finish this, the rogue having a chance to stand up. They
face off. The rogue takes spark, you take suspense. Now it's a fight.
45
GM TOOLKIT
When in doubt about what an enemy would
do, look to their role and go from there.
Story rolls have consequences, too. If
something in the fiction leads to one, the
story roll can prompt impact moves.
Cinema like this is why we play the game.
Imagine all this through the camera lens,
your shared imagination space. When the
mechanics flow like this, the system sings.
ADVENTURERS ◈
CHAPTER 3
ADVENTURERS
STARTING A CAMPAIGN
Start each campaign with a session zero, a campaign brainstorming and character creation session
where you get everyone on the same page about themes, setting, and the kind of game you want
to play. Remember, think about it like a TV series!
1
Choose a Theme & Setting: The GM leads the discussion on what campaign themes
and settings sound fun. Choose a setting or build one together.
2
Form the Party: The players form their adventuring party, following the prompts
below. The party is made before the characters to ensure they fit well.
3
Set Group Arc: The players choose a group arc, a goal or theme they're interested in
playing out as a group. You'll figure out what it means in play. (pg. 14)
4
Make Characters: Follow the character creation flow and make PCs together. Prioritize fitting in with the theme, setting, party, and group arc. (pg. 49)
ADVENTURING PARTY
Your group of adventurers already know each other and have adventured together, at least for
some time. Answer the prompts below together to get a sense of your party's concept to ensure
that you build characters that fit well within that type of party.
Concept: Choose 2 that you see your party as and 1 that you definitely aren't.
Avengers
Conquerors
Disciples
Explorers
Heroes
Mercenaries
Mystics
Outsiders
Renegades
Scoundrels
Vassals
Wardens
To help whittle down choices, each player and the GM can individually write down one group
concept they want to play as and one they won't play as, then reveal them.
47
ADVENTURERS
ADVENTURER PATHS
Paths are collections of talents grouped by common adventuring themes. Each has a core talent
and core growth—your core talent gets stronger as you gain levels. Remember, paths cannot be used
to establish story details—backgrounds and talents can. Talents are meant to be re-skinned to fit your
concept! Each path is covered in detail later in this chapter.
MONK
BARD
BERSERKER
CLERIC
stirring the soul
by song or deed
blood, mettle, and
the sounds of battle
faith is stronger
than any blade
DRUID
FIGHTER
MONK
the fury of nature,
untamed, relentless
resolve honed with
every strike
perfection is a journey,
not a destination
PALADIN
RANGER
ROGUE
an oath taken, a burden
willingly carried
no escape, no mercy,
only the chase
a whisper in the dark,
then a quiet end
SORCERER
WARLOCK
WIZARD
magic flows like blood,
powerful and wild
power always demands
a hefty price
arcane knowledge,
wielded with precision
48
CHAPTER 3
ADVENTURERS ◈
CHARACTER CREATION
Follow the steps below to create your character. This order is often the simplest, but you should
begin where your imagination takes you. Character sheets for each path and a blank sheet are
available at DrivethruRPG or odditypress.com and you can check the website for digital character
sheets and other online play tools.
1
Backgrounds: Choose two backgrounds, each with three wises, that detail your heritage or professions, covering your tools of the trade and story details. (pg. 14)
2
Traits: Choose 2 you very much are and 1 you definitely aren't: brave, caring, confident,
curious, gentle, honest, honorable, persistent, protective, quiet, rash, stubborn.
3
Desires: Choose 2 you truly desire and 1 you definitely don't: belonging, glory, harmony, honor, justice, knowledge, love, power, renown, thrills, wealth, wisdom.
4
Features: Write down three distinctive features, words or short phrases that others
soon notice about you, like strong hands, kind eyes, or a gravelly voice.
5
Path: Choose a path, gain its core talent, and pick either another talent from your
path's list or a non-core talent from another path. (pg. 54 ~ 76)
6
Stats: Begin with 1 in each stat, then assign 4 more points amongst them as you like,
to a max of 3 in any single stat. (pg. 14)
7
Arcs: Choose one or two character arcs to explore. Don't get too detailed—these will
get fleshed out during play and can be changed anytime. (pg. 15)
8
Bonds: Describe your characters in detail. As you listen, mark two bonds you have
towards each PC, either strong feelings or the opposite. (pg. 14)
9
Review: Revisit the campaign theme, setting, party identity, and group arcs you set.
Make sure everything matches up well and make any adjustments.
Montage: Finish off with a montage of the last adventure you went on together.
10 The GM gives a basic overview of the scenario, then you roll a group montage (2d
each) to see how the whole adventure went. (pg. 13)
Collaborate to narrate your outcomes, working in bonds and other details. (pg. 14)
49
ADVENTURERS
BACKGROUNDS
Backgrounds are the pillars of your backstory, revealing key aspects of who you are. They determine what counts as set dressing—tools of the trade and the story details you can add. Start with
a simple word or phrase, leaving room for growth as your backstory is revealed during play. They're
just dots to connect later.
Backgrounds include your heritage (next page), social class, or profession. Each background comes
with three wises—evocative phrases that highlight areas of knowledge, experience, or awareness
from that background. They're especially useful for declaring story details, providing prompts and
ideas to bring into play.
You have two backgrounds. You can choose from the list (below), use the Heritage crucible (next
page), or use either of those as guidelines to create your own. Backgrounds and their wises should
fit the campaign world and be approved by the GM. A heritage background isn't required if you
prefer it as just set dressing.
Your backgrounds serve as a clear sign of the important aspects of who you are.
▸ You might have grown up poor on the streets, but if you have the Ragamuffin background, you learned
a lot from that experience and it's a core part of who you are.
▸ You might be a dwarf, but having the Dwarf of the Iron Hills background lets you set the scope of what
it means to be a person from that heritage.
▸ A fighter with the Warrior and Noble backgrounds feels substantially different than one with the Scoundrel and Eccentric backgrounds.
BACKGROUNDS & WISES
Also known as...
Charlatan, wise in social graces, spotting marks, and timely misdirects.
spy, swindler
Clergy, wise in allegories, signs of sin, and faiths of the world.
cultist, priest
Commoner, wise in local customs, practical wisdom, and superstitions.
farmer, villager
Crafter, wise in crafting quality, trade contacts, and wear and tear.
artisan, smith
Drifter, wise in chance meetings, faraway tales, and lay of the land.
explorer, vagabond
Entertainer, wise in legends and tales, crowd behaviors, and stage presence. storyteller, minstrel
Eccentric, wise in hard truths, random facts, and strange snacks.
Healer, wise in comfort foods, signs of ailment, and herbal properties.
Hunter, wise in survival, tracks, and wildlife behavior.
Mariner, wise in nautical lore, seafaring, and weather patterns.
hermit, recluse
chirurgeon, herbalist
pathfinder, trapper
pirate, sailor
Mystic, wise in ancient prophecies, leylines, and symbology.
occultist, seer
Noble, wise in diplomacy, influential contacts, and luxuries.
aristocrat, diplomat
Ragamuffin, wise in hidden paths, rumors, and street smarts.
Sage, wise in ancient histories, peoples of the world, and philosophy.
Scoundrel, wise in escape routes, signs of weakness, and shady connections.
cutpurse, urchin
lorekeeper, scholar
brigand, thief
Trader, wise in cultural tastes, people's desires, and rare goods.
merchant, peddler
Warrior, wise in battle plans, military contacts, and war stories.
sellsword, soldier
50
CHAPTER 3
ADVENTURERS ◈
HERITAGE
Heritage reflects your culture, ancestry, and homeland. Use the Heritage Crucible below for inspiration: roll three words, pick two, and combine them. You can interpret these words literally
or figuratively, or use them as they are.
Once you set your heritage, give it three wises. The backgrounds (previous page) can serve as
inspiration. These wises reflect traits commonly shared by most people from your heritage. This
continues throughout the game as you figure out more about your people through play. In short,
you know what the Orcs of the Verdant Boglands are like because you are one!
Heritage Talent: Some heritages have innate capabilities beyond their wises. You can link the
second talent at character creation to your heritage, or work with the GM to create one. This makes
it a common trait amongst your people.
▸ The Turtlefolk have a thick shell, represented with the Bulwark talent.
▸ The Birdfolk can fly, so you create a talent to represent it.
▸ The Halflings of the Great Caverns can see in total darkness, so you create a talent.
If something isn't strong enough to warrant a talent, work with the GM to add it in as set dressing—a
bit of flavor, but can't be relied upon to impact scenes.
HERITAGE CRUCIBLE
Roll 1 of each, choose 2 or 3, then interpret the results.
FOLK
Vagrants
Riders
Gnomes
Dwarves
Nomads
Elves
Birdfolk
Clans
Pilgrims
Tieflings
Cityfolk
Orcs
Wayfarers
Seafarers
Turtlefolk
Goliaths
Humans
Forestfolk
Goblins
Tribes
Citizens
Dragonborn
Halflings
Cavefolk
Islanders
Keepers
Marauders
Tradesfolk
Merchants
Raiders
Fisherfolk
Settlers
Carvers
Valleyfolk
Skywatchers
Outcasts
MOOD
Twisted
Lush
Scorched
Rolling
Abyssal
Feral
Steel
Floating
Echoing
Bountiful
Desolate
Serene
Verdant
Crimson
Misty
Great
Rocky
Whispering
Golden
Shattered
Glimmering
Sunken
Windswept
Grim
Emerald
Haunted
Distant
Coastal
Howling
Prosperous
Burning
Enchanted
Silent
Gloomy
Eternal
Restless
LAND
Peaks
Kingdom
Desert
Plains
Sea
Glaciers
Confederacy
Wilds
Canyons
North
Meadows
Sands
Fjords
Marsh
Highlands
Moors
Outposts
Wastelands
Coast
Isles
Caverns
Ruins
Cliffs
Coalition
Badlands
Thickets
Fenlands
Hollows
Boomtown
Blightlands
Boglands
Jungletown
Borderlands
Underworld
Riverlands
Groves
▸ Elves of Boomtown, wise in alchemicals, trade contacts, and tales of far lands.
▸ Cityfolk of the Serene Kingdom, wise in cultural tastes, signs of sin, and rare goods.
▸ Vagrants of the Burning Barrens, wise in comfort foods, survival, and war stories.
Evolving Backgrounds: Backgrounds can evolve as the story unfolds. Start with a simple name
and leave room for growth as your backstory is revealed. Don't corner your character growth before starting. You might start as a Mariner, refine it to Pirate, then expand on it to Blackthorn Reaver
or First Mate under Captain Stormclaw as it comes up in the story. Or you can just keep it simple!
51
ADVENTURERS
PATHS & TALENTS
The remainder of this chapter details the 12 adventurer paths available in the game. Below, you'll
find explanations of common options and terms used throughout the paths. These clarifications
help you better understand how to customize your character and make use of talents.
◆ Core Growth: Your core talent powers up as you level. For "every 2 levels," gain bonuses
at levels 2, 4, 6, etc. For "every 3 levels," it’s 3, 6, 9, and so on. Track your progression
carefully to maximize its impact.
◆ Cross-Path Talents: You’re free to choose talents from other paths if they fit your char-
acter’s story. Just explain how your character picked up these skills—it’s a great way to
add depth to your character.
◆ Re-Skin Talents: To avoid redundancy, similar talents across paths have been avoided.
Instead, you’re encouraged to "re-skin" talents to fit your character’s theme. For example,
the Bulwark (armor) talent could be reinterpreted as a magical mage shield for a wizard.
◆ Push Yourself: Some talents require you to push yourself to activate. These talents can
be activated once per session for free. After the first use, you must push yourself as normal
to activate it again, marking a relevant stat. Choose your moments wisely.
◆ "When Given Time": This phrase included in several talents means you need time to
do what the talent lets you, but how long that is leaves room for interpretation. Go with
what makes sense, but at the very least it's a narrative beat, a PC action, or some time
unhindered by disruptive forces. Use story rolls or group consensus to decide what counts.
◆ "Always": When a talent includes this specific wording, it means you have narrative
permission to almost always do what's indicated. However, this can be stopped by a GM
Counter move. It's best to think that "always" means 95% of the time.
◆ Choices: Italicized words separated by em dashes represent lists of choices, like: one—
two—three. These represent a limited amount of options you must choose from. If instead
a talent suggests a type of choice, saying "you can do things like A and B", then you can
extrapolate that out into other similar actions.
◆ On a Perfect: Any talent that allows you to do something on a perfect, it also triggers
on a critical.
◆ Optional Character Building: Some paths include additional character-building fea-
tures, marked with an [Optional] tag. If they're not relevant to your character, you can
pass them up.
◆ Roleplaying Advice: Some paths include advice on roleplaying that character path,
especially on parts that might be somewhat unfamiliar. It's entirely optional, but if they
resonate with you, lean into them to make those aspects important in the game.
In Chapter 7: Extras, you can also find a large list of distinctive features to choose from to help
flesh out your characters, as well as party-building questions that help link together characters'
backstories and add depth to their relationships.
52
CHAPTER 3
path of the
BARD
ALSO: Minstrel, Orator, Warlord
You spin tales and songs that stir emotions, inspire bravery, and turn simple
deeds into legends.
BARDSONG
CORE TALENT
Each session, you can sing 3 bardsongs, rolling Presence. Sing one to pull off a potent
feat of emotional influence, like eliciting a vex response in an NPC, buffing a group of allies,
or inflicting hindrances on enemies. You can also sing one to interrupt an impact move.
A bardsong's effect flows from its composition. Choose a style, tune, and impact (below)
that matches the effect.
Each session, you can also sing 3 melodies, spur of the moment tunes without specific composition. Spend them to: clear a mark—heal rattled—assist without risk. These
don't require a roll. You cannot affect yourself.
Growth: Every 3 levels, gain +1 bardsong and +1 melody per session.
SONG COMPOSITION
STYLE
TUNE
IMPACT
chaotic
dire
fiery
gentle
haunting
playful
nostalgic
rousing
vicious
whimsical
anthem
aria
ballad
chant
ditty
hymn
ode
requiem
rhapsody
serenade
affection
awe
calm
despair
fear
fury
hope
joy
mockery
wonder
STYLE
How you feel when you're
singing the song.
TUNE
A familiar form that anyone
can recognize.
IMPACT
How you want the song to
make them feel.
Below are some example compositions and how potent feats of emotional influence can
be brought into play:
▸ Haunting Requiem of Fear: The villagers abandon their homes, terrified of shadows that aren't there.
▸ Playful Ballad of Joy: A tense negotiation dissolves into laughter, everyone suddenly sharing joyful stories.
▸ Whimsical Serenade of Wonder: The towering golem halts, transfixed by the sudden beauty of a flower.
▸ Dire Chant of Despair: The dragon, mid-flight, veers away in terror, retreating to its lair in panic.
▸ Fiery Anthem of Fury: A normally docile treant uproots itself, thrashing wildly, lashing out at all nearby.
▸ Nostalgic Ode of Hope: War-weary soldiers rally, tears flowing, as they march against impossible odds.
▸ Chaotic Hymn of Mockery: The proud king stumbles, embarrassed, as the crowd laughs uncontrollably.
▸ Rousing Rhapsody of Affection: The rampaging dire wolf stops and nuzzles someone nearby, tail wagging.
▸ Gentle Anthem of Calm: The hydra lowers its heads, each one slowly settling into peaceful slumber.
▸ Vicious Ditty of Fury: A tavern erupts in wanton destruction, patrons consumed by primal rage.
54
CHAPTER 3
ADVENTURERS ◈
BARD TALENTS
Bardic Lore
You gain any 3 wises and 1 extra story per session. You take +1d on any story rolls pertaining to what you know or story details you add.
Dynamic Entrance
You can always appear in a scene anywhere and anytime, limited only by your physical
capabilities. Make a 3d story roll to Set the Scene for your entrance.
Forked Tongue
When given time, you can tell potent lies like telling the king you're their bastard or a prophecy foretelling the fall of the capital. You can push yourself to do it on the spot.
Friendly Face
In any new town or district of a city you go to, you can always: get recognized by a fan—know
someone useful—quickly make a friend. They'll gladly do you a reasonable favor. Take spark
if you promise to pay them back.
Influence
Twice per session, you can invoke an ally's bond with you to increase their die roll result by
1 (3→4). You don't have to be in the same scene—they might recall a memory.
Jack of All Trades
Increase one of your stats that's a 1 to a 2. You also take +1d on montage rolls.
Wordplay
On a perfect defense roll when the situation allows for verbal quips, you make them: embarrass themself—let a secret slip—focus on or lose track of you. Once per session, you can goad
the GM into spending suspense on conversation.
Bardic Instrument(s) [Advice]: Your instrument or instruments are an important
part of what makes you a bard. Weave them into scenes when you can. Try to find an
instrument that both matches your PC's personality and can work in many scenes.
String
lute
harp
lyre
mandolin
fiddle
Wind
flute
bagpipes
recorder
oboe
pan flute
Percussion
tambourine
hand drum
tabor
cymbals
bongos
55
ADVENTURERS
Brass
trumpet
trombone
french horn
cornett
bugle
Other
singing
chanting
whistling
storytelling
dancing
path of the
BERSERKER
ALSO: Juggernaut, Reaver, Warbringer
You don’t just fight—you crush anything and everything in your path until
nothing stands before you.
FRENZY
CORE TALENT
Once per session, or when you get bloodied or take vex, you can enter a frenzy for a
scene. During the frenzy, you can only take aggressive actions. You also:
◆ Take +1d for each mark you have and ignore all thorns from harm and marks.
◆ Inflict collateral damage on each action roll, regardless of the outcome. You must
choose one: send something flying—smash mooks—throw insults—wreck something.
◆ Always get a final action when dropped. On a critical, ignore getting dropped.
You can only exit a frenzy when no challenger stands before you, you get dropped, or you
push yourself to calm down.
Growth: Every 3 levels, gain 1 free activation of this per session.
FRENZY SOURCE [OPTIONAL]
Where does your wild power and ability to withstand pain come from? Choose 2 and smash
them together to form the source and 1 that you have disdain for.
◆ Ritualistic preparation
◆ Visions of horrific or heroic scenes
◆ Trained tolerance to pain
◆ Deep meditative focus
◆ Long consumption of strange substances
◆ Blood pact with a kindred force
◆ Drawing power from ancestral spirits
◆ Countless battles, countless injuries
◆ Drawing primal power from the wild
◆ Binding your spirit to a physical totem
◆ Channeling memories you'll never forget
◆ You really don't know why you're like this
SCARS [OPTIONAL]
Your ability to ignore pain has led you to take far more damage than most warriors. What
scars do you bear that show your reckless nature? Choose 3 that you can show off.
◆ Crookedly broken nose
◆ Wild, ripped hair
◆ Torn earlobe or eartips
◆ Web of deep cut scars
◆ Muscles knotted like iron
◆ Deep, cauterized wound
◆ Permanently split knuckles
◆ Several missing fingers
◆ Cracked jawline
◆ Empty eye socket
◆ Jagged burn lines
◆ Crushed foot
◆ Smashed teeth
◆ Gouged claw marks
◆ Busted in skull
◆ Cauliflower ears
◆ Runic scarring from magic
◆ Not a scratch on you
56
CHAPTER 3
ADVENTURERS ◈
BERSERKER TALENTS
Fearsome
Your presence instills fear in others. The GM judges an NPC's response, or you can spend
story to set it: hostile—nervous—respectful—scared. You can push yourself to pull off a potent
feat of intimidation, like staring down a dragon or demanding to see the king.
Flesh Wounds
When you take physical damage, only a disaster can drop you. You can get bloodied multiple times. Each extra time inflicts +1t on rolls and increases your heal pool by 4d. These
extra thorns can never be ignored (e.g., Frenzy and Conviction talents).
Into the Fray
When you're the first into an intense situation, 5s count as 6s, but 4s count as 1s on your first
roll. You also setup the first person following you regardless of your roll outcome.
Joyful Warrior
On a critical or when bloodied in battle, you take spark and can: heal an ally's rattled pool—
bring a dropped (not dead) ally back into the scene.
Mighty
When given time, you can pull off potent feats of raw strength, like uprooting a tree or breaking through a castle gate. You can push yourself to do it on the spot.
Overkill
On a critical when bringing violence, threats, or destruction to bear, you can: cause an extra
secondary effect—roll a task pool twice.
Warsongs
[Prohibited: Bard]
Each session, you can sing 2 bardsongs (pg. 54). Write down the composition of the only 3
songs you know.
57
ADVENTURERS
path of the
CLERIC
ALSO: Priest, Zealot, Chosen One
You serve as a conduit for the divine, channeling holy power to safeguard
the faithful and do your god's bidding.
CHANNEL DIVINITY
CORE TALENT
Your god grants you spellcasting ability. You roll a domain pool to cast and that domain
pool and your god's epithet serve as touchstones.
Create your god (below). You have 1 major domain, a 6d power pool, and 2 minor
domains, each a 4d power pool. These pools replenish each session. You can drop 1d
and roll the domain to cast a potent spell.
Growth: Every 2 levels, increase one domain pool by 1d (max 8d).
CREATE YOUR GOD
Create your god by naming them and giving them a thematic epithet (e.g., Zerenda, Goddess
of Storms). You are expected to follow its tenets, though not a strict requirement. Choose 1
major domain and 2 minor domains from below, or make your own:
BLESSING • Enhance with buffs, provide utility, and bring good fortune.
Tenets: Pick up the weak and vulnerable. Create happiness when none exists.
Magic: Bless a battlehammer. Walk on water. Fill the forlorn duke's heart with hope.
DIVINATION • Unveil secrets, provide foresight, and commune with spirits.
Tenets: Uncover and share hidden truths. Respect and act on divine signs.
Magic: Find a safe path. Reveal where the thief is hiding. Know tomorrow's weather.
DOMINION • Influence, command, and control sentient creatures.
Tenets: Enforce peace and stability. Inspire others through your actions.
Magic: Convince someone to help you. Make someone forget something. Calm an angry mob.
HEALING • Heal wounds, cure diseases, and wash away mental anguish.
Tenets: Bring healing to those truly in need. Comfort the distressed.
Magic: Heal a broken bone. Relieve someone of stress. Stop the bleeding.
RADIANCE • Dispel darkness with light and purge evil with holy fire.
Tenets: Burn out corruption at its source. Point out the error in someone's ways.
Magic: Cauterize a wound. Destroy a skeleton. Reveal an invisible enemy.
WARDING • Provide protection and defense for those in need.
Tenets: Protect those who cannot defend themselves & strengthen communities.
Magic: Shield an ally from harm. Block a doorway. Create sentries.
WRATH • Inflict damage and curses upon those deserving.
Tenets: Show no mercy for those deserving punishment & save mercy for those who do.
Magic: Shatter the killer's weapon. Blind a traitor. Curse a thief with misfortune.
58
CHAPTER 3
ADVENTURERS ◈
CLERIC TALENTS
Blessed
Once per session, you can re-roll a roll you just made as your god attempts to intervene.
The re-roll is made without any thorns on it. On a perfect, take spark.
Devout
Intelligent creatures recognize you as a person of deep honesty and only your most hated
enemies would treat you with a lack of respect or doubt your word. You are never seriously injured or killed by an enemy, unless they have no choice. Any creature with speech will
always hear you out. This aura is upheld by your unwavering commitment—you must push
yourself to act in bad faith (no free activation).
Healer
When you heal someone, through treatment or magic, they drop 2d before rolling the pool.
If it depletes from your care, take spark.
Iron Will
Each session, you have a 3d Iron Will pool. When you get rattled or take vex, roll the pool.
If dice remain, ignore the damage. If the situation allows for it, you can also lash out at the
cause or a bystander and: instill dread in their heart—sow doubt in their mind.
Rings False
You always know when someone is lying, though not necessarily the truth. You take +1d
on a follow-up if you reveal you know they're lying.
Sermons
When given time, you can pull off potent feats of persuasion in the name of your beliefs, like
commanding a crowd to bring the duke for judgment or showing the goblins the glory of your god. You
can also push yourself to do it on the spot. One time only, you can make this a ritual-level effect.
Shepherd
When an ally that can see you takes vex or gets rattled on a roll you weren't a part of, either
of you can invoke your bond. You make a defense roll against it, sharing the risk. On a perfect, you both take spark.
Holy Symbol [Advice]: Deities and the religions that grow around them will almost
universally express their following with a recognizable symbol. Draw your own on
your sheet using those below as inspiration, or choose one of these!
59
ADVENTURERS
path of the
DRUID
ALSO: Shapeshifter, Grovekeeper, Wildling
You embrace and embody the untamed power of the natural world, transforming into beasts and channeling the spirit of the wild.
WILD SHAPE
CORE TALENT
You can shift into the form of any beast you're familiar with. You have a 4d Wild Shape
pool, rolled when you shift—at 0d, you fail to turn into that form. The pool replenishes after each scene.
You take on the form's physical qualities and feral instincts. Move your stat points
around to represent this, with a min. of 1 and max. of 3 in a stat. You lose access to
any talent related to your own physical form.
Some forms are more difficult to shift into. For each wild talent a form has, drop 1d
from the pool before rolling it. These are things like aquatic, smaller than a cat, bigger
than a bear, venomous, and flight. It can also be a specific talent from a path, or anything
that would require a heritage talent. The GM judges the gray zone.
Growth: Every 2 levels, increase your Wild Shape pool by 1d.
DRUIDIC TELLS [OPTIONAL]
Druids often exhibit tells—sometimes several—that reflect their deep connection with
nature, such as animalistic traits or plant-like appearances. Even in a fantasy world, someone so attuned to nature is bound to attract attention, offering potential new vantage,
outside assistance, or even opportunities for tangles. Below are some ideas for features:
thorns
moss
vines
tusked
shimmering
scaly
blossoming
bark
glowing
velvet
antlered
longtoothed
feathered
earthen
translucent
murky
ashen
dewy
bristled
hoofed
tangled
speckled
spiny
breezy
roots
vibrant
crystalline
verdant
gnarled
misty
fluffy
silken
smoky
willowy
fragrant
petals
WILD TALENTS [EXAMPLES]
Below are some examples of beasts that have wild talents. Already existing talents are
listed with a page number reference. Others are made for that beast.
◆ Chimpanzee: Relentless (pg. 69)
◆ Eagle: Flight
◆ Wolf: Keen Senses (pg. 69)
◆ Snake: Poisoner (pg. 71)
◆ Rhino: Bulwark (pg. 63)
◆ Lion: Fearsome (pg. 57)
◆ Octopus: Shape & color mimicking
◆ Dolphin: Fast swimmer
◆ Cheetah: Incredibly fast sprinting.
◆ Crocodile: Swamp camouflage
◆ Bear: Mighty (pg. 57)
◆ Honey Badger: Iron Will (pg. 59)
60
CHAPTER 3
ADVENTURERS ◈
DRUID TALENTS
Herbalism
Before each session, use the Herbalism Crucible to make two herb names (snakeberry, blastbane).
You have 1 minor potion of 1 and 1 major potion of the other. The name is the touchstone. They
lose effect after the session. One time only, you can have 1 mythic potion (choose after rolling).
choke
sticky
black
smoke
shriek
giggle
pearl
stone
moon
snake
mimic
needle
white
sun
devil
honey
goat
night
dream mist
feather coal
wild
freeze
mirror sting
worm steel
swell
faerie
zap
blood
blast
ink
stink
flame
cap
lily
wort
reed
rose
flower
bush
root
shroom spine
sprout shade
thistle
bell
leaf
wood
grass
thorn
pod
bud
tongue
berry
lace
bane
stem
shoot
bark
funnel
moss
branch
petal
pear
tuber
vine
seed
weed
Kindred Spirits
You can speak with animals and spirits of the wild, their personalities shaped by their
instincts. You are known to them—when you meet, roll their bond with you (pg. 14) or spend
story to establish it. When you call, those nearby will answer.
Primordial Bonds
You have a bond with each of the primordial elements, Air, Earth, Fire, and Water. Roll the
bonds (pg. 14), then change one to deep. You have spellcasting, rolling Presence to call on
an element, which serves as the touchstone. You can call on each element once per session,
or twice if your bond is deep. You can mark two usages of a single element to cast a potent
spell. You can combine usages of two elements to take +1d and use both as a touchstone.
Bonds change, for better or worse—pursue great deeds and rituals to deepen them.
Regrowth
When you heal bloodied, drop 1d then roll it. You can also give yourself treatment if you
have time, no roll required.
True Shape
Choose 1 beast form. If it has no wild talents, you can shift into it without rolling, even at
0d. If it does, drop 1d less and you can shift into it even if the roll drops to 0d.
Verdant Whispers
You can commune with plants, their personalities as odd and unique as their forms. Roll
Wits to decipher their messages, as they remember all but speak in ways truly hard to understand. You always get a hint or reveal on vigilance in places teeming with plant life.
Windcaller
Your voice carries on the winds over great distances. You can push yourself to summon or
dismiss, but not control: dense fog—diving temperatures—heavy rain—snowfall—strong winds—
thunder. You can perform weather rituals without ritual anchors.
Note: The Herbalism Crucible was created by June Bloom and used with permission. Thanks!
61
ADVENTURERS
path of the
FIGHTER
ALSO: Blademaster, Duelist, Sergeant
You become one with your weapon, and through it, you find your real purpose in this life.
WEAPON MASTERY
CORE TALENT
Choose a fighting style that you have mastered: brawling—dual-wielding—one-handed
weapons—ranged weapons—thrown weapons—two-handed weapons. You have a mastery
die, a special d6. When you fight in your style, take +1d (the mastery die) on the roll. If
the mastery die is a 6, it counts as a critical. If it's already a critical, take spark.
Growth: Every 3 levels, your mastery die increases by +1d.
WEAPON ORIGIN [OPTIONAL]
For many fighters, their weapon is an important part of their past. Give your weapon some
character and it will become a character itself in the story. Roll d66 twice on the table below
to give your weapon, or each of your weapons, its own small story. You can also choose, or
make up your own.
etched with words of loss
gift from a childhood mentor
telling why you can’t return
given by your father
stolen from a family member
taken off a dead body
with an odd word etched into it
stitched with parent’s pattern
covered in burn marks
torn by an animal attack
stamped with employer's logo
etched with a battle prayer
marked by secret society
marked for each village visited
with hidden compartment
notched each time it saved you
worn from long usage
inscribed with book quote
found in your first dungeon
marred with blade nicks
made from rare material
with a scratched out insignia
picked up during a storm
marked from a lucky escape
carved with lover’s initials
stained with coal from a mine
with a faded family crest
taken as spoils of war
with a best friend's initials
scratched from fierce battle
stolen from your first job
embedded with an arrow
peace offering gift
belonged to a gambler
patched many times
with directions to a special place
WEAPON KNOWLEDGE [ADVICE]
As a fighter, bring your mastery of battle into play. You've likely trained in various weapons
and understand their matchups. Weapons don't have specific rules differentiating them,
but they do carry fictional weight which can impact vantage. Highlight favorable matchups
or embrace bad ones for interesting tangles. Take spark by accepting the risks or retreating
from a likely loss.
You don't need to be a weapon expert—lean into the cinematic. Basic details (spears in a
narrow hall, flails wrapping around shields) can add a lot to the scene. Use your wises creatively,
and remember, combat is freeform, so stretch your imagination.
62
CHAPTER 3
ADVENTURERS ◈
FIGHTER TALENTS
Arcane Training
[Prohibited: Wizard]
You have spellcasting as the Spellcraft talent (pg. 76). You roll Wits and can cast 3 spells and
1 potent spell per session. You know 3 spell theorems, created with the Spell Crucible, and
can learn new spells from scrolls.
Bulwark
Each session, you have a 3d Bulwark pool from armor or other defenses. When you get
bloodied or dropped from physical damage, roll the pool. If dice remain, ignore the damage.
Control
You can push yourself to declare a zone that enemies cannot cross without dealing with
you. If they attempt to move past you, you can interrupt them. On a perfect, take spark.
Got Your Back
You can push yourself to assist an ally after they roll a grim. The ally can also roll 1d. On a
perfect, you both take spark.
Measured Tones
When you speak in measured tones, people always stop and listen—you can declare low
risk if desired. Unless completely surprised, you can push yourself to interrupt an impact
move initiating aggression. If you change their mind, take spark.
Swift Recovery
On a perfect roll with an unmarked stat, clear a mark on another stat.
Tactician
During an intense action sequence, you can push yourself to tag 3 scene elements right
away and 1 later in the sequence. When an ally interacts with a tagged element, you assist
without risk on the roll. If no roll is needed, they take spark.
COMBAT MANEUVERS [ADVICE]
Action rolls let you flavor combat however you like—don’t just swing a sword or jab a spear.
Lean into the dramatic flowing nature of combat. On a critical, use setups and secondary
effects to remove thorns or shift the fight. Don’t tunnel vision on the kill—change the battle
to end it faster! Of course, anyone can try these, but as a fighter, you should master them.
◆ Disarm: Take their weapon to leave them vulnerable.
◆ Knockdown: Put them on the ground to gain the upper hand.
◆ Pin Down: Trap them in a position to keep them from acting or escaping.
◆ Pull: Drag them into danger or out of position.
◆ Push: Shove them away to protect allies or disrupt their own lines.
◆ Sunder: Break their gear to limit their options or get around their defenses.
63
ADVENTURERS
path of the
MONK
ALSO: Martial Artist, Mystic, Wanderer
Your body is a vessel through which you channel your discipline into grace,
precision, and the never-ending journey towards perfection.
DISCIPLINE
CORE TALENT
Your body itself is a weapon, and anything in your hands is merely an extension of it.
You never suffer thorns due to weapon matchups. Once per session, you can interrupt
with a: philosophical point—quick reaction—stunning strike. Each scene, you have 4 flow.
You can spend it to:
◆ Ignore difficulty thorns from: being outnumbered—a single powerful opponent.
◆ Attempt a fluid maneuver. Before rolling, declare you want to also: disarm them—
redirect momentum—reposition you, them, or both. On a perfect or messy, it happens.
◆ Pull off a potent feat of mystical grace, like running across water or falling harmlessly
from a great height. For 1 more flow, extend this to those you're touching.
Growth: Every 3 levels, increase flow by 1 per scene and interrupts by 1 per session.
MARTIAL ARTS STYLE [OPTIONAL]
Is based on the
Primal
tiger
crane
snake
wolf
mantis
raven
concept of... [choose 1 or 2]
Elemental
fire
water
air
earth
lightning
heart
Powerful
thunderstorm
avalanche
tsunami
whirlwind
earthquake
volcano
Idealistic
harmony
destruction
tranquility
justice
chaos
freedom
Philosophical
foundation
flourishing
refinement
adaptation
endurance
transformation
Stylistic
ferocity
deception
grace
brutality
precision
patience
crane stance
side kick
swift parry
rooted stance
soft redirect
backfist strike
mantis grab
close punch
leaping elbow
snap kick
wide sweep
crescent kick
It features stances and moves like... [choose 3]
open palm
spinning kick
low stance
finger jabs
iron forearm
flowing step
elbow strike
aerial leaps
breath control
redirecting grab
chop strike
iron grip
circular step
high kick
knee strike
tiger claw
joint lock
heavy strike
pressure point
dual strikes
whipping attack jumps & rolls
steady gaze
palm heel
It often or occasionally makes use of
Blunt
bo staff
three-part staff
half-staff
nunchaku
short sticks
batons
Flexible
chain whip
rope dart
sickle & chain
weight & chain
whip blade
scarf
weapons like... [choose 2]
Edged
sai
kama
butterfly sword
hook sword
straight sword
curved sword
Reach
Thrown
monk spade
shuriken
spear
throwing spikes
naginata
chakram
longhandle blade boomerang
trident
darts
scythe
throwing axes
64
CHAPTER 3
Specialized
tiger claws
spiked boots
war fan
iron knuckles
crescent knives
backfist rings
ADVENTURERS ◈
MONK TALENTS
Flow State
After an action or defense roll, you can always keep the spotlight to prevent the GM from
spending suspense. This continues as long as you keep taking action and don't roll a grim.
Healing Hands
You can heal the bloodied pool of an ally. When you do, roll Presence as a defense roll
against being bloodied—you take their pain onto yourself and must fend it off.
Lightning Reflexes
You can always act first, unless completely surprised. You also ignore difficulty thorns on
Agility defense rolls.
Mind Over Matter
When you take a physical mark, you can instead choose to take a mental mark. When you
clear any mark by rolling it, take spark.
Primordial Forces
Choose an element: Air—Earth—Fire—Water. You can cast cantrips with that element,
useful as set dressing and cantrip utility. On a critical using your element, charge it (mark its
box). Spend it to pull off a potent feat of force or movement empowered by the element.
Special: You can take this again, gaining all elements. On a critical, charge two elements.
Tether
Once per session, you can touch someone to link your spirits. You can sense their feelings
and always know where they are. You can push yourself to: assist them—speak into their
mind—take mental damage for them—teleport to them. If they get dropped, so do you. You
must touch again or rest for the link to end. When it does, change (or create) your bond
with them.
There Is No Try
When putting your life or something you hold equally dear on the line, 5s count as 6s, but
4s count as 1s. This generally occurs with high risk or after being bloodied in battle.
65
ADVENTURERS
path of the
PALADIN
ALSO: Crusader, Champion, Justiciar
You have sworn an oath and your unwavering dedication gives you powerful conviction, which you can wield to better this world.
OATHSWORN
CORE TALENT
You draw power from an oath you swear to uphold until you die. Your oath is comprised
of three core tenets (below) which dictate your behavior. You don't take thorns from
bloodied or rattled, instead taking +1d on rolls with the related physical or mental
stats. Each session, you also have 3 smite. When attacking someone in combat or
argument, you can spend it 1-for-1 to drop dice from a task pool after rolling it.
Affirmation: Each session, you can give spark to one player who joined a scene involving your tenets, whether they followed them or tried leading you astray. When a
tenet is in violation, discuss the toll that has had on you and think on a chance for
atonement. Take 1 less smite for each tenet in violation. When you atone, take spark.
Growth: Every 2 levels, increase smite by 1.
SWEAR YOUR OATH
At character creation, or over the first few sessions, detail the Three Tenets that form the
core of your oath. Write your own specific tenets (below), or use the table (next page) to
create flexible ones that you can refine and explore through play. To write your own tenets:
◆ Choose a character detail or two, such as a trait, bond, or background.
◆ Link it to a short, actionable phrase. It should naturally arise from the fiction occasionally
and present you with dilemmas. Work with the GM to ensure this as you write it.
Rank the tenets in order of importance. If they ever conflict, following a higher one avoids
violating a lower one.
You must uphold your tenets, or risk violation. They are absolutes, but they can evolve as it
makes sense or best serves the fiction (and game at the table). When you violate a tenet,
slash its box. For a second or severe violation, fill in the box—it is in heavy violation.
You break a tenet when you violate it again while in heavy violation (filled box). You can no
longer atone for that tenet. Breaking two tenets makes you an Oathbreaker (below).
Atonement for tenets in violation require great deeds. The deed must outweigh the severity
of the violation itself—ask the other players if unsure. Once completed, clear the box.
Oathbreaker: You lose your Oathsworn core talent, but gain hidden potential. You may
choose a new non-core talent or the Warlock's Pact core talent in its place.
Redemption requires an appropriately epic Ritual of Atonement at a sacred place or a mythic deed to atone for your transgressions. Success restores your core talent while allowing
you to keep the talent gained from breaking your oath. Redemption is possible only once.
66
CHAPTER 3
Tenet
Builder
ADVENTURERS ◈
PALADIN TALENTS
Aegis
You take +1d when defending with a shield and can use it to make a defense roll in a nearby ally's place. You can push yourself to defend multiple allies from a single attack, like
blocking dragonfire. On a perfect, everyone you protected takes spark.
Authority
Your presence fills the air with authority. The GM judges an NPC's response, or you can
spend story to set it: admiration—obedience—respect—defiance. You can push yourself to
pull off a potent feat of righteous command, like ordering a demon to kneel or silencing a riot
with a word.
Challenge
You can push yourself to challenge a foe. You take +1d on all rolls against them, but give
them 1 suspense. If they do anything besides confront you, you can interrupt it. On a perfect, the challenge continues. If an ally engages your foe, the challenge ends.
Dauntless
Take spark when one of your rolls is cut. You also take +1d on the story roll when dropped.
On a perfect, ignore getting dropped.
Divine Blessing
[Prohibited: Cleric]
You have spellcasting as the Channel Divinity talent (pg. 58). Detail your god and choose
one minor domain, a 4d power pool. You can drop 1 and roll the pool to cast a potent spell.
It replenishes each session.
Guardian
You take +1d when you assist on a defense roll. If your own roll comes up as a 6, you both
take spark.
Rebuke
When the GM spends suspense to prompt an impact move, you take +1d on any follow-up
action against the source. On a critical, take spark.
TENET BUILDER [ROLL, THEN CHOOSE AN OPTION. REWRITE FOR CLARITY.]
i swear to bring
to—for the
despite—because of
honor—valor
justice—revenge
faith—doubt
mercy—judgement
strength—compassion
truth—wisdom
forgotten—powerless
redeemable—irredeemable
reformers—traditionalists
devout—faithless
evil—defiled
leaders—people
my desire for ~
my trait, ~
my arc to ~
my background of ~
my bond with ~
my lack of ~
67
ADVENTURERS
path of the
RANGER
ALSO: Beastmaster, Pathfinder, Trapper
You stalk relentlessly, moving unseen through the wilderness, tracking your
prey with deadly precision, and striking them at their weakest point.
HUNTER'S MARK
CORE TALENT
Once per session, you can declare a weakness in a non-humanoid creature. Describe
what you know or see, tagging it with a 3d Weakness pool. When anyone targets the
weakness specifically, you roll the pool as bonus dice on their roll. As it depletes, the
creature learns to hide its weakness, causing it to shift its behavior. Take spark when
the creature falls.
Prowess: Take +1d at stealth, traversal, setting traps, and tracking.
Growth: Every 3 levels, increase the weakness pool by 1d and you can use it one more
time per session.
FAVORITE TRAPS [OPTIONAL]
Combine and interpret an effect, trigger, and the word "trap" (poisonous bait
trap) to make three traps you commonly use while hunting or scouting. These
aren't limitations, just options ready
to use when you need to lay a trap.
stunning
falling
noisy
poisonous
entangling
injuring
tripwire
pressure plate
snare loop
bait
hidden
proximity
"TRAP"
TELL-TALE SIGNS OF WEAKNESS [ADVICE]
When you use your hunter's mark, detail a weakness, how you notice it, and how you can
exploit it. This increases your ranger's competency and adds a level of detail to the hunt.
◆ Fire Sensitivity: Flinches near flames, avoids heat, dry or cracked skin.
◆ Bright Light Weakness: Cloudy eyes, avoids light, panics near flashes.
◆ Vulnerable Anatomy: Exposed weak points, awkward movement, protects soft areas.
◆ Poison Susceptibility: Sluggish breathing, avoids carrion, soft or delicate skin.
◆ Tunnel Vision: Fixates on a single target, oblivious to surroundings, struggles to adapt.
◆ Poor Mobility: Heavy tracks, slow movement, struggles on uneven terrain.
◆ Sound Sensitivity: Wince at noises, large twitching ears, avoids loud terrain.
◆ Slow-minded: Delayed reactions, struggles to recognize threats, easily tricked by decoys.
◆ Predictable Instincts: Easily baited or lured, reacts predictably to threats, overcommits.
68
CHAPTER 3
ADVENTURERS ◈
RANGER TALENTS
Animal Companion
You're accompanied by a fiercely loyal animal. Each PC adds a reciprocal bond with it.
Choose 3 tricks that it knows and 2 flaws that it has:
Tricks: distract—fight—guard—perform—rescue—retrieve—scout—search—track—warn.
Flaws: aggressive—clumsy—grumpy—insatiable—jumpy—noisy—overprotective—scary—unruly.
You roll 3d for anything it knows a trick for and 1d on everything else. It has only two
damage boxes, marked (for any mark) and hurt (for bloodied or rattled). You can always
have it exit a scene when hurt. If lost, you can bond with a new animal or select a new talent.
Special: You can take this talent again to grant it 3 more tricks and another marked box.
Keen Senses
Your senses are twice as sharp as normal. You can pull off potent feats of tracking and can
always get a hint or reveal on vigilance against living creatures.
Relentless
You can pull off potent feats of traversal and can always move at full speed, unhindered by
what's in your way.
Scout Ahead
You gain 1 story per session and can spend story to flashback to scouting ahead and: sabotage something—set a trap—survey the area (ask 2 questions)—take out a danger—set up an
interrupt. Make a montage roll, taking +1d for prowess. The GM always takes suspense in
place of an impact move.
Seasoned Hunter
You always know where a monster's lair will be. Once per session, you can tell all to Look
Out! and declare how a monstrous challenge spends 1 of its suspense on a move to attack
your party. Anyone involved takes +1d on a defense roll and follow-up action rolls.
Sharpshooter
When given time, you can pull off potent feats of ranged precision, like shooting just beyond
maximum range or into near complete cover. You can also push yourself to do it on the spot.
Trophies
When you play a key part in slaying a powerful monster, you can harvest a trophy from it.
This acts as a wand (pg. 23) that only you can use. Minor trophies require no roll to harvest.
Major trophies require a Wits action roll. The monster's name, ability, and body part are the
touchstone. You also gain one major trophy when you take this—detail it. Some examples:
▸ Eye of the Basilisk: 4d Stoneflesh wand. A minor wand slows someone. A major wand turns them to a statue.
▸ Horns of a Minotaur: 4d Powerful Charge wand. A minor wand is a speed boost. A major wand gives potency.
▸ Heart of a Troll: 4d Regeneration wand. A minor wand removes small ailments. A major wand removes marks.
69
ADVENTURERS
path of the
ROGUE
ALSO: Assassin, Cutpurse, Infiltrator
You live and operate in the margins, striking unseen and disappearing
before anyone knows you were there.
EXPERTISE
CORE TALENT
Choose a skillset below as your expertise:
Skullduggery: Take +1d at stealth, picking locks, lying, and sleight of hand.
Assassination: Take +1d at stealth, tracking people, opening strikes, and disguises.
Each session, you have a 3d Contingency pool, always planning ahead. You can roll it
as bonus dice after any roll that falls within your expertise.
Growth: Every 2 levels, increase Contingency by 1d.
THIEVES GUILD [OPTIONAL]
Many rogues learned their trade from a thieves' guild, criminal ring, or underground network. These are all one form of a guild or another, whether formal or not.
Thieves Guild: Choose 2 that describes your guild and 1 that really doesn't.
Like family
Elite training
Cultish
Turf-obsessed
Heroes
Mercenaries
Mystics
Outsiders
Renegades
Scoundrels
In the open
Wardens
CRIMINAL HISTORY [OPTIONAL]
Given their skillset, a rogue either learned their trade by way of crime or possess the skills
to make an excellent criminal, for which there's no lack of opportunities. As you start your
adventuring career, it's likely you have some lingering criminal history, a past that can come
back to haunt you in quite fun, dramatic ways.
Create one or more past crimes by setting the crime (severity & nature), your reputation
from it, and your own reaction about the crime.
THE CRIME
petty
low-level
moderate
serious
severe
legendary
theft
fraud
spying
smuggling
banditry
kidnapping
REPUTATION
vandalism
treason
gambling
robbery
bribery
assassination
extortion
heist
arms dealing impersonation
arson
necromancy
barely remembered
small bounty
known name
hunted
infamous
most wanted
REACTION: I did what I had to do—I was set up—It was a misunderstanding—I'd do it again in
a heartbeat—I completely forgot I did that—I've made peace with it—Never again. Or write one!
70
CHAPTER 3
ADVENTURERS ◈
ROGUE TALENTS
According to Plan
You gain 1 story per session and can spend story to flashback to utilizing subterfuge in a
way that's immediately relevant, like swiping some keys, paying off a guard, or preparing
an escape route. Make a montage roll, taking +1d for Expertise. The GM always takes suspense in place of an impact move.
Eldritch Affinity
[Prohibited: Sorcerer]
You have spellcasting, as the Sorcery talent (pg. 72). You roll Presence to cast and choose 3
from magic paths and techniques that serve as touchstones. You can't cast potent spells,
nor do you risk a wild surge.
Lurker
On a perfect sneaking past or secretly observing sentient creatures, they: let a secret slip—give
you a golden opportunity. If caught sneaking, you can push yourself to stay completely still
and avoid detection, but must leave the area immediately after.
Opportunist
When someone nearby rolls defense, you take +1d on an immediate follow-up. On a critical by a nearby ally, you can push yourself to add another critical bonus.
Poisoner
Each session, you have a 4d Poisons resource pool. You have access to the following poisons:
hallucinations—knockout—memory loss—nausea—paralysis—truth serum. They each take a
bit of time to work and are most effective if ingested.
Trap Sense
You always get a hint or reveal on vigilance against traps. When you avoid or disable a
trap, take spark.
Weasel
If caught in a lie or red-handed, you can push yourself to weasel your way out of the situation—for now. You get an exit, but they definitely realize what happened soon after.
Thieves' Cant [Advice]: Every rogue worth their salt knows Thieves' Cant—a secret
language of symbols used to share plans, warnings, and secrets right under everyone
else’s nose. Here are 25, and there's a full list of 42 with symbols on pg. 144!
valuables inside
wealthy
no guard patrol
worth robbing
can be bribed
fence
heist planned
guild territory
guild protected
safe house
trust person inside
safe for guild
do not trust inside
danger inside
guards patrol here
71
ADVENTURERS
well guarded
get out fast
magic caster here
protected by magic
monsters inside
entry underground
meeting place
hidden door
escape route
safe this way
path of the
SORCERER
ALSO: Channeler, Elementalist, Stormcaller
You are a conduit for ancient and unpredictable forces, shaping spells out
of the raw magic that flows through you.
SORCERY
CORE TALENT
You have spellcasting ability. You roll Presence to cast and your magic paths and techniques serve as touchstones. Choose any 4 below (or make a magic path up with the
GM), with at least 1 magic path and 1 technique:
Magic paths: blood—decay—flame—frost—lux—shadow—stone—tempest.
Techniques: attack—create—defend—enhance—hinder—influence—transform—traverse.
You can cast spells at-will, though they always carry risk and require a roll. When you
cast, each spell must combine at least one magic path and one technique as touchstones. You can push yourself to cast a potent spell, but gain no free activation of it.
When casting, rolling two or more 1s triggers a secondary wild surge—raw magic
spirals out of your control. Make a 2d story roll to see what happens. The effect might
stem from your touchstones, raw magical essence, or something chaotically random.
Use the GM crucible or ask around your group for ideas.
Growth: Every 2 levels, gain a new technique or magic path.
RANDOM WILD SURGES [OPTIONAL]
For truly wild surges, you can let it be completely random instead of deciding as a group. Roll
these all at once: 2d (story roll), 2d (wild surge crucible below), and 2d8. The d8 determine
a sorcery path and sorcery technique.
To randomly select a target, roll an additional 2d. Assign numbers to each PC and use remaining numbers for NPCs or the environment. On doubles, it targets that thing as if a
critical or disaster. On an actual critical, it targets everything.
WILD SURGE CRUCIBLE
Roll 1 on each table, smash them together, and interpret.
skin
gust
ground
creatures
cloud
shadow
temperature
sparks
fire
growth
invisibility
clock
icy
rattle
water
boom
gloom
twist
smoke
tremor
light
effect
distortion
laughter
rain
color
debris
steps
metal
breath
lightning
scent
flicker
levitation
eye
hum
birds
smell
lifted
shattering
shift
notes
whispers
static
change
scatter
size
vision
glowing
hunger
phrase
feeling
surface
voice
illusion
image
shock
pop
agitation
mark
rapid
emotion
sound
brief
apparition
glow
whirlwind
glimmer
echo
shimmer
sparkle
dazzle
72
CHAPTER 3
ADVENTURERS ◈
SORCERER TALENTS
Eldritch Growth
The maelstrom of magic has twisted your body. You gain a permanent physical features like
metal-rending claws, venomous fangs, leathery wings, or thrashing tentacles. In addition to its
obvious benefits, it now serves as a touchstone.
Maelstrom
You open yourself fully to the maelstrom of raw magic. When you cast a potent spell, 5s
count as 6s, but 4s count as 1s. These 4s also count as 1s towards wild surge.
Magic Sense
You always get a hint or reveal on vigilance involving magic. When you avoid or disrupt it,
take spark.
Spelleater
Each session, you have a 3d Spelleater pool. When you suffer from magic, roll the pool. If
dice remain, ignore the effect and bank essence (max 2). You can spend essence to increase
a spellcasting die result by 1, but it triggers wild surge.
Subtle Casting
You can always cast spells subtly, able to conceal that you were the one that cast it. This
doesn't defeat common sense, of course.
Wisps
Two small spheres of your magic path float around you. Give them 2 traits: annoying—capricious—malevolent—mesmerizing—whimsical. They serve as touchstones. You can sacrifice
one to: assist without risk—distract someone—send a brief message far away—suffer vex in your
stead. Make story rolls to determine effects if sacrificed. They return each session.
Wrath
When you or a nearby ally gets bloodied, rattled, or dropped, you take +1d and potency on
your next spell if you immediately lash out.
73
ADVENTURERS
path of the
WARLOCK
ALSO: Blessed One, Cursed One, Occultist
You have made a pact with a greater being—power in exchange for service,
a pact that may prove to be a double-edged sword.
PACT
CORE TALENT
Create your patron (below), a powerful otherworldly being you've made a pact with to
gain gifts in exchange for obligations.
Gifts: Your patron actively or passively meddles in your affairs. Before each session,
roll 2d and write these results down as Gifts. During the session, you can replace any
rolled d6 (by anyone) with one of your gift results, then erase the Gift.
You can also cast cantrips with your patron's trappings as touchstones, useful as set
dressing and cantrip utility (pg. 18). You gain a bonus talent, and each of your talents is
infused with their trappings.
Obligations: Each patron has different demands. You have an extra story arc to represent their demands. Some patrons expect meaningful progress, while others ask only
for the lightest of service. You define what this means. Before each session, discuss
this story arc. Your patron has an 8d Patience pool. Roll it if your patron was not satisfied with your progress last session. At 0d, your patron will give you a visit in some
form to clear up the issue, replenishing the pool.
Growth: Every 3 levels, gain a bonus talent, but decrease max Patience by 2d.
Patron Creation: Roll or choose 2 natures and 2 desires below, then assign a distinct
color or visual signature to your patron's influence. Decide how they communicate (visions,
messenger, mind-speak) and how many followers they have (many, few, just you). These are their
trappings. Give this powerful, otherworldly being a name and describe what you know of
them. Establish your patron's bond with you and your bond with them. Work with the GM
to create a faction for them and run it together.
PATRON CRUCIBLE
Roll 2 on each table, smash them together, and interpret.
NATURE
Cogs
Chimera
Void
Dead god
Eternal
Shroud
Abyss
Serpent
Forge
Thorn
Harbinger
Echo
Scourge
Flame
Phoenix
Depths
Tide
Starborn
Shadow
Green
Whisper
Reaper
Prism
Dreamer
Veil
Outsider
Trickster
Tempest
Leviathan
Light
Hollow
Balance
Fiend
Storm
Dragon
Outsider
DESIRES
Chaos
Beauty
Secrets
Fun
Victory
Power
Worshippers Adoration
Purity
Promises
Influence
Life
Minds
Control
Judgment
Fear
Progress
Territory
Wealth
Magic
Unity
Fame
Oddities
Perfection
Rarities
Everything
Souls
Revenge
Truth
Order
Destruction
Monuments
Biomass
Knowledge
Treasure
Entropy
74
CHAPTER 3
ADVENTURERS ◈
WARLOCK TALENTS
Eldritch Weaponry
On a perfect when using cantrip utility as a weapon, you can push yourself to also inflict a
spell-level effect with your patron's trappings as the touchstone. This effect can’t deal more
damage—the cantrip already covers that.
Hex
You can roll Presence to hex someone with: dread—clumsiness—confusion—forgetfulness—
misfortune—sleepiness. Decide when it takes effect: now—soon—much later—specific trigger.
This is a cosmic effect. It's magic, but not fully under your control.
Knowing Gaze
When given time, you can stare into someone's eyes and learn: their greatest desire—what
they're hiding—what they want to protect—who they serve. This is highly disconcerting and only
works on someone once. You can push yourself to do this on the spot.
Otherworldly Form
You can turn into a floating, dispersed form, flavored after your patron's trappings (swarm
of bats, blowing leaves). Choose three things you can do in this form: appear barely visible—fly
high in the sky—interact with objects—move swiftly—slip through small gaps—speak.
Ritualist
You take +1d when working towards overcoming a ritual's challenge and can replace any
one of a ritual's anchors with yourself.
Visions
You can roll Presence to ask your patron for forbidden knowledge, like tightly held secrets or
that which should not be known. Ask the GM a specific question. The answer may be cryptic
or twisted to suit your patron’s desires, but it will never be an outright lie. On a messy or
grim, roll the Patience pool.
Wayfarer
You can push yourself to teleport. The further or less familiar the destination, the less
precise the teleport is. The maximum range is two days' ride away. Anything within clear
eyesight with no obstruction requires no roll, otherwise make a story roll. You can bring
others, taking +1t per person.
75
ADVENTURERS
path of the
WIZARD
ALSO: Diviner, Summoner, Witch
You wield arcane power through precise knowledge, casting spells from an
ever-expanding repertoire, your studies endless.
SPELLCRAFT
CORE TALENT
You have spellcasting ability. You roll Wits to cast and the spell theorem you are casting serves as its touchstone. You know 4 spell theorems inscribed in your spellbook,
created using the Spell Crucible (below). Each session, you can cast 4 spells and 2
potent spells. You choose which spell theorem to use when you cast.
You can learn new spell theorems from studying and experimenting with scrolls, which
you might find as treasure or obtain from other wizards. This consumes the scroll.
Growth: Every 2 levels, increase the castings of spells and potent spells per session
by 1 and create 1 new spell theorem with the Spell Crucible.
SPELL CRUCIBLE
Roll style, essence, and form. Choose 2, then assign a school.
Curious
Hungry
Jovial
Thunderous
Venomous
Phantom
Shadowy
Majestic
Frenzied
Prismatic
Sickening
Terrible
Lightning
Spirit
Stasis
Terror
Mist
Bone
Ash
Acid
Sound
Mind
Vermin
Flesh
Thorn
Vine
Water
Draught
Wood
Worm
Sentinel
Web
Gate
Whispers
Pillar
Explosion
Ray
Guide
Wall
Wings
Claw
Mask
Poison
Embers
Dark
Wave
Dream
Rot
Shimmering Shielding
Petrifying
Wrathful
Piercing
Dazzling
Screaming
Primal
Grasping
Ferocious
Expanding Swift
STYLE
Oozing
Binding
Slow
Flaming
Silent
Charming
Withering
Cryptic
Seeping
Freezing
Mesmerising Unseen
ESSENCE
Oil
Crystal
Slime
Light
Doom
Pain
Earth
Air
Fungus
Hex
Smoke
Energy
Lore
Fire
Death
Blight
Sight
Feeling
FORM
Beacon
Ring
Chains
Eye
Cascade
Bubble
Servant
Crown
Word
Aura
Shield
Hand
Vision
Disk
Fang
Gust
Swarm
Dance
MAGIC
SCHOOLS
◆ Abjuration: Protects, blocks, dispels, or banishes.
◆ Conjuration: Summons creatures, objects, and teleports.
◆ Divination: Reveals information, predicts the future, and reads minds.
◆ Enchantment: Charms, influences, and curses sentient creatures.
◆ Evocation: Creates and controls elemental and magical forces.
◆ Illusion: Generates false images and sensory deceptions.
◆ Necromancy: Manipulates life, death, and the undead.
◆ Transmutation: Transforms matter and alters physical properties.
76
CHAPTER 3
Examples
ADVENTURERS ◈
WIZARD TALENTS
Alchemist
Each session, you have a 4d Potions resource pool. You can have a minor potion and roll
the pool, or drop 1 and roll for a major potion. You know recipes for your spell theorems,
plus two more rolled on the Spell Crucible. Learn new recipes by sacrificing potions.
Arcane Specialty
Choose your specialty school. All of your spell theorems now have it plus another school.
When casting, choose which school to use. On a critical with your specialty school, take spark.
Arcanist
Take +1d when rolling an arcana's pool and ignore the first die that would be dropped. You
also gain 3 minor arcana and 1 major arcana that you've either created or found.
Colleagues
In every city, some towns, and the occasional dungeon, you can find a powerful, eccentric
wizardly colleague who owes you a favor—or maybe you owe them one. If you go out of
your way to meet and catch up, take spark.
Familiar
You manifest a small magical creature, an extension of yourself. You can communicate
telepathically and send it on simple tasks, making a story roll to see how it goes. By entering a trance, you can use its senses. You can also push yourself to cast a spell through it. If
your familiar takes damage, it vanishes and reappears at the start of the next session.
Mastered Theorem
Choose one of your spell theorems. You take +1d when casting it and gain 1 extra potent
spell casting of it per session. Your name becomes linked to it and it begins to spread in
popularity throughout wizardry—track its spread with campaign pools.
Prepared Spell
You gain 1 story per session and can spend story to flashback to casting a spell with specific triggers. If you need to roll a montage to get access to a place, the GM always takes
suspense in place of an impact move. Roll for the spell's effectiveness now.
Creating Spell Theorems: Roll for style, essence, and form, then choose two of the
words to form a phrase. Next, assign it a school of magic. You interpret these as the
spell's touchstones when you cast. Here are some examples:
◆ Roll: Terrible, Spirit, Gate → Spirit Gate sounds fun! You could assign it to Divina-
tion to speak to the dead or Conjuration to summon spirit warriors.
◆ Roll: Flaming, Thorn, Aura → Thorn Aura sounds fun! You could assign it Evoca-
tion to create a stabby shield or Enchantment to make someone a pariah.
77
ADVENTURERS
EXPLORATION ◈
CHAPTER 4
EXPLORATION
EXPLORING THE GRIMWILD
Exploration is an adventure, and this pointcrawl system captures that
spirit. It's about venturing into the unknown, both as your characters and
as players, uncovering what lies ahead. As you explore, connections form
naturally, and a narrative begins to emerge—one built from your experiences and the discoveries you yourselves have added to the region. It's
discovery as PCs, but also as players, figuring out and creating a region
together on the fly and finding the wonder and drama that lies within it.
WHAT IS THE GRIMWILD?
The Grimwild is a completely optional campaign setting or exploration
system you can bolt onto your own setting. You can base your game on
it, use it only when needed, or forego it entirely!
The Grimwild is a chaotic wildland, a once sparsely populated borderland
that was shattered by a cataclysm half a century ago. Within, three realities
have collided—the original small towns and keeps, the ruins of a long-fallen empire, and a savage wilderness teeming with monsters. The Remnants,
the Wilds, and the Ruins have fused into a surreal region that defies logic and
strict canon, the three bleeding into each other across the Grimwild's expanse. Old
settlements have either adapted or vanished, and survivors live in a tenuously strange
existence where a dragon might nest beneath a town or farmers inhabit an ancient wizard’s tower.
It's a long corridor spanning harsh terrain, a week's ride east to west and twice that north to south—
if the way were clear. Such territory is rare in the Grimwild. Sheer cliffs line the stormy eastern coast,
jagged mountains rise to the west, and dense forests and swamps choke the north and south. Surrounding the borders is the fog, impossibly dense.
To enter the fog and leave the Grimwild is to risk becoming lost forever, never knowing which of the three
realities you will emerge into. Expeditions into and out of the region rarely returned. The borderland
was written off as a cursed wasteland by those outside. Those inside have learned their present situation is better than the horrors of the other realms. The Grimwild is isolated, left to its own fate.
The Grimwild is a canon-less sandbox where you have the freedom to explore, discover, and make it
all up as you go. Logical connections don’t matter here, giving you the freedom to add whatever
sounds fun to your party and let a storyline emerge through play. It is a land of discovery, one even
its own inhabitants don't understand well.
79
EXPLORATION
THE THREE REALITIES
Below are some basic truths about the three realities that make up the Grimwild, a set of pillars for
you to start building within and around. You can hang your own fiction off of them, or topple them
over and create something totally different. The point is to make a sandbox that's easy to play in.
THE REMNANTS, Forgotten People of the Borderlands
◆ Fiercely Independent: Long before the cata-
◆ Simple Monsters: Orcs, goblins, and a few
clysm, the borderlands thrived as a melting pot
of cultures, blending traditions into something
uniquely their own.
larger beasts lurk, but they're nothing compared to the horrors of the Ruins and Wilds.
◆ Blended Heritage: A patchwork of languages,
◆ Scattered Settlements: Villages, homesteads,
customs, and traditions born from centuries
of border nations mingling.
and the occasional keep dot the harsh landscape, home to survivors who endure isolation.
THE WILDS, Untamed and Unforgiving Wilderness
◆ Tribal Nomads: Scattered tribes thrive where
◆ Deadly Terrain: Shifting rivers, jagged cliffs,
others perish. Each tribe has its own customs,
some steeped in ancient magic, while others
forge brutal pacts with the Wilds’ predators.
and choking forests make navigation a perilous
gamble for outsiders.
◆ Primal Beasts: Terrible creatures stalk the
◆ Raw Magic: The land itself pulses with ancient,
Wilds, from towering apex predators to grotesque hybrids warped by magic.
untamed power, twisting flora, fauna, and even
the air into something alive and unpredictable.
THE RUINS, A Fallen Empire
◆ Shattered Greatness: Once a realm of truly
◆ Corrupted Wasteland: Overgrown cities and
unmatched knowledge and power, now
reduced to crumbling relics of its glory.
desolate ruins seethe with decay, haunted by
strange energies and whispers of the past.
◆ Forgotten Relics: Ancient artifacts of magic
◆ Eldritch Horrors: Nightmarish creatures lurk
and technology linger, broken or lost, yet still
brimming with untapped potential.
in the shadows—aberrations, cursed beings,
and the tortured echoes of those consumed
by the empire’s collapse.
At this point, you probably have more questions than answers.
That's the point. You pose the questions, then you answer them.
From this point forward, the Grimwild is yours to create.
80
CHAPTER 4
EXPLORATION ◈
SEASONS
Create custom months to add a fantastic touch to your world. Stick to a four-season cycle with three
months per season, rolled on the tables below. Re-order the months as makes sense. For the first
month, include three simple details like atmospherics, weather, or flora. When you reach another
month, add three more for it. Add seasons as needed later in the campaign. Mix in fantasy elements!
SPRING MONTHS
green
petal
moss
eager
fresh
well
bloom
wind
wave
dawn
shine
hope
◆ Freshwave: Frost melts, rivers swell, buds bloom.
◆ Greenbloom: Emerald fields, humming bees, light rainfalls.
◆ Mossdawn: Velvet moss, luminous spores, forest roots awaken.
◆ Wellhope: Calm winds, glowing fungi, clear skies.
SUMMER MONTHS
ash
flood
sear
lazy
gold
buzz
storm
haze
flare
glow
breeze
surge
◆ Floodstorm: Endless downpours, roaring rivers, lightning skies.
◆ Lazyglow: Dying fungi, heavy stillness, rising heat.
◆ Goldbreeze: Warm winds, rippling fields, golden shimmer.
◆ Buzzsurge: Insect swarms, blooming thistles, pollen bursts.
FALL MONTHS
husk
wilt
amber
rust
bitter
turn
mist
moon
dew
chill
flow
smoke
◆ Turnsmoke: Pollen fires, drifting embers, ashen haze.
◆ Huskmist: Harvested fields, pale fog, rustling stalks.
◆ Wiltmoon: Crumbling leaves, silver light, creeping chill.
◆ Bitterdew: Frosty mornings, sharp scents, stinging dew drops.
WINTER MONTHS
storm
bleak
quiet
howl
frost
drift
tide
gale
sheen
hush
freeze
morn
◆ Quietgale: Whispering winds, iced branches, long nights.
◆ Frostsheen: Dark ice, frozen rivers, pale starlight.
◆ Stormfreeze: Raging blizzards, splintering ice, howling skies.
◆ Howlhush: Frozen silence, endless drifts, eerie auroras.
81
EXPLORATION
EXPLORATION SYSTEM
EXPAND THE MAP
Exploration is played out with a token-based
system that lets players and the GM work together to create and draw out the world. You gain
exploration tokens, then spend them to add
things to the map, giving each player equal opportunity to have an impact, while the spending
of a resource adds weight to the contributions.
The GM has a new story move called Expand the
Map that encourages and makes time for exploration and mapping. It can be invoked at any time
but must be used when:
◆ The adventuring party reaches the edge of
the known map and cannot proceed without
expanding it.
You're creating a pointcrawl. A pointcrawl maps
out the meaningful locations (points) and the
connections (paths) between them, focusing on
what really matters. Everything outside those
paths? Either it’s tough to get through, or there’s
nothing worth finding there. This approach keeps
the spotlight on the places and journeys that drive
the story, cutting out the tedium and keeping
exploration sharp, deliberate, and packed with
interesting things to experience.
◆ There's a natural narrative progression requir-
ing new points or paths to open up.
◆ Everyone's just excited to add more to the map,
like at the start or end of a session.
When the GM uses this move:
◆ Everyone (GM, too) takes 3 exploration tokens.
◆ Pull out the map and go around, in any order,
adding points to the map until all tokens are
spent. You cannot hoard tokens.
EARNING TOKENS
◆ New areas are added to the map, focusing on
key points of interest and the connections
between them.
◆ Expand the Map: When the GM uses the
Expand the Map story move all players and
the GM gain 3 exploration tokens.
◆ Significant Discoveries: Earn 1+ tokens by
JOY OF EXPLORATION
discovering something meaningful when you
actively explore or uncover key details of an area.
Take spark when you engage with the wonder
of exploration as such:
◆ Exchange Story: Spend story 1-for-1 to gain
◆ Pause and take in the world around you. Let your
a token, but you have to connect it to a wise
and explain how you knew about what you
spent it on in-character.
roleplaying bring out a moment of beauty—
what does your character notice, and how do
they feel about it? Take spark when it creates
a meaningful scene.
SPENDING TOKENS
◆ Ask a question about the world that nobody
knows the answer to, sparking curiosity in
yourself and others. Encourage wonder. Take
spark when the table embraces it.
Exploration tokens can be spent to add points
and paths to the map. The token cost depends
on the map type, covered over the next few pages. Generally, a minor point or path costs 1 token
and a major point or path costs 2 tokens. You use
paths to draw connections between the points or
to lead you off into unexplored territory.
◆ Travel somewhere far off, simply to see what’s
there. Everyone on the journey takes spark.
◆ Highlight the unique nature of a place, even
a seemingly mundane one. Make the scene
about the location itself—exploration is at its
heart. Take spark when you realize you’ll never
forget that place.
Each map type (region, settlement, site) has differences in how tokens are spent. Check those pages for specifics.
82
CHAPTER 4
EXPLORATION ◈
83
EXPLORATION
REGION MAPS
The Grimwild region map begins with squares along each border: the
west are nearly impassible mountains, the east a long, cliffside
coastline. The north is a heavy forest and the south a dire swamp.
And throughout each of these is the fog, which you dare not exit—
entering the fog will take you to one of the three realities, with no
way to know which one.
MAP SYMBOLS
POINTS
Minor Major
Settlement
Site
This creates a limited, but completely unknown sandbox to begin
exploring. You enter on one side of this sandbox, drawing a path into
it. From there, you begin your exploration. Spend tokens to:
Danger
◆ 1 Token: Minor points and minor paths.
Barrier
◆ 2 Tokens: Major points and major paths.
Area
Curiosity
◆ 3 Tokens: Curiosities, barriers, and areas. Can also be called for by
the GM (for free) to spice up the map, asking a player to add it or
adding it themself.
◆ Free: Rough paths can be added for free, though they are difficult
to traverse and generally dangerous. Passes can be added free as
parts of a path. Waypoints are added to the path by the GM. Each
represents 1 day of travel on that path.
When you place something on the map, you always label it. This can
be a simple evocative label of just a few keywords or even a name. If
you aren't sure, you can consult the crucibles on pg. 88 for ideas! You
can also label it [Remnants] [Wilds] [Ruins] if you want to specify
which reality it is mostly from.
PATHS
Major Path
Minor Path
Rough Path
Pass
Waypoint
1 day's travel
When you draw a path, the GM adds waypoints to it - dots that indicate 1 day of travel. Major paths
have dots spread out further while minor paths have them closer. Rough paths don't always have
them if it's unclear how long it will take—it can be possible to estimate!
Here's a list of everything you can add to the map:
◆ Settlement: Places people live—towns, tribes, or villages.
◆ Site: Points of interest—dungeons, ruins, unique natural features.
◆ Danger: Hostile monsters, hazardous nature, or enemies.
◆ Curiosity: Unclear but intriguing signs or information waiting to be explored.
◆ Barrier: Obstacles to travel—rivers, mountains, cliffs. Only crossable via rough paths or passes.
◆ Area: Large, usually natural, spaces with a single theme—lakes, swamps, deserts.
◆ Major Path: Well-maintained roadways or trade routes.
◆ Minor Path: Lesser trails—footpaths, forest tracks, game trails.
◆ Rough Path: Difficult and dangerous terrain—overgrown paths, rocky trails, dry creek beds.
◆ Pass: Travel enablers—bridges, tunnels, mountain passes.
◆ Waypoint: Marker for 1 day’s travel (on horseback, under normal conditions).
To start off mapping a region, begin on one border and use the Expand the Map move. The GM draws
a rough path into the region, then go through one or two rounds of Expand the Map.
Add factions to the map and campaign as needed. There's a factions crucible on pg. 88 to help.
84
CHAPTER 4
EXPLORATION ◈
The Thicket
Entry
Drankeep
Pear Orchards
Gnome Caves
Orcs
Smoke
Hill Goblins
Wellton
Lake
Ri
ve
r
Dancing
Lights
ill
H
Bandits
mp
Swa
s
Workshops
[Ruins]
Bug Colony
River
Dor Morigan
Dragonhill
Owlbear
Centaur Tribe
Temple of Zek
[Remnants]
Emberhome
UNEXPLORED
UNEXPLORED
UNEXPLORED
Strange
Spire
The Mire
85
EXPLORATION
The Cliffs
The Peaks
Crumbled Temple
[Wilds]
SITE MAPS
The 5-Point Site technique, inspired by the 5-Room Dungeon concept,
is used for mapping adventure locations. You create 5 points together
using the same point cost rules as the region maps. Curiosities, paths,
barriers, and areas can be added as well and don't take up the 5 points.
MAP SYMBOLS
POINTS
Minor Major
Structure
You must add one type of each of the 5 points below. The GM begins
Expand the Map by adding the Reward point on the map first.
Nature
Hazards
When you place one of the points, describe it with a two word phrase—
or use the settlements, sites, or dangers crucibles on the next page.
You can either discuss them in detail as the map is drawn, leave it up to the GM to expand upon the
phrases in play, or somewhere in-between. The GM decides what monsters, dangers, and challenges
await within the site. Here are the 5 points to the map:
1. Entrance and Guardian: A challenge blocks the way—either a puzzle, trap, or guardian to over-
come. This point sets the tone and tests the adventurers' mettle.
2. Puzzle or Roleplay Challenge: A non-combat encounter that requires clever thinking, roleplaying,
or teamwork. This point adds variety and deepens the narrative.
3. Trick or Setback: Something unexpected catches the party off-guard—a betrayal, illusion, or
hidden threat. This point keeps everyone engaged and on edge.
4. Climactic Showdown: The dungeon's central conflict—usually a big combat or intense encounter
with high stakes. This point brings resolution or key rewards.
5. Reward and Revelation: The loot, knowledge, or reward the party sought—but with a twist or
hook for future adventures. This point ends with a memorable moment.
Shows elevation
changes, low to high
GRIFFONRIDER
EYRIE
Ruined
Labyrinth
Echoing
Temple
Hidden
Pillar
Ja
gg
ed
Frozen
Vault
Cl
iff
s
Smoldering
Lair
Lava
Ruined
Labyrinth
Hazy Gate
Foggy
Gate
Burned
Circle
Sacred
Hall
GM draws the
Reward first
Mossy
Circle
Melancholy Arch
FIRE GIANT FORTRESS
86
CHAPTER 4
EXPLORATION ◈
SETTLEMENT MAPS
Settlement maps are built with Expand the Map,
but with a different drawing style. The GM begins
by drawing the town's outline, either as a vague
border (a line, like a path) or as a wall (a barrier).
You add roads and notable buildings following
the rules to the right, and barriers, areas,
curiosities, and passes as normal.
◆ Road (1 Token): Draw a straight line between
any two other lines on the map. These act as
main roads.
◆ Building (2 Tokens): Draw a notable building
within an empty space between roads on the
map, generally in small areas you've created.
Detail it or use the crucible below. You can also
spend 3 tokens to add a major building, written
on the map in capital letters.
Buildings are points of interest, with a significant
NPC or unique function. Not writing a building
down doesn't mean it's not there, it just means
it's unremarkable.
Unnatural Purple
Smoke
Merrywane
River
GM draws this wall first
Seedy
Jail
MAJESTIC
KEEP
Ornate
Watchtower
Ancient
Fortune Teller
CRUMBLING
TEMPLE
FESTIVE
MARKET
Forgotten
Teahouse
TOWN OF EMERALDKEEP
BUILDING CRUCIBLE
Roll 1 on each table, smash them together, and interpret.
ancient
crumbling
ornate
weathered
enchanted
gilded
haunted
verdant
forgotten
sturdy
humble
hidden
sacred
sprawling
mysterious
thriving
dilapidated
majestic
shadowy
overgrown
arcane
bustling
secluded
somber
festive
gloomy
immaculate
crude
battered
towering
seedy
opulent
lonely
grimy
timeworn
bleak
alchemist
fishmonger
orphanage
baker
herbalist
carpenter
shrine
barracks
watchtower
blacksmith
tavern
fortune teller
temple
armory
dockmaster
keep
inn
weaver
watchtower
guild hall
market
apothecary
fletcher
glassblower
gemcutter
scribe
library
jail
bell tower
warehouse
observatory
graveyard
brewery
teahouse
bathhouse
clocktower
87
EXPLORATION
EXPLORATION CRUCIBLES
SETTLEMENT CRUCIBLE Roll 1 on each table, smash them together, and interpret.
bustling
quiet
walled
hidden
sacred
isolated
prosperous
deserted
fortified
overgrown
thriving
ruined
ancient
trade
haunted
foggy
nomadic
abandoned
secluded
forgotten
peaceful
hilly
sunlit
forested
snowy
shady
remote
barren
rocky
sprawling
dusty
windy
coastal
flooded
mountainous
reclaimed
village
outpost
town
encampment
trading post
citadel
camp
settlement
colony
fortress
hamlet
refuge
port
market
watchtower
crossroads
sanctuary
commune
base
stronghold
ranch
grove
plaza
farmstead
oasis
manor
harbor
cliffside
peak
cavern
watch
hideout
den
homestead
monastery
bastion
SITES CRUCIBLE
Roll 1 on each table, smash them together, and interpret.
ancient
forgotten
sacred
haunted
crumbling
hidden
abandoned
lost
mystic
sunken
shattered
overgrown
cursed
enchanted
weird
buried
burned
desolate
frozen
mossy
moonlit
ruined
underground
echoing
charred
clear
foggy
sulfurous
blessed
forgotten
hidden
secluded
collapsed
smoldering
windblown
shaded
altar
monument
temple
grove
ruins
tomb
circle
sanctuary
catacombs
shrine
cavern
statue
well
tower
crypt
spring
mausoleum
gate
chamber
obelisk
cairn
pillar
pit
throne
labyrinth
fountain
portal
grotto
cemetery
dungeon
archway
sanctum
hall
mine
lair
vault
DANGERS CRUCIBLE
Roll 1 on each table, smash them together, and interpret.
savage
cursed
raging
hidden
venomous
relentless
foul
haunted
chaotic
shadowed
forbidden
feral
vile
corrupted
maddening
darkened
bloodthirsty
ancient
twisted
reckless
brutal
lurking
forgotten
ensnaring
wailing
hungry
rampaging
restless
seething
malevolent
writhing
shrieking
vicious
silent
stalking
violent
beasts
spirits
caverns
ruins
storm
woods
monsters
bog
abyss
wraiths
marsh
swarm
brigands
cults
behemoth
crevice
gorge
mire
shadows
crypt
fiends
wilds
tangle
mists
specters
forest
serpents
graveyard
depths
crags
demons
cliffs
warriors
shades
pathways
fog
88
CHAPTER 4
EXPLORATION ◈
MORE CRUCIBLES
CURIOSITIES CRUCIBLE
Roll 1 on each table, smash them together, and interpret.
lingering
strange
faint
echoing
flickering
shimmering
mysterious
distant
haunting
hidden
pulsing
ethereal
dancing
soft
glowing
fading
whispering
drifting
curious
melancholy
humming
shadowy
radiant
moving
singing
strange
pale
colorful
resonant
enveloping
low
twinkling
hazy
glittering
rumbling
floating
smoke
obelisk
tower
bonfire
pillar
mist
glow
spire
waterfall
arch
ruin
campfire
tree line
ray
statue
tombstone
monument
cliff
stone face
silhouette
bridge
gate
lights
spire
monolith
reflection
bend
light
canyon
cave
cloud
canopy
wall
ravine
crater
hilltop
BARRIER CRUCIBLE
Roll 1 on each table, smash them together, and interpret.
jagged
steep
muddy
twisting
dense
rocky
deep
narrow
overgrown
slippery
windy
uneven
craggy
thorny
dark
broken
snow-covered
swampy
shadowy
frozen
misty
winding
treacherous
shifting
barren
marshy
choked
tangled
raging
stony
thick
howling
sinking
rough
icy
rolling
ravine
cliffs
trail
thicket
bog
slopes
forest
ridge
pass
marsh
caves
scrub
hills
valley
canyon
river
brambles
lava
swamp
crevasse
path
shale
mud flats
trees
undergrowth
crags
peaks
glacier
shoals
tundra
scree
mire
desert
brush
ice sheet
underbrush
FACTIONS CRUCIBLE
Roll 1 on each table, smash them together, and interpret.
fierce
warlike
hostile
peaceful
curious
mystic
noble
shadowed
zealous
ruthless
ancient
wandering
hidden
cunning
forbidden
honorable
silent
restless
seeking
relentless
guarded
wise
lost
merciless
sacred
untamed
loyal
vengeful
eternal
patient
blazing
radiant
defiant
forgotten
vengeful
unseen
blades
order
clan
keepers
guild
circle
brotherhood
legion
syndicate
knights
society
band
coven
sentinels
alliance
scouts
heralds
tribe
seekers
council
hunters
pilgrims
companions
wanderers
cult
guardians
circle
raiders
guard
wardens
envoys
shapers
shadows
brigade
cabal
watchers
89
EXPLORATION
MONSTERS ◈
CHAPTER 5
MONSTERS
PAINTING MONSTROUS SCENES
This chapter features nearly 100 monster blocks designed to help you, the
GM, create vivid and engaging encounters. Each block emphasizes color,
sensory details, instincts, motivations, and adventure hooks over mechanical difficulty—in fact, there are no mechanics at all besides example
traits and moves. As with all things in Grimwild, monsters map back to
the core resolution mechanics. Monsters should be more than just something to carve through—they should feel integral to the story.
The bestiary offers advice, not rules: a collection of tropes and ideas for
inspiration. It's not meant to be a comprehensive guide to these monsters,
but instead a tool for quick reference and thinking outside the box with
classic fantasy monsters. Some familiarity with them is assumed.
The monsters presented here blend tropes, personal twists, and efforts to
make them more engaging than just "something that wants to eat you."
However, keep in mind that nothing here is canon—every idea is flexible,
ready to be replaced, reimagined, or repurposed. These are just one interpretation of what these monsters might be. Change whatever you like;
it won't break a thing.
NOTES ON MONSTER BLOCKS
◆ Sensories: Each entry lists colors, sights,
◆ Categories: Blocks for demons, devils, dire ani-
sounds, and smells tied to the creature or its
surroundings—sometimes describing the creature, other times the area or signs of its presence.
mals, elementals, fey, hags, giants, and undead
are grouped together.
◆ Expanded Entries: Some monsters, like balors
◆ Traits & Moves: Suggest what a creature might
do, especially in conflict, but are flexible and
meant to inspire, even outside combat. Not all
monsters are challenges.
and vampires, have double-sized entries featuring quests, linked challenges, or extra tables.
These provide ready-to-use scenarios and
examples for building and expanding your own.
◆ Wants and Doesn't wants: A creature’s drives,
◆ Immunities & Weaknesses: Few specific
offering direction and ways for PCs to interact.
Share them, especially with experienced PCs.
resistances or vulnerabilities are listed. Basic
logic applies—like undead resisting swords—
and you can tweak for difficulty by adding your
own. These entries are starting points meant
to inspire creative customization..
◆ Tables: Inspire variants, introduce quest hooks,
or define a purpose, adding depth to each.
◆ Lack of Humanoids: Common humanoid mon-
sters like kobolds, orcs, and goblins are not listed.
91
MONSTERS
BASILISK
scaly green
BEHIR
LURKER
mossy brown
rocky gray
PREDATOR
scaly gray
stormy gray
azure blue
Spiny, eight-legged reptiles that lurk in forgotten,
shadowy places. They patiently lay in wait to ambush
prey, then feast on the petrified remains.
Massive, solitary serpentine creatures with a dozen
legs and brilliant azure scales. They live in dark,
decaying places and rarely tolerate intruders.
✱ Sluggish stealth
◉ Petrifying Gaze
✱ Cling to walls
◉ Electric Breath
✱ Spiny hide
◉ Bite & Thrash
✱ Serpentine flexibility
◉ Bite & Constrict
✱ Keen sense of smell
◉ Slink Away
✱ Speech
◉ Swallow Whole
Wants to munch on a delicious statue, later.
Wants to expand its hunting grounds, to savor its meal.
Doesn't want light revealing its hiding places.
Doesn't want rival predators challenging its territory.
gleam of scales, slithering trails through dust
deep claw marks, static sparks, lightning strike marks
silence, rasping hiss, crunching of chewed stone
sizzling electric snaps, sudden boom, shuffling legs
chalky scent of ground stone, desiccated air
metallic tang, faint acrid smell, scorched hide
HIDING SPOTS
UNEARTHED BY...
1 Beneath a crumbling, but still-used bridge.
1 Landslide during a massive thunderstorm.
2 Within the rotting carcass of a fallen dragon.
2 Generational flood wiping out whole villages.
3 On the fifth floor of a derelict watchtower.
3 Earthquake toppling castle walls.
4 In a field full of half-eaten bear statues.
4 Collapse of a silver mine, forcing it to flee.
5 Within a maze of rusted, echoing pipes.
5 Lich's minions dug too deep.
6 Among the twisted roots of a giant tree.
6 Adventurers left an almost empty dungeon.
CARCASS CRAWLER
rotten brown
dull olive
CHIMERA
BRUTE
vile green
dark brown
MARAUDER
burnt umber
fiery red
Massive, slimy worms with dozens of grasping tentacles, lurking underground to feast on dead or paralyzed prey. They're drawn to the scent of death.
Violent, chaotic monstrous hybrids of a lion, goat,
and dragon. They rarely stay in one place long, suffering relentless wanderlust.
✱ Paralytic touch
◉ Tentacle Slaps
✱ Multi-headed
◉ Fire Breath
✱ Cling to walls
◉ Spew Bile
✱ Unpredictable
◉ Flying Pounce
◉ Brief Scuttle
✱ Understands language
◉ Claw, Bite, Horns
Wants more flesh, always more flesh.
Wants to keep wandering.
Doesn't want to suffer the sheer panic of hunger.
Doesn't want to face choices that its heads disagree on.
pristine bones, writhing tentacles, clouds of flies
streaks of scorched earth, smoke from its nostrils
wet slithering, grotesque squelching, bone snaps
growls, roars, and hisses, sudden woosh and crackle
rancid stench, sickly-sweet venom, mold and rot
acrid scent of sulfur and ash, musky wet fur
FEEDING GROUNDS
HYBRID HEADS (Roll 3 times)
1 The remnants of a horrific battle.
1 wolverine
1 rhino
1 vampire bat
2 The result of a successful death cult.
2 dingo
2 baboon
2 sloth
3 A recently thawed graveyard.
3 anteater
3 mantis
3 jackal
4 A plague that killed herds of farm animals.
4 condor
4 alligator
4 gila monster
5 A fleet of invasion ships dashed against rocks.
5 rattlesnake
5 ostrich
5 pangolin
6 Mass sacrifices to it, worshipped as a god.
6 platypus
6 mongoose
6 cobra
92
CHAPTER 5
MONSTERS ◈
CHUUL
crustacean brown
COCKATRICE
PREDATOR
deep yellow
swamp green
rust orange
SWARMER
feathered brown
dusky gold
Enormous, lobster-like aberrations with a mouthful
of tentacles. They are drawn to magic and hoard the
relics they find in their cluttered lairs.
Small, chicken-like creatures with reptilian features.
They roam in flocks and their peck turns flesh to
stone, which they use to mark their territory.
✱ Hardened shell
◉ Stunning Tentacle
✱ Flocking instinct
◉ Petrifying Pecks
✱ Sense nearby magic
◉ Claw Lock
✱ Ferocious swarming
◉ Winged Retreat
✱ Speech
◉ Drag Under
◉ Flappy Distraction
Wants to hoard sources of magic, instinctually.
Wants to mark its territory with petrified victims.
Doesn't want to venture far from the moistness of the swamp.
Doesn't want to have its flock's authority challenged.
roiling water, slick tendrils
small petrified animals, mass of scattered feathers
bubbling groan of water, wet slap of tentacles
flurry of wings, chorus of shrill squawks, beak snaps
cloying tang of magic, pungent crustacean odor
mismatched smell of feathers and scales
ELDRITCH MUTATIONS CRUCIBLE
MIGRATIONS
1 acidic
1 shell
1 Onto an island, home to a monastery.
2 spiked
2 eyestalks
2 Into a small hamlet, everyone stuck indoors.
3 reflective
3 wings
3 Into a valley, an important trade crossroad.
4 extendable
4 antennae
4 Throughout a city, absolute chaos ensuing.
5 glowing
5 tail
5 Down into mines, trapping miners inside.
6 magic-sensing
6 claws
6 Aboard a large ship anchored in the bay.
COUATL
bronze gold
CYCLOPS
PROTECTOR
iridescent blue
emerald green
weathered beige
BRUTE
eyeball white
stone brown
Celestial serpents with rainbow feathers that act as
wise protectors and guardians of sacred places. They
seek to preserve balance and impart wisdom.
Solitary, towering figures that value their personal
territory above all else. They gather boulders and
stones, treating them as symbols of power.
✱ Truthbound
◉ Read Minds
✱ Singular, intense focus
◉ Boulder Toss
✱ Shapechanger
◉ Constrict
✱ Immensely strong
◉ Ground Slam
✱ Telepathy
◉ Radiant Magic
✱ Understands language
◉ Fearsome Bellow
Wants to ensure sacred sites stay hidden.
Wants boulder caches, a symbol of territory and power.
Doesn't want its wisdom being ignored.
Doesn't want to get distracted or feel like it's being tricked.
iridescent scales, vivid feathers, trail of light
piles of boulders, massive cave entrance
otherwordly hum, gentle rustling, whispering winds
guttural rumbling, whoosh of a boulder flying
clean fresh breeze, soothing incense, hopeful magic
unwashed skin, earthy cave, sharp stone dust
SACRED TASK
CYCLOPEAN CURSES
1 Retrieve a sacred artifact, your sword.
1 It can only see at night.
2 Protect a chosen one, your enemy.
2 It can only venture outside in the rain.
3 Find ancient knowledge, your secret.
3 Its every footstep causes a tremor.
4 Teach you a forgotten language.
4 It's terrified of small mammals.
5 Stop you from destroying the world.
5 It can never stop walking.
6 Tricked by a devil into destroying you.
6 It's lonely, the last of its kind.
93
MONSTERS
DEMON, BALOR
OVERSEER
inferno red
smoky black
✱ Pierces deceptions
◉ Burning Whip
✱ Fiery Aura
◉ Crackling Sword
✱ Speech, telepathy
◉ Booming Teleport
ember orange
HELL TO PAY
Towering embodiments of pure evil, with massive
bat-like wings. They rule with chaos and destruction,
and have an insatiable hunger for more power.
The balor emerges from the shattered summoning circle
as the cathedral erupts in flames around it. Those who
disturbed it lie dead and now the capital will feel its fury.
8d | Head
8d | Demonic Magic
✱ Well-defended
✱ Ward the balor
◉ Horrific Taunts
◉ Summon Demons
◉ Cruel
◉ Create Firestorm
whip cracks, crackling lightning, guttural chanting
4d | Burning Whip
4d | Crackling Sword
overwhelming brimstone, smothering ash
✱ Protects the head
✱ Protects the head
◉ Whipcrack
◉ Behead
◉ Drag In Close
◉ Arcing Strike
Wants to bask in its own greatness.
Doesn't want its absolute control to waver, even for a second.
chaotic dancing flames, large smoking footprints
DEATH THROES (Roll 2)
1 Devastating explosion, reducing all to ash.
2 Brilliant flash, blinding all that witness it.
8d🔗8d | Body
3 Lava geysers erupt from the ground.
✱ Impenetrable Hide
4 Hellfire meteors bombard the area.
✱ Immensely strong
5 Blazing cyclone and molten rain wreak havoc.
6 A portal to the abyss opens, compelling entrance.
DEMON, GLABREZU
blood red
demonic purple
DEMON, VROCK
TRICKSTER
deep gray
feathered gray
MARAUDER
sickly green
bone white
Hulking fiends with four arms, two of which are claws.
They tempt ambitious mortals, granting wishes and
delighting as it all backfires.
A vulture-like fiend that is drawn to the mayhem of
battlefields. They spread poisonous spores with each
wingbeat, reveling in the chaos it brings below.
✱ Devious schemer
◉ Create Darkness
✱ Terrifying flight
◉ Deafening Screech
✱ Magic resistance
◉ Know Desires
✱ Disgusting plumage
◉ Spore Cloud
✱ Speech, telepathy
◉ Grant Wish
✱ Understands language
◉ Summon Flock
Wants to know what would make you happy.
Wants to keep the battle going as long as possible.
Doesn't want for its offers to be turned down.
Doesn't want to be drawn directly into the conflict itself.
stone gouged away, hulking silhouette, eerie glow
cloud of spores, dark shadow, ichor-covered feathers
faint whispers of magic, clicking claws, alluring voice
wet slapping of wings, rustle of diseased feathers
bitter burnt incense, unknown sickly-sweet aromas
rancid decay, spores clogging nostrils
WISHES GRANTED (with ruin soon to follow)
SPORE EFFECTS
1 Love, leading to the death of their beloved.
1 Betrayal, poisoning trust between allies.
2 Wealth, leading to never-satiated greed.
2 Terror, causing reckless desperation.
3 Wisdom, leading to a descent into madness.
3 Visions, twisting allies into horrors.
4 Victory, leading to guilt on how it was won.
4 Rage, swelling into extreme bloodlust.
5 Beauty, leading to horror as it fades even a little.
5 Envy, breeding treacherous ambition.
6 Fame, leading to jealousy from those close.
6 Heroism, turning into self-sacrificial madness.
94
CHAPTER 5
MONSTERS ◈
DEVIL, BARBED
soot black
DEVIL, CHAIN
LURKER
ember red
dark green
iron gray
TACTICIAN
steel blue
crimson
Horrific fiends covered in jagged barbs. They savor
fear and torment, often stretching out the suffering
as long as possible before deliving the final blow.
Sadistic fiends that manipulate chains like serpents
to ensnare and flay their victims. They relish in the
terror and struggle of their confined captives.
✱ Hooked barbs
◉ Barbed Embrace
✱ Animated chains aura
◉ Summon Chains
✱ Horrifying presence
◉ Throw Hellfire
✱ Serrated links
◉ Chain Lash
✱ Speech, telepathy
◉ Slow Taunting
✱ Speech, telepathy
◉ Reel In
Wants to slowly savor the agony and pleas of mercy.
Wants its victims to resist before breaking.
Doesn't want for the pain it inflicts to be endured.
Doesn't want to find itself confined by others.
shadows writhing unnaturally, barbs twitching
glinting metal, slow chain shadows, slow laughter
scratching of barbs along walls, tearing sound of flesh
clinking and rattling, tightening snaps, clangs
coppery fresh blood and agony
rusty, reeking metal, pungent sweat and fear
SUMMONED INTO...
IMPRISONED WITHIN...
1 Royal wedding, meant to seal a fragile peace.
1 Labyrinthine halls of the mad queen.
2 Public execution, meant to crush rebellion.
2 Cursed portrait in a lavish hall.
3 Temple consecration, meant to ward off evil.
3 Steamy, opulent bathhouse in the capital.
4 Feast marking the end of a great famine.
4 Reliquary of a respected temple.
5 Trial of a beloved noble, accused of treason.
5 Trade guild vault, sealed with powerful runes.
6 Coronation of a hesitant ruler, full of doubt.
6 Winding forest pathways surrounding town.
DEVIL, HORNED
DEVIL, IMP
fiery red
BRUTE
burnt orange
deep black
wicked red
TRICKSTER
tarnished gold
smoky gray
Fearsome, powerful fiends with towering horns, a
spiked tail, and massive wings. They wield a flaming
fork and rule with terror and cruelty.
Tiny, winged fiends driven by trickery and chaos.
They delight in sowing mischief and confusion, stinging with mind-warping venoms before vanishing.
✱ Impenetrable hide
◉ Flaming Fork
✱ Compulsive mischief
◉ Venomous Sting
✱ Speech, telepathy
◉ Hellfire Bolt
✱ Invisibility at-will
◉ Vermin Form
◉ Festering Wound
✱ Speech, telepathy
◉ Enchant Item
Wants to be both revered and feared.
Wants to sew subtle seeds of chaos.
Doesn't want to be forced into any compromise.
Doesn't want to be confronted directly, ruining the surprise.
stretching horn shadows, gleaming fork, stab wounds
quick flash of movement, clawed footprints
resonant telepathic voice, malevolent chuckles
buzz of wings, eerie silence, lingering snickering
acrid sulfur, suffocating smoke, brimstone
faint whiffs of venom and sulfur
BROKEN SUMMONING CIRCLES
IMPISH SNARES
1 In a temple by a priest who lost their faith.
1 Spoon that makes food taste slightly rotten.
2 In a farmhouse by a grief-stricken mother.
2 Quill that weaves insults into messages.
3 In a tower by a wizard consumed with jealousy.
3 Candle that goes out at the worst time.
4 In the study of a hero haunted by failure.
4 Map that shifts landmarks and roads.
5 In a tavern by a minstrel obsessed with fame.
5 Compass that always points towards fun.
6 In a cobbler's cellar, by a long-held prisoner.
6 Doll that moves to a new spot each night.
95
MONSTERS
DIRE BEAR
deep brown
DIRE CENTIPEDE
BRUTE
furry black
grizzly brown
burnt sienna
SKIRMISHER
earthy brown
chitin black
Fiercely territorial, collosal animals with thick fur
and enormous claws. It responds viciously to any
intrusion into its territory.
Gigantic, armored insects with venomous pincers
and countless legs. They skitter through dark tunnels,
creating a labyrinthine network of hunting grounds.
✱ Dense fur
◉ Testing Charge
✱ Cling to walls
◉ Warning Hiss
✱ Surprising speed
◉ Bellowing Roar
✱ Terrifying speed
◉ Drop Down
◉ Mauling Grapple
◉ Snip Off Limbs
Wants to foster the next generation of rulers.
Wants to expand its labyrinth of tunnels.
Doesn't want for its boundaries to be broken.
Doesn't want bright light or loud noises.
snapped trees, breath steaming in the cold air
endlessly writhing legs, shining chitin, twitching pincers
deafening roar echoing, pounding footsteps
rhythmic clicking, sharp hiss, unsettling rustling
crisp pine, overturnt earth, wet fur.
nutty insect aroma, sour rotting wood
TERRITORY WOES
HOME TUNNELS
1 It has far too many cubs.
1 Tunnels filled with towering mushrooms.
2 Grand hunt has been called for it.
2 The ruins of a lavish underground palace.
3 Another dire apex predator has arrived.
3 Enormous cavern full of bioluminescence.
4 Civilization encroaches on its borders.
4 Through the bones of a buried giant.
5 Totemic wards restrict its roaming grounds.
5 Flooded sea caves, where it hunts for sharks.
6 Goblins wage war against orcs on its lands.
6 Through twisting roots of colossal trees.
DIRE CRAB
DIRE CROCODILE
shell red
MARAUDER
coral pink
fleshy orange
swamp green
LURKER
muddy brown
scaly black
Towering crustaceans with enormous crushing claws,
only vulnerable when they molt. They scuttle along
coastal shallows, devouring anything in their path.
Enormous reptiles with iron-like scales and jagged
maws. They lurk in wait in murky waters, virtually
imperceptible until they move.
✱ Impenetrable shell
◉ Click, Clack
✱ Swampy camouflage
✱ Voracious appetites
◉ Snip, Snap
◉ Death Roll
◉ Rip in Half
◉ Drown Prey
◉ Snapping Lunge
Wants its offspring to overrun the beaches.
Wants to eat anything that comes close.
Doesn't want for anything to get under it.
Doesn't want to move when unnecessary.
boulders clipped in half, odd holes in the sand
massive eyes above the waterline, still waters
creak of its shell grinding, clicking of legs
scraping of belly on ground, thrashing water
wet sand, seaweed, and decaying marine life
mud and algae, stagnant swamp water
DIRE HERMIT CRAB SHELLS
WORSHIPPERS (The croc's totally unaware)
1 Sunken pirate ship, now haunted.
1 Local fishers, who see it as the god of floods.
2 Fallen castle turret, filled with explosives.
2 Cultists, who offer sacrifices.
3 Giant's skull, with a gleaming gold tooth.
3 Water elementals, believing it guards the river.
4 Whale ribcage, covered in barnacles.
4 Merfolk, who live alongside it.
5 Gnomish submarine, still water-tight.
5 Hill giants, envious of its eternal hunger.
6 Iron cauldron once used by a giant.
6 Swamp hags, believing it gives them magic.
96
CHAPTER 5
MONSTERS ◈
DIRE EAGLE
feathery white
DIRE SHARK
PREDATOR
earthy brown
stormy gray
PREDATOR
ocean gray
bone white
deep blue
Vast raptors with massive wingspans and razor-sharp
talons. They soar from high cliffs and dive with deadly precision and perfect timing to bring down prey.
Massive beasts of the ocean's depth, with rows of
serrated teeth and a sleek, powerful body. They prowl
the seas, always in search of sizable prey.
✱ Keen eyesight
◉ Plunging Strike
✱ Blends into the depths
◉ From the Depths
✱ Extremely swift
◉ Swooping Snatch
✱ Knows no fear
◉ Frenzied Thrash
◉ Piercing Cry
◉ Bite Off a Chunk
Wants other predators to see and fear it.
Wants to instill deep fear long before it strikes.
Doesn't want anything coming near its nest.
Doesn't want for ships to operate in its waters.
huge falling feather, talon gouges in the earth
patch of red-stained ocean, ominous dorsal fin
whoosh of massive wings, rustling of feathers
heavy thud hitting the ship, eerie silence
crisp high-altitude air, faint carrion scent
briny saltwater, upturned seawater
UNIQUE EYRIES
DESTROYED SHIPS
1 Spire of a still-occupied wizard's tower.
1 Royal flagship, crown jewels still aboard.
2 Atop a giant redwood tree, the tallest in the world.
2 War galleon, with the spoils of war.
3 Rocky outcrop above a foggy elephant graveyard.
3 Passenger liner, still barely floating.
4 Desolate mesatop, bones surrounding the nest.
4 Submarine, the survivors in a deep sea cave.
5 Between the stone arches of an ancient bridge.
5 Ghost ship, having cursed the waters for decades.
6 In the hand of an enormous carved statue.
6 Orcish warship, fused to its back by dark magic.
DIRE SPIDER
DIRE WOLF
venom green
TACTICIAN
midnight black
dark crimson
ashen gray
OVERSEER
light brown
frosty gray
Monstrously huge arachnids with legs like tree trunks
and venomous fangs. They spin vast webs coating
entire areas or drop from enormous heights on prey.
Hulking wolf with bristling fur and dagger-like fangs.
They hunt with a pack of lesser wolves, using fearsome coordination to trap and bring down prey.
✱ Vibration sense
◉ Surprise Drop
✱ Relentless pursuer
◉ Call Pack
✱ Complex webbing
◉ Venomous Bite
✱ Pack coordination
◉ Tackle Prey
◉ Wrap Prey
◉ Pack Attack
Wants to always have enough food for later.
Wants to protect its pack.
Doesn't want to be anywhere near fire.
Doesn't want anything that prevents it from roaming free.
thick silk strands, barely visible in shadow, thick hairs
silhouette at edge of clearing, tracks in the mud
unsettling skitter, eerie silence, soft thud, slurping
haunting howl, guttural growl, heavy breathing
sickly-sweet venom, putrid wrapped bodies
fur mixed with fresh earth, sweat, mountain air
DIRE SPIDER VARIETIES
LUNAR BEHAVIORS
1 Netcaster, trapping from far away.
1 New moon, restless border patrols.
2 Jumping, catching prey off-guard with a leap.
2 Crescent, young grow unruly.
3 Longlegs, moving quickly through foliage.
3 Full moon, deafening howls.
4 Pitdweller, striking from well-hidden holes.
4 Gibbous, pack dominance shifts.
5 Waterglider, skimming across marshes.
5 Blood moon, rampage outside their borders.
6 Divingbell, living completely underwater.
6 Blue moon, dire wolf litter is born.
97
MONSTERS
DISLOCATION BEAST
shadow black
midnight blue
DOPPELGANGER
TRICKSTER
mystic purple
TRICKSTER
neutral gray
Elusive, panther-like creatures with six legs and
barbed tentacles. They warp reality to disorient and
confuse, blending into their surroundings.
Shapeshifting figures with gray, featureless skin. They
can perfectly mimic any humanoid, infiltrating societies to achieve their own mysterious goals.
✱ Phantom forms
◉ Tentacle Swipes
✱ Shapechanger
◉ Shift Appearance
✱ Ethereal agility
◉ Disorienting Blurs
✱ Mindreader
◉ Mental Probe
◉ Sudden Pounce
✱ Speech, telepathy
◉ Psychic Scream
Wants to swiftly harness the chaos it creates.
Wants to experience new lives.
Doesn't want to ever put itself in danger.
Doesn't want its true form to be seen.
shifting blurs, disrupted reality, phantom images
shifting facial features, subtle posture changes
distorted growl, strange echoes, swish of movement
disconcerting silence, soft self-reprimanding
spicy musk, sharply cut aromas, caustic undertone
a smell fully unexpected of that person
BIZARRE PHENOMENA
IDENTITIES YOU KNOW
1 Mundane sounds, completely out of place.
1 Noble's trusted advisor, met last winter.
2 Fleeting reflections from alternate worlds.
2 The second-to-last person the PCs met.
3 Shadows elongate unnaturally and linger.
3 Old flame of a PC, thought long dead.
4 Echoes ricochet unpredictably.
4 Wandering monk, seen only days ago.
5 Colors bleed into neighboring hues.
5 Previous PC, from this campaign or another.
6 Invisible ripples that distort vision.
6 Executed thief, now walking free.
DRAGON
BLASTER
scale emerald
crimson flame
✱ Frightful presence
◉ Elemental Breath
✱ Ancient memories
◉ Wing Buffet
✱ Speech
◉ Chomp Down
gold accent
DRAGON BREATH WEAPONS
Massive, scaled beasts with wings and elemental
breath attacks. They hoard treasures and instill deep,
instinctual fears as a top apex predator.
A dragon's elemental breath is a potent weapon, as well
as a versatile tool. Give elder dragons an extra 2 suspense
that they can use on these breath weapon utility moves.
Acid
Cold
◉ Caustic Pools
◉ Ice Wall
Wants to assert its supremacy over all.
◉ Corrode Armor
◉ Freeze in Place
Doesn't want to be humbled in any way.
◉ Eat Away Stone
◉ Slow Movement
Fire
Lightning
◉ Burn Barriers
◉ Chained Stun
◉ Melt Weapons
◉ Disable Machine
◉ Smoke Screen
◉ Thunder Roar
2 Crown jewels of forgotten kingdoms.
Poison
Necrosis
3 Gravestones of great heroes.
◉ Confusion
◉ Deathly Fear
◉ Force Wretching
◉ Life Drain
◉ Lingering Cloud
◉ Wither Plants
massive features, self-important posture
thunderous roar, wings beating, intake of breath
faint scent of gold and ancient relics
HOARDING INSTINCTS (besides gold)
1 Scrolls filled with lost languages.
4 Maps of the world.
5 Weapons forged in time of great need.
6 Holy symbols of fallen gods.
Also, reference the dragon linked challenge on pg. 34.
98
CHAPTER 5
MONSTERS ◈
ELEMENTAL, AIR
cloud white
ELEMENTAL, EARTH
TRICKSTER
sky blue
whisper gray
mossy green
rocky brown
BRUTE
stone gray
Swirling masses of wind and cloud that can change
shape. They represent the raw power of storms and
wind, mercurial and unpredictable.
Massive, rock-like creatures embodying the raw
strength of the earth. They're slow but nearly unstoppable, lumbering through anything in their way.
✱ Cyclonic form
◉ Gale Force
✱ Rock-solid
◉ Earthquake
✱ Untouchable
◉ Whirlwind
✱ Tremor sense
◉ Stone Spires
✱ Speech
◉ Suffocate
✱ Speech
◉ Boulder Toss
Wants to flow ever free.
Wants to endure beyond time.
Doesn't want to be ignored.
Doesn't want for its form to be chipped away.
leaves and debris swirling, dust and sand kicked up
ground trembling, boulders rolling, spikes of stone
howling wind, rush of air, whistling gusts
rumbling groans, deafening crack of rocks, thumps
high-altitude winds, rain and freshly turned earth
loamy disturbed soil, moss, wet stone, mineral tang
FORM & PERSONALITY
BIOME & PERSONALITY
1 Swirling cyclone, erratic and wild.
1 Forest, rooted and protective.
2 Floating cloud, serene and evasive.
2 Badlands, harsh and unforgiving.
3 Tornado, furious and unstoppable.
3 Mountains, proud and resilient.
4 Dust devil, sneaky and persistent.
4 Caves, brooding and watchful.
5 Gusty winds, playful and mischievous.
5 Mudflats, slow but determined.
6 Zephyr, kind but undependable.
6 Grasslands, patient and enduring.
ELEMENTAL, FIRE
blazing red
ELEMENTAL, WATER
MARAUDER
burnt gold
molten orange
ocean blue
wavecrest white
BLASTER
seafoam green
Constantly shifting infernos that consume everything
in their path. They blaze with insatiable hunger,
leaving behind smoldering ash and molten ruin.
Fluid, amorphous entities resembling a wave or torrent. They represent the relentless and ever-changing nature of water, adaptable and hard to contain.
✱ Blazing aura
◉ Flame Lash
✱ Turbulent shape
◉ Undertow
✱ Insatiable hunger
◉ Melt Metals
✱ Rushing flow
◉ Surge
✱ Speech
◉ Summon Firelings
✱ Speech
◉ Whirpool
Wants to consume and move on.
Wants to flow along channels towards growth.
Doesn't want to let embers die out.
Doesn't want to lose touch with the ground.
roiling mass, flickering edges, glowing embers
crashing waters, churning currents, glistening tendrils
crackle and pop, roaring, hum of molten metals
roar of waves, splashing, sloshing, bubbling, gurgling
sulfur, brimstone, smoke, char, tang of metals
briny ocean, soaked soil, sharp freshwater
IGNITION & PERSONALITY
WATER SOURCE & PERSONALITY
1 Lightning strike, violent and ephemeral.
1 Tidal pool, playful and fickle.
2 Ritual flame, sacred and commanding.
2 Raging rapids, relentless and reckless.
3 Forge fire, controlled and powerful.
3 Murky swamp, deceptive and suffocating.
4 Coal embers, patient and smoldering.
4 Rain, gentle and melancholic.
5 Wildfire, ravenous and unrestrained.
5 Geyser, frustrated and volatile.
6 Funeral pyre, solemn and determined.
6 Oasis, welcoming and mysterious.
99
MONSTERS
ETTIN
BRUTE
fleshy gray
dark leather
✱ Constantly bickering
◉ Swing Weapons
✱ Clumsy stride
◉ Headbutts
✱ Speech
◉ Dual Shouting
ashen white
TWO HEADS ARE WORSE THAN ONE
Towering, two-headed figure with mismatched
weapons. They lumber through the wilderness, both
heads bickering endlessly about trivial matters.
To pass an ettin without a fight, you'll need to persuade
both heads. Remember, they're dim and don't get along.
Wants simple pleasures both heads can agree on.
4d | Stonevoice
6d | Gorebark
✱ Calm, rational
✱ Aggressive, loud
✱ Seeks a good chat
✱ Seeks violence
✱ Reacts to wordplay
✱ Reacts to weakness
6d | Runejaw
6d | Goldmaw
✱ Cryptic, curious
✱ Sharp, greedy
✱ Seeks to prophesize
✱ Seeks material gain
✱ Reacts to symbolism
✱ Reacts to rare goods
4d | Hootfang
8d | Foulhorn
✱ Flamboyant, selfish
✱ Quiet, manipulative
✱ Seeks real praise
✱ Seeks to swindle
✱ Reacts to boredom
✱ Reacts to confusion
Doesn't want to do anything that requires precision.
chaotic movements, dragging feet, frustrated glaring
constant bickering, clumsy thuds, mismatched words
sweaty musk, animal hides, unkempt hair
UNLIKELY PROTECTOR OF...
1 Three old witches, who use it as a bodyguard.
2 Ragtag group of orphans that saved it.
3 Goblins, because they worship it as a god.
4 Hamlet of farmers, who feed it.
5 Wandering circus, using it as a bouncer.
6 Hermit, friends with both heads.
ETTERCAP
TACTICIAN
spider gray
venom purple
✱ Clever silk traps
◉ Sling Webbing
✱ Clings to walls
◉ Venomous Bite
✱ Speech (rarely)
◉ Web Skitter
forest green
MASTERS OF THEIR WEBBED DOMAIN
Hunched, two-legged spider-like creature with
web-spinning claws. They lurk within a maze of
webbed traps and often control huge spider colonies.
The ettercap has enmeshed its lair in silken traps and
shepherds a vast colony of monstrous spiders. It can detect
even the faintest disturbance across the webbed expanse.
Wants to never face danger directly.
Doesn't want for its hard work webbing to be destroyed.
4d | Alarm Strands
4d | Holding Traps
✱ Nearly invisible
✱ Incredibly sticky
◉ Startled Spider
◉ Ensnaring Pull
◉ Another Victim
◉ Tangling Webs
webs between trees, struggling victims, shiny fangs
rough
hidden
faint skitter of legs, whirr of web-spinning
4d | Deadly Traps
4d | Cocoons
rotting wood, wet earth, decaying bodies
✱ Serrated webbing
✱ Wriggling victims
◉ Neck Slice
◉ Desperate Pleas
◉ Constricting Web
◉ Horrific Feasting
WEBBED DOMAINS
1 Bramble patch, every inch covered in webs.
secret
2 Long, narrow, winding canyons.
rough
8d | Spider Nest
6d | Ettercap
4 Granaries abandoned during the famine.
✱ Rabbit-sized spiders
✱ Can appear anytime
5 Derelict shipwreck, sails webbed over.
◉ Split Up Prey
◉ Lethal Bite
◉ Biting Frenzy
◉ Flee to Safety
3 Massive, abandoned library in the capital.
6 Sunken pitfall in the middle of the woods.
100
CHAPTER 5
MONSTERS ◈
FEY, DRYAD
mossy green
FEY, FAERY
PROTECTOR
bark brown
forest green
petal pink
TRICKSTER
soft lavender
pale blue
Mystical tree spirits that embody the essence of a
specific tree, guarding it and the surrounding grove.
They are fiercely protective of their home.
Tiny, winged creatures with a mischevious nature.
They flit through meadows, casting illusions and
playing tricks on wanderers for their own amusement.
✱ Melds with trees
◉ Entangling Roots
✱ Swarm together
◉ Fairy Dust
✱ One with nature
◉ Charm Person
✱ Invisibility at-will
◉ Dazzling Lights
✱ Speech
◉ Blossoming Burst
✱ Speech
◉ Minor Illusions
Wants to welcome those with good intentions.
Wants to play mostly harmless tricks on mortals.
Doesn't want any form of unnatural change.
Doesn't want to be anywhere near iron.
twisting vines, blooming flowers, swirling leaves
glittering trails, darting figures, fleeting glimpses
soft rustling, melodic birdsong, crackle of twigs
airy giggling, fluttering of tiny wings, melodic chimes
earthy scent, woody aroma, crisp fresh leaves
delicate nectar, lavender and jasmine, sugary aroma
ARBOREAL LINEAGE
FAIRY CIRCLES
1 Weeping willow, shy but playful.
1 Mushrooms glowing faintly in the dusk.
2 Oak, stern and steadfast.
2 Ring of sunflowers in a grassy field.
3 Maple, sweet and protective.
3 Fallen leaves after a rain.
4 Ash, resilient and wise.
4 Precarious pebble towers, defying gravity.
5 Elm, mournful but warm-hearted.
5 Dancing fireflies in a glowing spiral.
6 Yew, resilient and vengeful.
6 Ring of acorns around a sapling.
FEY, REDCAP
blood red
FEY, SATYR
MARAUDER
aged leather
thicket green
earthy brown
BRUTE
autumn tawny
grassy green
Malicious, bloodthirsty creatures with a blood-red
cap, driven by violence and a love for carnage. They
often manifest near murder sites.
Merry, goat-legged tricksters with a love for wine,
music, and revelry. They invite wanderers into their
revelry, at times with a sense of maliciousness.
✱ Bloodlust
◉ Scythe Slash
✱ Revelrous spirit
◉ Pan Pipes
✱ Grim cackling
◉ Blood Frenzy
✱ Enchanting tunes
◉ Headbutt
✱ Speech
◉ Make Skin Crawl
✱ Speech
◉ Jeering Calls
Wants its hat to never fully dry.
Wants to loosen mortal ties.
Doesn't want to be shown its own weaknesses.
Doesn't want mortals to try to resist its invitations.
bloodshot eyes, malevolent grin, shiny scythe
travelers into the woods, playfully malicious grin
sharp shing of a scythe, cackling laughter
hypnotic melody of panpipes, dancing and revelry
thick coppery scent of fresh blood like a fog
rich scent of wine, wild berries, lingering sweetness
WARBAND BOSSES
CONTESTS & REWARDS
1 Goretooth, feared even by its kin.
1 singing
1 rare liquor
2 Bloodsoak, who bathes in blood.
2 dance-off
2 gold key to nothing
3 Rotfoot, who would rule the fey.
3 eating pies
3 deed to an inn
4 Nocap, the hatless one.
4 duel of wits
4 curse to give someone
5 Redeyes, born of a murder most foul.
5 tug-of-war
5 black eye
6 Feybane, who is called betrayer.
6 archery
6 half a treasure map
101
MONSTERS
GARGOYLE
stone gray
GELATINOUS CUBE
PROTECTOR
ash black
mossy green
acidic green
BRUTE
translucent blue
pale lime
Winged stone-like creatures that masquerade as part
of buildings, serving as guardians. They can remain
motionless for years until intruders approach.
Transparent, jelly-like masses big enough to fill the
dungeon halls they slide through. They engulf anything they touch and dissolve it with acidic digestion.
✱ Stone camouflage
◉ Jump Scare
✱ Nearly invisible
◉ Absorb Prey
✱ Eternal vigilance
◉ Snatch and Fly
✱ Very slow
◉ Corrosive Splash
✱ Speech
◉ Stone Talons
◉ Quick Dissolve
Wants to let intruders go past the point of no return.
Wants to keep moving forward.
Doesn't want to outlive its duty.
Doesn't want tenacious objects lingering inside it.
nothing of interest, wings unfurling, eyes opening
faint shimmer, half-dissolved items suspended in air
slow scrape of stone, soft whoosh of wings, heavy thud
wet sloshing, soft acidic hiss, unsettling gurgling
dusty earth, ancient stone, tang of rainwater
sour odor of acid, stinging scent of corroded metal
ODD WARDS
ABERRATIONS
1 Door that must remain opened.
1 Hollow center filled with flaming, sloshing gel.
2 Throne meant for a fallen king.
2 Charged with crackling electric arcs.
3 Gate that seemingly leads nowhere.
3 Constantly shifting in prismatic colors.
4 Altar long without its god.
4 Packed with razor-sharp hunks of metal.
5 Bell tower, never once chimed.
5 Swarm of dice-sized cubes.
6 Empty stepwell, its community now dust.
6 Impossibly dense, slow, and indestructible.
GIANTS (PG. 104)
GENIE
burnished gold
GIBBERING MOUTHER
BLASTER
sapphire blue
mystic purple
pale flesh
meaty red
BRUTE
fleshy pink
Powerful elemental spirits that command the forces
of nature. They grant wishes, but often twist them
to serve mysterious and unpredictable ends.
Writhing masses of eyes and mouths, constantly
babbling incoherently. They confuse and madden
foes with the chaotic sounds and frenzied mayhem.
✱ Elemental mastery
◉ Twisted Wish
✱ Maddening babble
◉ Blinding Spittle
✱ Regal confidence
◉ Command Element
✱ Chaotic form
◉ Mind Haze
✱ Speech
◉ Whirlwind
◉ Swallow Whole
Wants its wishes to teach mortals a lesson.
Wants to add more eyes and mouths to itself.
Doesn't want to be bound or controlled.
Doesn't want for its gibberish to be understood.
flowing robes, runes and symbols etched in the air
droplets of saliva, bits of meat, bubbling flesh
ethereal hum, whoosh of wind, crackle of magic
slurping, high-pitched screeches, moans, laughter
crisp air, lingering jasmine and lotus, alluring spice
sour odor of bile and rot, viscera, rancid meat
GENIE TWISTS
VOICES IN THE CHAOS
1 Tries to destroy itself with the wish.
1 Familiar voices calling your name.
2 Tries too hard to improve the wish.
2 Fragments of broken promises.
3 Makes the wish somehow achieve the opposite.
3 Pleas for help and forgiveness.
4 Mishears, changing one letter in the wish.
4 Mocking tones from an old enemy.
5 Splits the wish around unevenly.
5 Chants from forgotten rituals.
6 Can't actually grant wishes, but will not admit it.
6 Your own voice, screaming your thoughts.
102
CHAPTER 5
MONSTERS ◈
GOLEM
clay brown
GORGON
BRUTE
iron rust
stone gray
metallic gray
BRUTE
bronze highlights
gaseous green
Magically animated constructs forged from various
materials. They fulfill their creator's commands with
unwavering obedience.
Metal-plated bulls that snort out a cloud of petrifying gas. They charge through it and shatter the stone
victim into a thousand pieces.
✱ Unyielding
◉ Smashing Fists
✱ Thick metallic hide
✱ Immune to magic
◉ Booming Stomps
◉ Bull Rush
◉ Mindless Charge
◉ Horn Toss
◉ Petrifying Breath
Wants to obey its creator's commands to the exact letter.
Wants to charge anything that dares confront it.
Doesn't want to be uncertain of what to do.
Doesn't want flashy distractions.
lumbering form, carved runes, glowing cracks
serpentine eyes, gas tendrils seeping from nostrils
grinding joints, hollow thuds, faint buzz of magic
sliding metal plates, mechanical snorts, hiss of steam
overwhelming scent of the material it was made of
heavy metallic odor, slight staleness in the air
GOLEM CONSTRUCTION
METALLIC VARIATIONS
1 Clay, with a malleable form.
1 Titanium, light and incredibly fast.
2 Iron, with a strong magnetic pull.
2 Lead, slow but nearly indestructible.
3 Crystal, refracting light into dazzling shards.
3 Steel, covered in sharp spikes.
4 Jade, with a mind and will of its own.
4 Silver, blindingly reflecting light.
5 Flesh, forming tiny flesh or blood golems if cut.
5 Brass, emitting an unsettling hum.
6 Wood, regrowing damaged parts quickly.
6 Bronze, resisting all magic.
GRICK
GRIFFON
slate gray
LURKER
mauve gray
dark olive
lion gold
PREDATOR
feathery white
stormy blue
Slithering, worm-like creatures with hooked tentacles
and a beak. They hide in dark caverns, taking great
care to ambush prey with precise strikes.
Majestic creatures with the body of a lion and the
wings of an eagle. They're fierce predators and highly territorial, often nesting on high mountain peaks.
✱ Rocky camouflage
◉ Tentacle Swipe
✱ Keen watch
◉ Warning Woosh
✱ Extended reach
◉ Beak Snap
✱ Wild majesty
◉ Beak Snap
◉ Hasty Retreat
◉ Resonant Screech
Wants to leave no trace of its hunt.
Wants for its screeches to warn intruders away.
Doesn't want to miss a chance at a meal.
Doesn't want any threat at all to its kin.
squirming tentacles, intense gaze, faint movement
majestic soaring, flash of golden fur, knowing eyes
soft slithering, faint clicking, sudden snapping
beak snap, flutter of feathers, scratching the ground
musty earth, damp rock, faintly fishy scent
crisp mountain air, faint scent of wild prey
SIDE EFFECTS OF MAGICAL EXPERIMENTATION
PEOPLE IT TERRORIZES
1 Cloaks the whole area in darkness.
1 Satyrs, drawn by their celebrations.
2 Bursts into blinding light when it strikes.
2 Hags, which it hunts for sport.
3 Releases a cloud of sleep gas when struck.
3 Shepherds, raiding their flocks.
4 Lets out shrill, echoing whistles.
4 Merchant caravans, curious about their carts.
5 Absorbs all sound into utter silence.
5 Hunters, in revenge for killing kin.
6 Tentacles stretch three times normal length.
6 Bandits, scaring them out of its lands.
103
MONSTERS
GIANT, FIRE
burnt ember
GIANT, FROST
MARAUDER
fiery red
coal black
icy blue
BLASTER
frosty gray
stone gray
Ironclad tyrants of flame and forge, valuing order
and dominance above all. They shape kingdoms
through fire, steel, and unyielding will.
Brutal lords of ice and stone, honoring strength and
tradition above all. They seek to prove themselves
worthy of the harsh, unforgiving frozen wastes.
✱ Magma-blooded
◉ Flaming Hammer
✱ Icy footsteps
◉ Frost Breath
✱ Blazing aura
◉ Hurl Magma
✱ Slowness aura
◉ Summon Blizzard
◉ Blaze Wave
✱ Speech
◉ Frozen Hammer
Wants to haul plunder back to its volcanic fortress.
Wants to rule the sweeping vistas of the tundra.
Doesn't want to cross bodies of water.
Doesn't want to feel the cold seep from its bones.
huge swathes of scorched earth, trails of magma
massive hanging icicles, clouds of snowflakes
roaring crackle, whoosh of fire, rumble of lava
crack of freezing, howling icy winds, crunch of frost
stifling smoky odor, charred earth, scorched stone
biting cold, frigid air, pine trees, fresh snow
UNEXPECTED LOCATIONS
SEAT OF POWER
1 charred stone bastion
1 island in a lava river
1 Entire tower built around it, keeping it frozen.
2 grand obsidian spire
2 sheer volcanic cliffside
2 Steps through a portal and onto a sandy beach.
3 ash-choked estate
3 billowing caldera rim
3 Riding on a floating iceberg towards a port city.
4 steamy sulfur baths
4 center of a vast plain
4 In a grand wizard's laboratory.
5 basalt cathedral
5 beneath magma-falls
5 Emerging from a bizarre mid-spring blizzard.
6 clanging forgeworks
6 sulfuric cave system
6 Tied down in the middle of a vast desert.
DOUSE THE FLAMES OF WAR
BREAK THE EVERFROST CURSE
You’ve reached the volcanic lair of the fire giant, bent
on unleashing fire and war with its devil allies.
You see the palace ahead, but the ice starks cracking
beneath you and you hear crystals shattering overhead.
Outer Courtyard
8d | Head & Magic
Features Cracked ice pillars and statues
◉ Collapse Tunnels
◉ Summon Devils
4d Iceling Cloud (Mook Swarmer)
8d | Remorhaz (Elite Predator)
8d | Body & Prowess
Icy Halls
✱ Thick armor
Features Labyrinthine halls
Threats 4d Terrifying howling
◉ Offer Alliance
✱ Fiery spear
6d Winter Wolves (Tough Predators)
6d | Dire Winter Wolf (Elite Overseer)
◉ Spear Sweep
◉ Foot Stomp
◉ Grab & Throw
Frozen Throneroom
Features Intensely cold
Threats 4d Falling Icicles
Volcanic Lair
Features Lava pits, choking sulfuric clouds
Threats 6d Spew Magma
3 Ice Trolls (Tough Marauders)
6d Air Elementals (Elite Blasters)
8d-8d | Frost Giant (Boss Blaster)
6d Firelings (Mook Blasters)
3 Hellhounds (Tough Brutes)
4d | Fire Elemental (Elite Blaster)
104
CHAPTER 5
MONSTERS ◈
GIANT, HILL
dusty tan
GIANT, STORM
BRUTE
earthy brown
muddy green
electric blue
Massive, dim-witted gluttons with big bellies and
bulging muscles. They crush and consume all in their
path, living only for the next feast.
BLASTER
cloudy sky
stormy gray
Regal rulers of sea and sky, embodying wisdom and
natural order. They summon storms to enforce balance, driven to maintain the world's harmony.
✱ Bottomless appetite
◉ Smash It
✱ Crackling aura
◉ Thunderbolt
✱ Too dumb to trick
◉ Throw It
✱ Commanding presence
◉ Thunderclap
✱ Speech (limited)
◉ Eat It
✱ Speech
◉ Summon Storm
Wants to force weaker creatures to bring it food.
Wants to enforce what it sees as the natural order.
Doesn't want to be confronted with logic and reason.
Doesn't want to see established order devolve into chaos.
bulging muscles, bloated belly, ragged clothes
crackling arcs of lightning, regal figure on the horizon
guttural burps, dumb chuckles, heavy breathing
deafening boom, wind rushing, building static hum
overpowering stench of sweat, sour rotting food
electrified air, rain-soaked earth, wet stone
QUIRKS
ARRIVES ALONGSIDE...
1 Always brewing up a brand new stew.
1 Hurricane, sweeping away defiance.
2 Hoards small, shiny objects—like mirrors.
2 Twin tornados, ripping apart the unrepentant.
3 Roams with a large pack of stray dogs.
3 Hailstorm, battering the guilty into confession.
4 Exceptionally rotund, even for a hill giant.
4 Lightning storm, searing away deceit.
5 Extremely short, for a hill giant.
5 Torrential downpour, washing away corruption.
6 Thinks even the slightest odd thing is hilarious.
6 Waterspouts, dragging wrongdoers to judgment.
BRUTE DIPLOMACY
STORM OF THE CENTURY
The Hill Giant has what you need, but you'd rather not
fight. Convincing it, though, may be even harder.
The ritual complete, the king thought he had saved the
city from famine—but he had defied nature’s will.
4d | The Basic Concept
✱ Hates big words
"Uhhh...."
◉ Scratches Head
"Hrmph..."
◉ Repeats Wrongly
"Heh heh!"
◉ Loses Track
8d + 8d | Twin Tornadoes
"Huh?"
✘ 4d Gets Cranky
◉ Rip Through Town
◉ Debris Barrage
6d | What It Wants
"Hoooo?"
8d | Head & Magic
◉ Wants Too Much
◉ Belly Rumbles
◉ Arcane Static
"Gimme!"
"Bleh."
◉ Summon Elementals
◉ Wants Proof
◉ Sheet Lightning
✘ Mention food
8d | Body & Prowess
6d | Sealing the Deal
◉ Kick Over Wall
◉ Sudden "Good" Idea
"Me see!"
◉ Changes the Deal
"Nom nom."
◉ Shake Off Climbers
"Mmm hmm."
✘ The king dies
◉ Repeats the Obvious
✘ Fickle (rolling a grim)
◉ Throw Castle Turret
105
MONSTERS
HAG, NIGHT
midnight blue
HAG, SEA
TRICKSTER
shadow black
deep purple
seaweed green
TACTICIAN
dark driftwood
sea blue
Sinister figures that embody nightmares, manipulating dreams to terrorize mortals. They're devious
and deal in dark bargains.
Grotesque sea-dwellers whose gaze inspires terror.
They lurk in coastal caves, cursing sailors and reveling in the fearful cries of the drowning.
✱ Was in your dreams
◉ Nightmares
✱ Knows your sins
◉ Hideous Gaze
✱ Shadowy teleport
◉ Phantasmal Form
✱ Watery teleport
◉ Drowning Curse
✱ Speech
◉ Eerie Whisper
✱ Speech
◉ Call Creatures
Wants to explore the true depths of your fears.
Wants to collect souls lost to the depths of the seas.
Doesn't want to have its own fears exposed.
Doesn't want someone to make their fortune on the seas.
shrouded in shadows, trail of purple mist
slimy skin, kelp entangled hair, glassy eyes
eerie whispers, fluttering cloak, creak of unseen steps
waves crashing, soft gurgles, echoing calls
cool night air, hint of aged leather
saltwater, fish rot, briny scent of seaweed
NIGHT SPELL CRUCIBLE (Make 3 spells)
SEA SPELL CRUCIBLE (Make 3 spells)
1 shrouded
1 gloom
1 swelling
1 shanty
2 shivering
2 touch
2 rippling
2 groan
3 whispering
3 glimmer
3 gurgling
3 grip
4 muted
4 aura
4 foamy
4 ebb
5 bleak
5 breath
5 surging
5 wave
6 eerie
6 moan
6 salty
6 current
HAG, STORM
electric blue
HAG, SWAMP
BLASTER
rainy teal
stormy gray
bog green
TRICKSTER
dank moss
peat brown
Fierce figures that roam coastal cliffs, summoning
winds and lightning. They unleash their wrath on
settlements, making sure none grow too comfortable.
Wicked figures lurking in fetid bogs, weaving illusions
to torment travelers. They spread decay and poison
with sadistic glee.
✱ Always stormy
◉ Conjure Tempests
✱ Swampy camouflage
◉ Illusions
✱ Windrider
◉ Lightning Strike
✱ Decaying touch
◉ Toxic Cloud
✱ Speech
◉ Thunder Boom
✱ Speech
◉ Ensnaring Vines
Wants to wreak havoc where stability prevails.
Wants to let the creatures of the swamp do all the work.
Doesn't want the calm center of its own fury revealed.
Doesn't want its swamp becoming someone's shortcut.
dark clouds swirling, crackling electricity
gnarled branches, hanging moss, buzzing flies
howling winds, crackle of lightning, roaring thunder
creaking of trees, croak of swamp creatures, cackling
rain-soaked air, faint scent of wet earth
decaying leaves, putrid water, mud
STORM SPELL CRUCIBLE (Make 3 spells)
SWAMP SPELL CRUCIBLE (Make 3 spells)
1 tattered
1 torrent
1 squelching
1 mire
2 crackling
2 clap
2 oozing
2 leech
3 biting
3 arc
3 reeking
3 smother
4 howling
4 boom
4 rotting
4 swallow
5 thunderous
5 flash
5 sinking
5 pull
6 surging
6 chant
6 writhing
6 cloud
106
CHAPTER 5
MONSTERS ◈
HELL HOUND
ember red
HIPPOGRIFF
PREDATOR
coal black
charcoal gray
chestnut brown
PROTECTOR
soft ivory
golden tawny
Fiery, vicious hounds with glowing eyes and smelling of brimstone. They hunt in packs and track down
souls marked for damnation.
Noble creatures with the body of a horse and wings
of an eagle. They soar over plains and mountains,
loyal and protective to those who earn their trust.
✱ Pack hunter
◉ Flame Breath
✱ Noble presence
◉ Talon Strike
✱ Fiery tracks
◉ Howling Call
✱ Elegant speed
◉ Beak Snap
✱ Understands language
◉ Warning Growl
◉ Take Flight
Wants to make the guilty pay.
Wants for its young to grow strong and wild.
Doesn't want being forced out into the stinging rains.
Doesn't want those who confront others with aggression.
smoking nostrils, singed grass, bed of ashes
majestic wings, sharp beak, talons gripping the earth
deep growls, crackling flames, claws scraping stone
rush of wind, shrill cries, gallop of hooves
sulfur and brimstone, charred flesh
earthy scent of open fields, fresh mountain air
CALL TO HUNT
CHOSEN RIDERS
1 Pursuing souls marked by broken oaths.
1 Legendary thief who helped it escape.
2 Stalking souls escaped from the underworld.
2 Outcast noble seeking redemption.
3 Hunting traitors who betrayed their own kin.
3 Ranger who patrols distant borders.
4 Tracking those who spilt innocent blood.
4 Wicked hag that it thinks is a hero.
5 Hounding those who flee from justice.
5 Normal farmer that it was raised by.
6 Wrongly on the trail of the completely innocent.
6 Gnoll that nursed it back to health.
HYDRA
BRUTE
marsh green
dusky blue
✱ Incredibly vigilant
✱ Regenerating heads
rusty red
SEVERANCE PAY
Massive, reptilian beasts with multiple heads that
can regrow when severed, making them almost impossible to kill. They lurk in swamps and dark waters.
A wizard’s offering good coin for the heads of a hydra,
each the size of a big soup pot. He swears he can brew the
perfect regeneration potion—with some trial and error.
◉ Pull Arms & Legs
◉ Frenzied Biting
2d | Head
2d | Head
✱ Protects the body
✱ Protects the body
✱ 3d Regrow Head
✱ 3d Regrow Head
wide-open jaws, glistening scales
2d | Head
2d | Head
hissing, splash of water, snapping of giant jaws
✱ Protects the body
✱ Protects the body
✱ 3d Regrow Head
✱ 3d Regrow Head
◉ Regrow Head Now
Wants to keep threats in front of it.
Doesn't want anything ever touching its body.
rotting vegetation, stagnant muck water
UNIQUE HEAD REGROWTHS
8d | Body
1 Sludge head, which spews a poisonous fog.
✱ Mostly submerged
2 Only the skull, filled with necrotic energy.
3 Eyeless head, which can read minds.
2d | Head
4 Beautiful head with a hypnotic singsong.
✱ Watches behind
5 Horned head that can ram with force.
✱ Cuts off escapes
6 The cut head rolls away to form a new hydra.
✱ 3d Regrow Head
107
MONSTERS
LAMIA
dark jade
MANTICORE
TRICKSTER
desert brown
sandy gold
burnt brown
MARKSMAN
desert ochre
dusty dawn
Decadent, lion-bodied enchantresses that lure victims with charm and illusion, seeking to corrupt and
control them. They're driven by hedonistic desires.
Fierce beasts with a feline body and spiked tail. They
prowl deserts and plains, driving prey into flight then
pelting them with volleys of deadly tail spikes.
✱ Graceful agility
◉ Cursed Touch
✱ Barbed hide
◉ Cruel Words
✱ Illusory person form
◉ Illusions
✱ Cautious
◉ Spike Volley
✱ Speech
◉ Enchantment
✱ Speech (crude)
◉ Terrifying Roar
Wants to gather secrets and amusement from its victims.
Wants to scare its prey into fleeing for an easy kill.
Doesn't want to think about the nature of its existence.
Doesn't want to let fleeing prey get away.
golden adornments, graceful silhouette, soft ripples
spikes in trees, dust clouds, long blood trails
seductive laughter, sand rustling, chants on the wind
guttural roars, sharp cracking of spikes landing
desert breeze, faint jasmine, spicy myrrh
dry fur, acrid dust, musky feline scent
FALSE RENOWN
SYMBIOTIC PAIRINGS
1 Whispers that prophecies fall from their lips.
1 Wyvern, hunts down injured prey.
2 Claimed to show past secrets through dreams.
2 Hill giant, makes for a comfortable bed.
3 Rumored to bind with honeyed promises.
3 Basilisk, waits to petrify escaping targets.
4 Fabled to recall lost souls from death’s grasp.
4 Minotaur, lets it lair in the labyrinth.
5 Promised to reveal one’s deepest purpose.
5 Chimera, a tense hunting pact.
6 Songs tell of dreams woven into reality.
6 Underscourge, follows along from below.
MEDUSA
MIMIC
viper green
TRICKSTER
bronze gold
ancient stone
corrupted purple
LURKER
iron black
aged oak
Cursed figures with serpentine hair and a gaze that
turns onlookers into stone. They hide in ancient
ruins, haunted by past sorrow and bitterness.
Shapeshifting creature that disguises itself as objects
to lure prey. They stretch to devour victims in one
gulp, springing to life when a meal is assured.
✱ Vigilant serpent hair
◉ Petrifying Gaze
✱ Shapeshifter
◉ Raise Curiosity
✱ Unnatural beauty
◉ Snake Hair Strike
✱ Adhesive touch
◉ Deflect Suspicion
✱ Speech
◉ Hypnotic Charm
✱ Understands language
◉ Swallow Whole
Wants for you to just go away.
Wants to be carried to places with tastier meals.
Doesn't want to be reminded of its past.
Doesn't want to turn into the same thing twice.
writhing serpent hair, statues of victims, angry eyes
shifting surfaces like melting wax, texture rippling
soft hissing, vengeful muttering, sudden snap of scales
sticky slurps, sudden snaps, creaking of pressure
ancient rot, moss-covered stone, stagnant air
sour decay of old adhesive, whiffs of trapped air
CURSE ORIGINS
OBJECT FORMS
1 Vanity, punished by a mirror that never reflects.
1 Simple, like a barrel, rug, or bookshelf.
2 Lies, broke a promise made in desperation
2 Tricky, like a door, book, or cupboard.
3 Greed, forced to forever protect the relic it stole.
3 Inviting, like a plush chair, bed, or vanity table.
4 Paranoia, having been betrayed countless times.
4 Horrific, like a doll, mask, or coffin.
5 Jealousy, spawned from unfulfilled longing.
5 Nostalgic, like a children's toy, old hat, or lute.
6 Hubris, having believed itself above the gods.
6 Necessary, like a toilet, staircase, or well.
108
CHAPTER 5
MONSTERS ◈
MINOTAUR
dark leather
NAGA
BRUTE
bull brown
bestial red
BLASTER
scaled green
reptilian blue
aged gold
Towering, bull-headed figures that guard labyrinths.
They relentlessly stalk its passages, charging with
savage force at the first sign of intruders.
Malevolent serpentine figures, guarding ancient wisdom. They defend sacred groves and lost ruins with
potent magic against any who dare trespass.
✱ Thick hide
◉ Maze Ambush
✱ Serpentine grace
◉ Venomous Fangs
✱ Labyrinth sense
◉ Bull Snorts
✱ Ancient wisdom
◉ Constrict
✱ Speech
◉ Horn Toss
✱ Speech
◉ Hex Magic
Wants victims to enter its maze, to satisfy its bloodlust.
Wants to keep its secrets for itself, no matter the cost.
Doesn't want to feel the sting of solitude yet again.
Doesn't want to be insulted with offers, as if it can be bought.
bulging muscles, hooves kicking up dust
iridescent scales, gleaming eyes
angry snorts, thud of cloven hooves on stone
hiss of scales sliding across stone, whispering
earthy musk, old blood and sweat
exotic incense, floral notes mixed with musk
LABYRINTH LAYOUTS
FORBIDDEN KNOWLEDGE (Roll 3 & interpret)
1 Intricate sewer system of the ancient capital.
1 secret
1 scrolls of
1 immortality
2 Thorn-choked paths hiding mischievous fey.
2 twisted
2 visions of
2 soulbinding
3 Tunnels of a sea cave, half-filled with water.
3 false
3 rites of
3 necromancy
4 Stone paths lined with fragile mirrors.
4 true
4 pacts of
4 teleportation
5 Deep stepwell with various paths cut off.
5 blasphemous
5 elixirs of
5 polymorphing
6 Enchanted woods with shifting pathways.
6 shattered
6 ciphers of
6 godhood
NIGHTMARE
OCHRE JELLY
hellfire red
MARAUDER
shadow black
ember gray
ochre
BRUTE
sickly yellow
murky brown
Flame-wreathed steeds that emerge from the underworld, galloping through the night. Their hooves
leave scorched trails across the land.
Pulsing, acidic oozes that dissolve anything they
touch as they silently slither through dungeons. They
split into smaller versions when struck.
✱ Flame-wreathed
◉ Hellfire Breath
✱ Extremely sticky
◉ Slurp Forward
✱ Slips between planes
◉ Shadowy Teleport
✱ Divides when struck
◉ Absorb
✱ Understands language
◉ Rear Up & Neigh
◉ Slink Away
Wants to carry those who seek vengeance.
Wants to grow into the greatest of all jellies.
Doesn't want to witness acts of mercy or kindness.
Doesn't want to split into new rivals.
charred hoofprints, trail of smoke, glowing red eyes
unsettling motion, remnants of absorbed creatures
crackle of flames, pounding of hooves, eerie neighs
wet sloshing, faint bubbling, the quiet pull of suction
burnt sulfur, smoldering ashes
sour decay, moldy dampness
WRATHFUL RIDERS
NEWLY SPLIT JELLIES (It's not sticky)
1 Exiled knight, who did nothing wrong.
1 Azure jelly, with a freezing touch.
2 Betrayed queen, who deserved what she got.
2 Crimson jelly, shrieks and bleeds when it's struck.
3 Hanged poet, whose words rang too true.
3 Verdant jelly, spreads carnivorous plant life.
4 Wayward prince, who will never go home.
4 Mercury jelly,
jelly perfectly reflects its surroundings.
5 Desperate rebel, the last one alive.
5 Spectral jelly, shimmers like a mirage.
6 Bitter seer, whose warnings were ignored.
6 Onyx jelly, leaves a trail of thick, bubbling tar.
109
MONSTERS
OGRE
rustic tan
OTYUGH
BRUTE
dirty brown
forest green
putrid brown
MARAUDER
sewer green
rotten flesh
Towering, brutish creatures with thick skin and crude
weapons. They roam forests and caves, smashing
anything in its path to keep itself amused.
Grotesque, tentacled scavengers lurking in sewers
and refuse heaps. They devour rotting carcasses and
overwhelm any disturbance with diseased filth.
✱ Overwhelming power
◉ Grab & Crush
✱ Diseased touch
◉ Spray Filth
✱ Slow & stubborn
◉ Raging Roar
✱ Reeking stench
◉ Putrid Gulp
✱ Speech
◉ Body Slam
✱ Understands, telepathy
◉ Sludge Tentacle
Wants to wander and destroy—a good life.
Wants to strike simple truces for territory.
Doesn't want to be outwitted by smaller creatures.
Doesn't want for its accumulated filth to be washed clean.
towering silhouette in the trees, gnarled club
slimy tentacles, rotting filth, scattered bones
heavy footfalls, low growls
squishy movements, wet gurgles, buzzing flies
stale sweat, dirt, lingering scent of raw meat
putrid rot, decay, stagnant swamp water
CHOSEN LEADER OF THE...
FILTHY ACCOMPLICES
1 Trolls, after marrying their chieftain.
1 Spewing animated fungus swarms.
2 Hill goblins, fearing its wrath.
2 Driven forward by a cult of ruin.
3 Swamp spirits, bound to its will.
3 Controlled by city sanitation workers.
4 Wild fey, attracted by its savagery.
4 Followed by a horde of plague-ridden rats.
5 Hill giants, who think it's a genius.
5 Ridden by a foul goblin shaman.
6 Other ogres, a small army of them.
6 Possessed by a fallen druid's spirit.
OWLBEAR
tawny feather
PEGASUS
BRUTE
furry brown
talon slate
silvery gray
PROTECTOR
sky blue
cloud white
Fiercely territorial, hulking beasts with the body of
a bear and head of an owl. They hunt in forests,
using their keen senses and raw power.
Majestic, winged horses with a noble spirit. They
soar through the skies, drawn to those with courage
and kindess, appearing in moments of dire need.
✱ Nocturnal hunter
◉ Territorial Roar
✱ Graceful flier
◉ Winged Charge
✱ Lumbering speed
◉ Crushing Beak
✱ Pure-hearted
◉ Wing Buffet
◉ Piercing Screech
✱ Understands language
◉ Celestial Whinny
Wants to protect its territory.
Wants to come to aid in dire moments.
Doesn't want any threat to its nesting cave.
Doesn't want to be ridden.
towering silhouette in the trees, gnarled club
shimmering feathers, graceful gait
heavy footfalls, low growls
powerful wing beats, soft neighing, wind rushing
stale sweat, dirt, lingering scent of raw meat
fresh air, faint scent of wildflowers
VICTIMS, STILL FRESH
CARRIED MESSAGES
1 Scholar, face down, drawings strewn about.
1 Royal summons, sealed with enchanted wax.
2 Cultist, dead in a tree without a scratch on them.
2 Love letter filled with terrible poetry.
3 Messenger, half-eaten scroll in hand.
3 Battle plan hastily scrawled.
4 Farmer, holding a wilted bouquet.
4 Desperate plea from a sworn enemy.
5 Smuggler, clutching a vial of purple poison.
5 Ransom note tied with black string.
6 Performer, in full costume, mask still on.
6 Official declaration of invasion.
110
CHAPTER 5
MONSTERS ◈
PHOENIX
inferno gold
RAKSHASA
BLASTER
flaming orange
ash gray
silken gold
TRICKSTER
regal purple
tiger orange
Mythical birds of fire, emerging to bring both destruction and new beginnings. As they blaze across
the sky, their embers spread cleansing infernos.
Cunning, tiger-headed fiends with reversed hands
that revel in wealth and opulence. They manipulate
mortals with illusions and lies, gaining great power.
✱ Radiates intense heat
◉ Flame Burst
✱ Illusion magic
◉ Enchant Person
✱ Reborn upon death
◉ Ember Trail
✱ Elegant manipulator
◉ Illusions
✱ Speech
◉ Call Firestorm
✱ Speech
◉ Perfect Lies
Wants to only come when they're needed most.
Wants to surround itself in luxury.
Doesn't want to face the pain and horror of its rebirth.
Doesn't want for crude company to sully its refined tastes.
fiery wings, glowing ember trails, vibrant plumage
ornate clothing, well-groomed fur
crackling flames, occasional soft cooing
smooth voice, rustle of silk, faintly echoing footsteps
warm ash, hints of sulfur, sweet smokiness
incense, hints of expensive perfumes
ALCHEMICAL POWERS (Roll 2 per part secured)
INFLUENCE NETWORKS
1 Immunity to fire
1 Flaming touch
1 Thieves guild. Fits in perfectly.
2 Cure any disease
2 Slip between realities
2 Merchant coalition. Sold their soul for it.
3 Massive, fiery wings
3 Fiery rebuke aura
3 Pirate fleet. Won it in a duel.
4 Resurrection
4 Cinder trail
4 Noble house. Happily married into it.
5 Telepathy
5 Flame divination
5 Mercenary band. Controls it from afar.
6 Summon firelings
6 Blazing speed
6 Spy ring. Works for four different sides.
REMORHAZ
PREDATOR
serpentine blue
molten red
✱ Radiates intense heat
◉ Emerging Strike
✱ Swift burrower
◉ Heat Wave
✱ Powerful mandibles
◉ Devour
chitin gray
WORM WRANGLING
Massive, heat-radiating worms with red-hot spines
along their back. They burrow through frozen tundra,
devouring all in their path with searing jaws.
[QUEST]
You grab its tail as it barrels past, chasing prey through
icy canyons. The rope to sling around its neck will bewitch
it, but you gotta get up there before it sees you and burrows.
Wants to find hot springs or lava flows to lay its eggs.
4d | Tail
Ice Canyon Threats
✱ Erratic, flicking tail
4d Gusting winds
6d Collapsing walls
✱ Few handholds
Doesn't want to feel the cold seep under its carapace.
◉ Flying Ice Shards
glowing red-hot spines, icy blue eyes, sharp ridges
◉ Tail Hits Wall
4d | Midsection
hissing steam, grinding mandibles, cracking ice
✘ 8d It notices you
✱ Red hot spines
burnt metal, scorched earth, sulfur
(shared across all challenges)
✱ Few cool spots
◉ Shimmering Haze
WORMS OF DARK PROPHECY
1 Rouse the Slumbering Gods Entombed
2 Sever the Sacred Bonds of Blood and Root
4d | Flared Hood
◉ Sudden Turn
✱ Wide plates
✘ 8d It notices you
✱ Loose scales
3 Devour the Heart of the Hero Foretold
◉ Swift Head Turn
4 Unseal the Crypt of the Nameless King
◉ Swallow Prey
5 Torch the Roots of the World Tree
✘ 8d It notices you
6 Silence the Bells of the Eternal City
111
MONSTERS
You haven't planned this
far. Now, how to get the
rope around its neck?
ROC
ROPER
BRUTE
feathered sand
dusty brown
stormy blue
cave earth
LURKER
rocky gray
slate brown
Colossal birds with wings that block out the sun.
They appear in times of stagnation to bring change
by carrying away that which no longer belongs.
Lurking predators in caverns, blending with stalagmites to ambush prey. Their tendrils drag victims in
for a deadly bite, leaving escape nearly impossible.
✱ Blocks out the sun
◉ Gale Force Winds
✱ Cave camouflage
◉ Survive Scrutiny
✱ Impervious to damage
◉ Talon Grasp
✱ Extended tendrils
◉ Reel In
◉ Swallow Whole
✱ Speech
◉ Cause Paranoia
Wants to return to its nest.
Wants to strike lone targets.
Doesn't want to be distracted from what it must do.
Doesn't want to be scrutinized and revealed.
as big as the clouds, vast silhouette on the horizon
tendril shadows, unremarkable stalagmites
resonating wingbeats, massive gusts of wind
low rumbling growl, rocky slithering
overwhelming earthy musk, dry feathers
earthy stone, dank moss, faint rotting flesh
POTENTIAL EGG BUYERS
HOW IT SURVIVES SCRUTINY
1 Dying empress, who will feed on it to live.
1 Mimics dripping water, distant echoes.
2 Dragon, who will use it to barter for its life.
2 Moves incredibly quickly when not watched.
3 Ancient lich, who will create its greatest minion.
3 Makes you feel like you are being watched.
4 Storm giant, who will raise it as a mount.
4 Absorbs light, creating longer shadows.
5 Infamous pirate, who sees it as a future skyship.
5 Stays deathly still, even under attack.
6 Druidic order, who will unleash it on the world.
6 Leaves no trace of its previous meals.
RUSTMAW
SHAMBLING MOUND
metal decay
SKIRMISHER
corroded umber
oxide red
vine green
muck brown
BRUTE
rotting green
Chitinous creatures that feed on metal, rusting weapons and armor with a touch. Their twitching antannae guide them straight to their next metallic meal.
Hulking masses of vines and swamp muck lumbering through marshes. They engulf prey and grow
larger with each and every victim.
✱ Rusts metal it touches
◉ Skitter and Hide
✱ Absorbs and grows
◉ Regrowth
✱ Hard carapace
◉ Eat Weapon
✱ Swampy camouflage
◉ Vine Lash
◉ Twitch Antennae
◉ Engulf
Wants to consume every last trace of metal.
Wants to find and consume prosperity.
Doesn't want to accidentally munch on wood or glass.
Doesn't want to consume desiccated creatures.
twitching antennae, scattered rust crumbs
mass of tangled vines, streaks in the muck
scraping mandibles, rustling movement
wet sloshing, cracking branches, earthy groan
sharp metallic tang, faint odor of decay
rotting vegetation, swamp muck, wet earth
RESIDUAL EFFECTS OF EATING ARCANA
BURIED WITHIN
1 Glows in the dark.
1 Grand druid, sleeping within a cocoon.
2 Leaves a trail of sparks behind it.
2 Ancient coffin, sealing away a cursed vampire.
3 Floats slightly above the ground.
3 Nearly endless amount of animated skeletons.
4 Speaks in very basic terms.
4 Mask of twisted vines that whispers riddles.
5 Vibrates like a tuning fork when struck.
5 Fey gateway, pulsing with otherwordly energy.
6 Is completely invisible.
6 Warbanner of the true queen.
112
CHAPTER 5
MONSTERS ◈
SPHINX
TACTICIAN
ancient gold
dusky blue
desert sand
Majestic creatures with the body of a lion and head
of a human. They guard secrets and grant wishes,
testing people with riddles to prove their worth.
RIDDLE (Roll 3, choose 1 or 2, pose it as a riddle)
✱ Master of riddles
◉ Wing Buffet
3 It travels far but takes no steps.
✱ Unfooled by deception
◉ Divination Spell
✱ Speech
◉ Teleport
4 It burns but leaves no ashes.
1 It flows but has no shape.
2 It grows taller, then vanishes.
5 It counts the moments but has no hands.
Wants to allow the truly worthy to pass by.
6 It falls but makes no sound.
Doesn't want to face trickery or deception of any kind.
1 It's cold but not frozen.
2 It's bright but not hot.
golden fur, regal posture, watchful eyes
3 It hums when the world is still.
resonant voice, wind sweeping by, distant roars
4 It's full but never complete.
warm sand, ancient incense, faint floral scents
5 It's fleeting but always returns.
WISH CHOICES
6 It's hidden in plain sight.
1 Ask any yes or no question.
1 It grows when light dims.
2 Ask for any one item and it is yours.
2 It follows you on sunny days.
3 Ask to be any age you would like—forever?
3 It stares back from still waters.
4 Ask for any one being to cease to be.
4 It's buried but not dead.
5 Ask for any one being to be brought back.
5 It's a silent companion.
6 Ask for a chance to correct a single regret.
6 It's a path without end.
if relatively close, accept it. combine two for a tough riddle.
TROLL
earthy brown
UNDERSCOURGE
MARAUDER
granite gray
muddy green
chitin bronze
TACTICIAN
earthen ochre
stone ochre
Regenerating creatures that lair in overlooked places, hoarding strange trophies. They make simple
demands and usually negotiate before cracking skulls.
Burrowing creatures with chitin armor and hypnotic eyes. They strike from below, collapsing the ground
to trap victims.
✱ Regenerates
◉ Convincing Offer
✱ Burrows effortlessly
◉ Hypnotic Gaze
✱ Weak vs. fire, acid
◉ Hurl Enemy
✱ Tough chitin
◉ Rapid Burrowing
✱ Speech (grunts, gestures)
◉ Topple Trees
✱ Speech
◉ Collapse Ground
Wants its lair to be filled with bones and trophies.
Wants to feast on surface creatures.
Doesn't want to let on that it's more cunning than it looks.
Doesn't want to venture into the sunlight.
an oddly shaped mound, glint of sharp claws
large burrow holes, cracked earth, glistening chitin
low grumbling, crunch of bones, wet chewing
distant rumbling, shifting soil, clicking mandibles
stale swamp water, wet fur, strong musk of mold
fresh-turned earth, mineral-rich tang, earthy musk
OVERLOOKED LAIRS
COLLAPSES...
1 Abandoned mill, half-sunk in the swamp.
1 Farmer’s pasture, full of cows.
2 Ruined bathhouse, flooded with muck.
2 Town square during a festival.
3 Crumbling fort lost in dense woods.
3 Noble’s garden, during a feast.
4 Hollowed-out tree astride a grain field.
4 Bustling mine, just as they struck the motherlode.
5 Ruined chapel overtaken by brambles.
5 General's tent, after a glorious victory.
6 Rocky cave behind a waterfall.
6 Royal cemetary, as the king is laid to rest.
113
MONSTERS
UNDEAD, GHAST
weathered flesh
UNDEAD, GHOST
BRUTE
decayed green
bloodstain red
spirit silver
BLASTER
pale mist
misty blue
Rotting corpses driven by an ancient plague that
wishes to spread once more. They're full of hunger
and rage, and leave victims messily scattered about.
Spectral entities bound to the mortal realm, haunting familiar places and reliving past moments. Their
presence terrifies all who witness their sorrow.
✱ Rotting Stench
◉ Putrid Exhale
✱ Ethereal form
◉ Shared Memories
✱ Plague carrier
◉ Festering Claws
✱ Anchored spirit
◉ Wail of Sorrow
✱ Speech (archaic)
◉ Numbing Grasp
✱ Speech
◉ Spirit Siphon
Wants to feed, inadvertently spreading the plague.
Wants to do something, if only it could remember what.
Doesn't want to give up on a fleshy meal.
Doesn't want for its presence to go unnoticed.
pallid skin, jagged teeth, bloated and yellowed
fading in and out, subtly shifting, drifting figure
guttural snarls, heavy breathing, slap of bare feet
faint sobs, echoing footsteps, an occasional scream
decayed flesh, sour stench, mold
old books, lavender, childhood memories
BYGONE PLAGUES
UNFINISHED BUSINESS (Roll 3, interpret)
1 The Weeping Rot, turning flesh to black ooze.
1 heirloom
1 confession
1 vendetta
2 The Crimson Blight, causing veins to burst.
2 estate
2 vow
2 guilt
3 The Ashen Grip, hardening limbs into stone.
3 portrait
3 denial
3 betrayal
4 The Vile Verdancy, growing plants from wounds.
4 key
4 hidden
4 murder
5 The Choking Miasma, filling lungs with sludge.
5 diary
5 whisper
5 burden
6 The Thorned Decay, sprouting barbs from skin.
6 relic
6 promise
6 obsession
UNDEAD, LICH
OVERSEER
ancient purple
rotten green
✱ 8 Wizard spells (pg. 76)
◉ Cast Spell
✱ Two steps ahead
◉ Raise Undead
✱ Speech
◉ Soul Leech
bone white
LICH SPELLBOOKS
Immortal magicians driven by a singular, dark purpose. They control hordes of undead from a well-defended lair, executing schemes with cold calculation.
A lich knows 8 wizard spells. Choose a spellbook below,
or make one. They gain 1 bonus suspense for each spell.
Slow Worm
Mind Guide
Pain Cascade
Flesh Beacon
Screaming Aura
Oil Shield
Mesmerising Mask
Bone Wall
Expanding Flesh
Slow Chains
Hungry Wings
Binding Word
Dazzling Vine
Prismatic Smoke
Terrible Lore
Hungry Terror
Transmutation
Necromancy
Wants to obtain the power it needs for its grand scheme.
Doesn't want anything near its phylactery.
Enchantment
tattered robes, skeletal hands, piercing eyes
Illusion
hoarse incantations, eerie silence between words
Divination
Transmutation
Abjuration
Conjuration
ancient dust, burnt incense, sharp cloying decay
OVERLY GRANDIOSE DARK RITUALS
Transmutation
1 Enslave every soul in the realm to its will.
2 Steal the life essence of the royal bloodline.
Conjuration
3 Summon the Bonegrinder, eater of legends.
4 Sing the song that will end the world.
Illusion
5 Raise a necropolis from which to rule.
Divination
6 Twist the vast forests into a maze of undead trees.
114
CHAPTER 5
Transmutation
Enchantment
Evocation
Necromancy
MONSTERS ◈
UNDEAD, VAMPIRE
BRUTE
deep crimson
midnight black
✱ Unnatural allure
◉ Blood Drain
✱ Supernatural strength
◉ Regeneration
✱ Speech
◉ Reveal Teeth
moonlit ivory
FROM HERO TO VAMPIRE
Elegant, nocturnal hunters driven by a thirst for
blood. They seamlessly integrate into society, all
while avoiding daylight at all costs.
Roll 2d6 (pick 1) for path/core. Roll 1d8 and count on their
talent list (on 8, roll 2d8). Adapt as traits and moves. For
every 50 years of unlife, roll a new power and weakness.
PATH
1 Bard
1 Paladin
Wants to pursue its desires, with no end-goal in mind.
2 Berserker
2 Ranger
Doesn't want to be reminded of when it was mortal.
3 Cleric
3 Rogue
4 Druid
4 Sorcerer
5 Fighter
5 Warlock
6 Monk
6 Wizard
SIRING INTENTIONS
POWER
WEAKNESS
1 Punish them for betraying your trust.
1 Bat, mist, or wolf form
1 Holy symbols
2 Offer them a twisted redemption.
2 Mesmerising Gaze
2 Garlic
3 Teach them the vanity of mortal life.
3 Cling to walls
3 Running water
4 Preserve their forbidden love.
4 Preternatural speed
4 Lacking reflection
5 Trap them in unending regret.
5 Lifesense
5 Invitation only
6 Use them to control those they once loved.
6 Call vermin
6 Extreme thirst
UNDEAD, WIGHT
UNDEAD, WRAITH
flickering candelight, blood-stained velvet
soft whispers, the rustle of fabric
old blood, faint rose perfume
void black
MARAUDER
ghostly white
deathly gray
shadowy purple
MARAUDER
foggy gray
ghastly blue
Risen corpses consumed by hatred, wielding cursed
weapons to drain life from their foes. They defend
their domains with unrelenting malice.
Shadowy, spectral figures formed of pure volatile
lament. They glide silently through the darkness,
draining warmth from everything they touch.
✱ Regenerative strikes
◉ Destroy Bonds
✱ Incorporeal form
◉ Draining Touch
✱ Victims become wights
◉ Raise Undead
✱ Deathly cold aura
◉ Shadow Meld
✱ Speech (wheezes, gasps)
◉ Sense Life
✱ Speech
◉ Wail of Despair
Wants to forever defend its final resting place.
Wants for others to feel the emotions that formed it.
Doesn't want to face that which caused its undying hatred.
Doesn't want for true joy to cut through its malice.
glowing red eyes, corroded armor
swirling mist, flickering blue light
groaning breaths, rusty clinking of ancient weapons
eerie wails, distant rustle of air, faint whispers
damp earth, rot, stale air
frigid air, damp stone, metallic tang of fear
CURSED ARMAMENTS
HORRIFIC ORIGINS
1 Heartstealer, a blade that drains courage.
1 Untold number of dead from the war.
2 Mindpiercer, a spear that devours memories.
2 Royal court and family massacred during a coup.
3 Blackhelm, a helm that compels obedience.
3 Serial killer's decades long reign of terror.
4 Soulcrusher, a mace that fills with dread.
4 Massacre of innocent "monstrous" village.
5 Rise, a sword that raises new wights.
5 Plague spread by one person jumping ship.
6 Wailer, a spiked chain that binds spirits to it.
6 Community's noble sacrifice going unnoticed.
115
MONSTERS
UNICORN
WILL-O'-WISP
PROTECTOR
dusky lavender
pale rose
verdant mint
haunted green
TRICKSTER
phantom violet
spectral blue
Graceful, magical horses with a single spiraling horn.
They roam ancient forests, bestowing healing, light,
and blessings to those with pure hearts.
Glowing, flickering orbs that haunt swamps and bogs,
luring travelers with eerie lights. They guide them to
reveal secrets that only they understand.
✱ Pure spirit
◉ Healing Touch
✱ Ethereal form
◉ Luring Light
✱ Protected by nature
◉ Blessing
✱ Swift & elusive
◉ Flicker Vanish
✱ Understands, telepathy
◉ Luminous Horn
✱ Understands language
◉ Bewilder
Wants to keep the few true purities in the world unspoiled.
Wants to find out how far your curiosity will take you.
Doesn't want to sense malevolence in a creature's heart.
Doesn't want for followers to actually reach its destination.
calming glow, prinstine fur, faint sparkles
faint flickering, eerie shadows, shifting colors
soft clip-clop, soft whinny, soothing hum of magic
faint whispers, low hum, far off footstep echoes
whiff of lavender, morning dew, ancient woods
fleeting yet familiar and nostalgic smells
BLESSINGS
SECRETS TO REVEAL
1 Five more healthy years of old age.
1 Final resting place of a hero never mourned.
2 Sixth sense for when you're being deceived.
2 Wooden mask marked with a lost clan's sigil.
3 Immunity to poisons and diseases.
3 Secret names of the will-o'-wisps.
4 You can understand any language.
4 Undying flame hidden in the swamp’s heart.
5 Cleanse any water you touch of impurities.
5 Waterlogged diary with half-legible confessions.
6 Always know the direction to home.
6 Still-beating heart buried within twisted roots.
WYVERN
dark slate
YETI
PREDATOR
bronzed ember
savage green
frostbite gray
BRUTE
glacial white
icy blue
Fierce, winged reptiles with a venomous, barbed tail.
They swoop from unseen heights, securing their prey
with swift, brutal strikes.
Massive, furry beasts roaming between icy peaks,
fiercely guarding the remote passes as if bound to
the land by some unseen force.
✱ Relentless pursuer
◉ Venomous Sting
✱ Frigid aura
◉ Frost Breath
✱ Hardened scales
◉ Diving Strike
✱ Snowy camouflage
◉ Howling Roar
◉ Snatch and Fly
✱ Speech (roars, gestures)
◉ Icicle Throw
Wants to teach its young the thrill of the hunt.
Wants to maintain its lonesome vigil, instinctually.
Doesn't want to feel a bond with a creature outside its kin.
Doesn't want for the terrible secrets below to see light.
darting between clouds, animals scurrying for cover
the snow moving, steaming breath, pale blue eyes
screech from impossibly high, whoosh of its dive
crunch of snow under massive feet, deep roars
smell of their far off nesting location
fresh snow cut by a wild tang
WYVERN MASTERS
UNDER THE ICE
1 Gorrak, infamous sky pirate.
1 City frozen in time, its bells still ringing.
2 Laraen, rogue mage bent on vengeance.
2 Souls wandering, lost beneath the ice.
3 Zurak, black-market smuggler of wyvern eggs.
3 Portal to a realm of eternal winter.
4 Tylara, a druid wielding the power of storms.
4 Cursed blade locked in unmelting ice.
5 Drazul, assassin for the highest bidder.
5 Phoenix stuck in a cycle of death and rebirth.
6 Serdrak, mercenary lord of the skies.
6 Balor shackled in ice-forged chains.
116
CHAPTER 5
118
CHAPTER 6
STORY KITS ◈
CHAPTER 6
STORY KITS
DYNAMIC SCENARIOS
Story Kits are modular, do-it-yourself scenarios designed to spark your creativity and get your
imagination racing. They’re not fully fleshed-out adventures—they’re flexible frameworks loaded
with evocative ideas, dramatic moments, and narrative twists that you shape into your own story.
Each kit is packed with tension-filled prompts, intriguing setups, and compelling challenges, but it
won’t hold your hand. Instead, it gives you the tools to craft a unique experience that fits your table.
Pair them with our light GM tools in Chapter 7 to flesh them out even more before running them.
Story kits are great for one-shots or 2-3 session arcs. Some of them can even be expanded to kick
off or take up a full campaign. Each of the story kits has the following parts:
Hooks to introduce it to your PCs.
Intro text to tell what it's mainly about.
Pressure pools act as timers, rolled to build
tension and keep things moving. Roll them
as it feels right to keep the scenario moving
along or when prompted by the fiction.
Pressure pools also use these icons.
At 0d, the linked pool can be rolled.
At 0d, reset the pool and use it again.
At 0d, triggers a roll of the next pool.
At 0d, the scenario comes to a close with
a dramatic move or drastically change.
Useful pieces are props, NPCs, and more that
form the backbone of the story kit.
Set It Up has you make some choices that
drastically change how things play out.
Example challenges highlight likely situations but aren't prescriptive—use them as
inspiration for what might unfold.
Mix it up suggests twists to radically shift the
scenario, perfect for replays.
119
STORY KITS
A PLAGUE OF GOBLINS
A note nailed to a sign reads,
"Dreghill at night—keep walking."
A shoe lies abandoned in the square,
bloody and torn.
Arriving just after sunset, things are
quiet—far too quiet, really.
Each night, doors lock, windows shut, and Dreghill Village holds its breath as the goblins come. Fighting
back only led to disappearances, so now they stay inside and refuse to speak on what happens at night. It keeps
their sanity, and keeps self and neighbor alike safe from the goblin plague that transforms them all.
4d Night Falls
4d Dawn Breaks
4d Townsfolk Snap
◉ Someone locked outside.
◉ Prominent villager lies dead.
◉ Enraged mob chases off PCs.
◉ Granary catches fire.
◉ Doors smashed all over town.
◉ Neighbors turn on each other.
◉ PCs ambushed in the square.
◉ Villager babbles in goblintongue.
◉ Permanently turn into goblins.
USEFUL PIECES
Villagers: Honest, hard-working
people that put up a united front
against nosey outsiders.
The Well: Life in Dreghill seems
to revolve around the small square
in the center of the village.
Mella Gortis (village elder, shrewd): The
closest thing the village has to a
leader, she is well-trusted by all.
▸ Refuse to speak on the problem.
▸ Emits a peculiar metallic smell.
▸ Always gets in the PC's way.
▸ Disappear entirely after sundown.
▸ Villagers insist on gathering there.
▸ Curses in goblintongue.
▸ Friendly enough, otherwise.
▸ Goblins are drawn to it.
▸ Has a soft spot for outsiders.
SET IT UP
Goblin Plague: Choose 2 causes of
the sickness and 1 odd thing that's
ultimately a false trail.
Death: Choose 1 usual outcome
when a goblin dies and 1 rare possibility that's always untimely.
Desires: Choose 2 goblins crave
with wild abandon and 1 that strikes
them with irrational dread.
▢ Villagers started eating exotic roots.
▢ Dies like a goblin normally would.
▢ Shiny things
▢ Flames
▢ A Hag (pg. 106) in the forest.
▢ Reverts into a human, dead.
▢ Weapons
▢ Sunrise
▢ Dead goblin in the well.
▢ Reverts into a human, alive.
▢ Hijinx
▢ Arcana
▢ Goblin relics from a mine.
▢ Releases a cloud of plague spores.
▢ Animals
▢ Bell tolls
▢ Farmer acting really suspicious.
▢ Random one of the above.
▢ Humans
▢ Kindness
4d | Ask One Question
4d | Falsely Accused
8d | Chase 'Em Down
6d | Goblin Ambush
✱ Tightly sealed lips
✱ Since you came, chaos
✱ Know the town well
✱ Super sneaky
✱ Strength in numbers
✱ Town hates outsiders
✱ Fit into small spaces
✱ Night-vision
◉ Make Excuses
◉ Need a Scapegoat
◉ Mad Scramble
◉ Jump from Above
◉ Change Subjects
◉ Misjudged Evidence
◉ Goblinpile
◉ Bite Neck
◉ Ignore Reason
◉ False Witnesses
◉ Juke
◉ Yelp for Help
✘ 4d Anger Villagers
✘ 4d Found Guilty
✘ Lose the Trail
✘ Kill a Goblin
MIX IT UP
Mella Gortis is a hag in disguise—villagers originally goblins—goblin village with A Plague of Humans
120
CHAPTER 6
STORY KITS ◈
THE MASQUERADE
A masked courier delivers an
invitation sealed with crimson wax.
The sounds or revelry can be heard
from the palatial estate.
Guests awaken to masks on their
faces and the sounds of mingling.
The self-styled Duchess Delonique (haughty, alluring) rules her crumbling bathhouse-turned-palace with theatrical decadence. Tonight, a grand masquerade swirls with music, drink, and intrigue. Guests don elaborate masks,
unaware that the Faceless—doppelgangers mirroring each attendee—are among them.
2d A Mask Slips
6d Midnight Tolls
d
◉ Famous face revealed.
◉ Guests seek out dance partners.
◉ Masks fuse to real faces.
The Final Dance
◉ Your own face staring back.
◉ Duchess gives a cryptic toast.
◉ Music begins.
◉ Glimpse of a faceless one.
◉ Final Dance music begins.
◉ Duchess reveals true self.
USEFUL PIECES
Dark Designs: This is a grand heist,
to replace various power with doppelgangers all at once.
Party Rules: Guests must follow
strict rules disguised as lighthearted
customs of mystery & merriment.
Faceless Ones: Masked doppelgangers that ensure the ritual's success by subtly enforcing the rules.
▸ Guests are all influential people.
▸ Masks and robes must be worn.
▸ Prevent guests from leaving.
▸ Final Dance completes the ritual.
▸ Attendees must arrive alone.
▸ Distract from suspicious moments.
▸ Guests will be bound here.
▸ Leaving early is strictly forbidden.
▸ Guide the mood to the Final Dance.
SET IT UP
Final Dance: Choose 2 parts of the
dance the PCs know of and 1 that
will surprise them partway through.
The Bathhouse: Choose 1 true oddity of the bathhouse and 2 false rumors the guests gossip about.
Important Personages: Choose 2
of the guests the PCs already know
and 1 that becomes a central figure.
▢ Match the Duchess's steps.
▢ Pools reflect your true self.
▢ One drawn to absolute power.
▢ Touch every masked guest.
▢ Steam whispers forgotten truths.
▢ One who knows them intimately.
▢ Pass and drink a crimson liquid.
▢ Doors lead to impossible places.
▢ One longing to shed their identity.
▢ Dance with your double.
▢ Bathing removes years of aging.
▢ One desperate to protect family.
▢ Remove your masks.
▢ The waters are intoxicating.
▢ One seeking companionship.
4d | Escape the Pools
4d | Discern Doubles
6d | The Dance
8d | Rip Off Mask
✱ Water pulls you in
✱ Overly perfect mimicry
✱ Can't refuse invitation
✱ Fused to flesh
◉ Pull Below
✱ No sense of self
✱ Moves you don't know
✱ Horrific pain
◉ Reflect Fear
◉ Misdirect
◉ Locked Steps
◉ Faceless Intervene
◉ Distant Edge
◉ Echo Words
◉ Rising Tempo
◉ Temporarily Blind
✘ 4d Drown
◉ Deep Insights
◉ Unyielding Partner
◉ Duchess's Touch
✘ Wrong dance move
✘ 4d Pass Out
MIX IT UP
Uninvited guests arrive—the duchess is the dopplegangers' prisoner—the duchess never arrives.
121
STORY KITS
THE BLOODPITS
An adventurer's life—too much
carousing, not enough remembering.
Turns out, there are worse ways to die
than defending a merchant caravan.
There's the sizzle of magic, then
awakening in a bed in a cell.
Fighters awaken in grim cells, share a sparse meal, and exchange words with fighters and patrons. They're led
to an arena with a roaring crowd, unarmed and unarmored. The gong sounds, enemies descend, and death only
brings reawakening the next morning to the same fate. Each day, the same wave patterns almost always occur.
4d Next Wave
6d Hints About Escape
◉ Weapons vanish, magically.
1d
Crowd Grows Bored
◉ Lever pulled, monsters emerge.
◉ Cryptic note in the sands.
◉ Spectators hurl debris.
◉ Rope pulled, beasts charge.
◉ Spectator's uneasy looks.
◉ Betting frenzy erupts.
◉ Gong sounds, 2 waves collide.
◉ Arena veteran dies on purpose.
USEFUL PIECES
The Bloodmasters: A single Ettin,
both heads in charge of it all. Choose
one from those on pg. 100.
Patrons: Hurl gold, weapons, tools,
and luxuries for their room to the
fighters—lifelines, lures, and traps.
Betting: The crowd bets wildly. PCs
can join in, before or during battle.
▸ "You will all die gloriously today!"
▸ Try to influence their bets.
▸ Betrayal (2:1)
▸ Loves a spectacle.
▸ Toss poisoned weapons.
▸ First death (1:1) ▸ Blood spray (3:1)
▸ Rewards a single winner each day.
▸ Throw a single healing potion.
▸ Last death (5:1) ▸ Alliance (1:3)
▸ Underdogs (3:1) ▸ Fight length (2:1)
▸ Traps used (1:2)
SET IT UP
The Out: Choose 2 you must accomplish to escape and 1 that's far
too risky to even attempt.
Waves of Horror: Choose, mix, or
create 4 waves repeated daily before
fighters face each other to the death.
Soulstone (mythic arcana): Those who
die gloriously are revived the next
morning. Choose 2 more traits it has.
▢ Earn the crowd's undying favor.
▢ 50 Mooks
▢ 4 Golems
▢ Unworthy deaths not revived.
▢ Stay alive against all comers.
▢ 3 Vampires
▢ 4 Elementals
▢ Seemingly indestructible.
▢ Destroy the soulstone.
▢ Minotaur
▢ Imp swarm
▢ Shifts color, as if it can sense.
▢ Get Bloodmasters' approval.
▢ Dire crab
▢ Underscourge
▢ Manifests the monsters & traps
▢ Win enough to buy freedom.
▢ The champion of the arena
▢ Can replay old matches.
8d | Impress Patron
ARENA TRAPS
GAMEPLAY NOTE
✱ Incredulous demands
Roll, mix, or choose a trap each wave.
◉ Dismissive Insult
collapsing floor
rotating blades
flaming walls
falling nets
swinging logs
hidden archers
Each day in the arena stands alone—death
will happen. Players learn patterns and
weaknesses and have a meta-progression
in patrons and items, keeping gifted gear.
Be brutal with enemies and stingy with
patrons. Make them earn it. Kill them, over
and over—they'll learn, eventually.
◉ Stolen Thunder
◉ Asks a Favor
✘ 8d Rival chosen
MIX IT UP
exploding barrels
flooding water
rolling boulders
spike walls
swinging blades
tar pits
Actually the same day repeating itself—only 1 PC can remember each day—magic doesn't work right
122
CHAPTER 6
STORY KITS ◈
THE FALL OF BASTION
On the road is a long line of refugees,
who left before the siege.
A thunderous blast splits the horizon,
as if the sky is burning.
A dying messenger collapses as they
plea for help sure to arrive too late.
In the distance, Bastion crumbles—the last great light of a darkening world. Its walls shudder under the relentless horde, chaos poised to fill the streets. Refugees scatter and leaders falter. The city's fall is inevitable. Arriving as the collapse begins, only desperate choices remain to salvage what little can be saved.
4d City Breached
2d Absolute Chaos
8d City in Ruins
◉ Battering ram busts through.
◉ Fires rage, cutting off escape.
◉ Heavy looting and pillaging.
◉ Enemies flow in from sewers.
◉ Panicked citizens clog streets.
◉ Attackers raze the city.
◉ Magical explosions hit the wall.
◉ Defenders scatter, broken.
◉ Executions begin.
USEFUL PIECES
Bastion: A frontier fortress that's
stood the test of time, until now.
The largest settlement in the region.
Old Bastion Keep: Ancient and
imposing, yet frail beneath its facade. Leadership shelters within.
Holdouts: Scattered resistance
desperately fight on after the walls
fall. Only half can be saved.
▸ Baron Malkon (brave, stubborn).
▸ Weathered battlements.
▸ Logger Guildhall
▸ Leaders mired in bitter debate.
▸ Labyrinth of narrow halls.
▸ Drunkard's Rest
▸ People still believe in Bastion.
▸ Escape tunnels collapsed long ago.
▸ Velvet Den
SET IT UP
Moral Dilemmas: Choose 3 tough
choices the PCs must face, and 1 they
are too late to change.
▢ Save the children or the wounded.
▢ Seal the escape or keep it open.
▢ Protect the people or the treasury.
▢ Rescue the Baron or leave him.
▢ Burn the city or leave it.
Sieging Army: Choose 3 key enemy
forces and 2 subjugated allies.
▢ Sly warlord
▢ Minor nobility
▢ Giant (pg. 104) ▢ Mercenary band
▢ Deadly archers ▢ Rebel king
▢ Elite infantry ▢ Mage artillery
▢ Peasants
▢ Heavy cavalry
▢ Goblin horde
▢ Ruthless zealot
Bastion's Legacy: Choose 2 current
defining sites in the city and 1 that
was lost in time.
▢ Grand Archives (ancient library)
▢ The Last Light (eternal beacon)
▢ Final Rest (tombs of heroes)
▢ Starlight Garden (rare flowers)
▢ Celestium (sacred gallery)
4d | Sneak Inside City
4d | Rescue Orphans
4d | Delay Tactics
6d | Hold the Bridge
✱ Guards distracted
✱ Flames engulf building
✱ Relentless waves
✱ Waiting for the Baron
◉ Mistaken for Enemy
✱ Plenty of entry points
◉ Officer Arrives
◉ Arrow Volley
◉ Mistaken for Ally
◉ Smoke Billowing
◉ Form Up!
◉ Reckless Charge
◉ Guards Snap Alert
◉ Panicking Orphans
◉ Into the Breach!
◉ Fear Seeps In
✘ City breached
◉ Crumbling Stairs
✘ City breached
✘ Two PCs fall
✘ 8d Building Collapses
MIX IT UP
PCs are allied with the attackers—the Baron is despised—a third army arrives
123
STORY KITS
THE BACCHANAL
Wandering along the road, panpipes
can be heard from the woods.
A bottle of cherry wine on the
roadside reads, "For the Satyr King."
The Satyr King sends invitation to all
his old adventuring companions.
At the height of a grand fey revelry, the Satyr King collapses—poisoned. Panic spreads, blame flies, and the
satyr court teeters on chaos. Glamour and deception cloud the truth, while whispers of fey vengeance grow—
swift, merciless, and final. Unless the lies are unraveled, the night will end in bloodshed.
4d New Guests Arrive
6d The King Dies
8d This Ends Now
◉ Drunken faeries, chaotic.
◉ Death goes unnoticed.
◉ Accusations erupt in violence.
◉ Mortal noble, in disguise.
◉ All eyes witness his fall.
◉ All guests are slain.
◉ Wild beast crashes through.
◉ Overly theatrical death.
◉ Rival fey court arrives.
USEFUL PIECES
Satyr King's Court: A glittering assembly of fey nobles, dazzling and
dangerous. His trusted counselors are:
The Trickster Faun (sly). The Satyr
King's half-brother, always watching with a knowing smirk.
The King's Bastards: Three satyrs
from different mothers, all of uncertain, yet similar age.
▸ Glitter (power-hungry, jester, faery)
▸ Glibly fans the flames.
▸ Dyrsis (cunning, forceful)
▸ Veil (ambivalent, astrologist, satyr)
▸ Didn't kill the king.
▸ Corintha (adored, talented)
▸ Amber (lovely, muse, dryad)
▸ Will help in exchange for secrets.
▸ Belexis (aloof, vengeful), not present.
SET IT UP
Fey Chaos: Choose 1 planned event
and 2 unplanned interruptions.
▢ Wine gives vivid hallucinations.
Culprits: Choose 1 likely suspects
with an alibi and 2 unlikely suspects
without alibis.
Clues: Choose 3 obvious clues and
2 that only show up after some serious legwork.
▢ Lethal dance-off demanded.
▢ Pixie who brought the wine.
▢ Wine cask(s)
▢ Broken string
▢ Glamour blinds revelers to clues.
▢ One of the bastards.
▢ Footprints
▢ Scorched petal
▢ Liars find their mouths sealed.
▢ One of the counselors.
▢ Broken cup
▢ Torn invitation
▢ Elaborate marriage proposal.
▢ Redcap lurking in the woods.
▢ Argument(s)
▢ Silver thread
▢ Goblin wine merchant.
▢ Torn cloak(s) ▢ Burned letter
8d | Dance Off
6d | Calm the Crowd
4d | Interrogate
Whodunnit?
✱ Escalating rhythm
✱ Frenzied, joyful
✱ Layers of deception
◉ Exhaustion
✱ Skeptical
◉ Offer a Bargain
◉ Entranced Crowd
◉ Shouting Louder
◉ Glamour
◉ Dizzying Steps
◉ Accusations Fly
◉ Vanishes
✘ Crowd boos
◉ Tables Overturned
Choose 3 people at the
party and let the game
decide, based on the drama, which one did it.
Make sure one of them
is quite a surprise.
✘ 4d Crowd grows bored
MIX IT UP
The king killed himself—the king faked his death—he was never really a king, it's all a lie
124
CHAPTER 6
STORY KITS ◈
THE WITCHFIRE WAR
The horizon burns as three armies
clash under unnatural skies.
A contract call for mercenaries goes
out far and wide.
An old ally, now sworn to the true
Queen, entreats your aid.
The Witchqueen lies dead. Her three daughters, twisted hags self-crowned as queens, march to claim the realm.
Armies of mortals, monsters, and abominations clash as the land burns in their war. As their armies clash, each
works towards a final ritual that can seal their victory.
6d The Tempest Eternal
7d
✱ Thunder Queen's ritual
✱ Mire Queen's ritual
The Swamp Titan
✱ Pale Queen's ritual
8d The Shadowswarm
◉ A rival's army is crushed.
◉ A rival's army is crushed.
◉ A rival's army is crushed.
◉ It comes for the PCs.
◉ It comes for the PCs.
◉ It comes for the PCs.
USEFUL PIECES
Thunder Queen (majestic): Storm hag
(pg. 106) who wants to erode away
all traces of civilization in the region.
Mire Queen (wise): Swamp hag (pg.
106) who seeks become an eternal,
festering power.
Pale Queen (cruel): Night hag (pg.
106) who hungers to plunge the region into eternal darkness.
▸ Army of cursed sailors, dire crabs,
▸ Army of trolls, frogfolk riding dire
▸ Army of nightmares, subjugated
and air elementals.
▸ Wields the Thundercrack Whip.
crocodiles, and bog wraiths.
▸ Wields the Fenmother's Fang.
▸ Wields the Shroud of Silence.
mortals, and moon cultists.
SET IT UP
Tempest Eternal Ritual: Choose
1 ritual anchor the Thorn Queen
must finish and 2 she already has.
Swamp Titan Ritual: Choose 2
ritual anchor the Mire Queen must
finish and 1 she already has.
Nightshadow Ritual: Choose 3
ritual anchors the Pale Queen must
finish and 1 she mistakenly has.
▢ Lightning strike sacrifice.
▢ Roots of the Bogsoul tree.
▢ Dreams of a newborn prince.
▢ Bound air elemental.
▢ Bottom soil from Deepmud Bog.
▢ Silver dagger and nightshade.
▢ Storm giant's heart.
▢ Final breath of a marsh druid.
▢ Midnight rose petals.
▢ The one who braved the storm.
▢ Tooth of an ancient crocodile.
▢ Last breath of a betrayed lover.
▢ Rites during a thunderstorm.
▢ 100 victims fed to the mire.
▢ Moonlight in a crystal.
6d | Brave the Storm
6d | Escape the Bog
6d | Endure Nightmares
8d | Stop Ritual Rites
✱ Screaming winds
✱ Clinging mud
✱ Waking illusions
✱ Heavily guarded
✱ Blinding rain
✱ Heavy fog
✱ Repeats in reality
✱ Swirling magic
◉ Sudden Gale
◉ Swallow Up
◉ Startled Awake
◉ Protective Shield
◉ Blown Away Gear
◉ Dire Bullfrogs
◉ Nightmare Resumes
◉ Terrain Shift
◉ Thundercrack
◉ Pitch Fire
◉ Think It's Real
◉ Ritual Backlash
✘ Lose sight of each other
✘ Head goes under
✘ Refuse to sleep
✘ 4d Finished Casting
MIX IT UP
Witches are in cahoots to reincarnate their father—there is a dark horse heir—pressure pools are all 4d
125
STORY KITS
THE QUIET WINTER
An outer farm lies in ruin, still
smoking, but the attackers are gone.
A tracked gnoll led back to their
encampment, far too many to fight.
For so long, returning home was a
dream. Now it's a nightmare.
The blizzard drove the gnolls off. In the spring, they'll return to finish the job. But for now, the battered hamlet
is safe—one quiet winter to prepare. Supplies are scarce, morale frays like old rope, and the cold bites deep.
Survival is uncertain, and some fear they won’t last until the first thaw.
4d Blizzard Abates
4d First Thaw
4d Gnolls Return
◉ Midwinter Festival put on hold.
◉ Gnoll scouts spotted.
◉ Hesitate, then gather allies.
◉ Far off survivors call for help.
◉ Flood hits the village.
◉ Demands heavy tribute.
◉ Wolves prowl outside town.
◉ Unexpected travelers arrive.
◉ Strike without warning.
USEFUL PIECES
The Hamlet: Has been here for a
long, long time. Life has always been
the same here, until now.
Around Town: Aside from typical
buildings, the hamlet also has:
▸ Collapsed mill
▸ Watchtower
Key Figures: Three people, tentative but willing, consider fighting
over fleeing.
▸ Hero's statue in town square.
▸ Old chapel
▸ Burial grounds
▸ Morgan Fell (sentimental, burnt orchard)
▸ Villagers are reluctant to fight.
▸ Frozen stream
▸ Bell tower
▸ Anya Sten (stoic, herbalist)
▸ Family and generational ties.
▸ Surrounding orchards and forests
▸ Old Len Gart (angry as hell, hunter)
SET IT UP
Winter Blessings: Choose 2 that
give respite in the harsh winter and
1 they can't rely on this year.
Winter Threats: Choose 2 that are
new threats this winter and 1 that
will hit just as the gnolls attack.
Supplies: Choose 1 the town has a
lot of and 3 that were wiped out
during the gnoll attack.
▢ Moonlit hunt of snow geese.
▢ Wolves prowl closer than usual.
▢ Food and herbal medicines
▢ Midwinter festival.
▢ Frostfever spreads.
▢ Weapons and tools
▢ Parsnip and turnip harvest.
▢ Bandits get opportunistic.
▢ Lumber and metal
▢ Merchant caravan arrives.
▢ Blizzard hits again.
▢ Skilled labor
▢ Salmon migration to spawn.
▢ Mysterious footprints in the snow.
▢ Competent fighters
4d | Rally Townsfolk
6d | Build Palisade
6d | Train Militia
8d | Hold Morale
✱ See no hope
✱ Lack of lumber
✱ Never held weapons
✱ Gnolls are coming
◉ Dashed Spirits
◉ Numbing Cold
◉ Frustratingly Bad
◉ Flashbacks
◉ Naysay
◉ Frozen Trees
◉ Discipline Issues
◉ Quarrels
◉ Spit on the Ground
◉ Tired Townsfolk
◉ Fear of Injury
◉ Heads on Poles
✘ 4d Villagers run
MIX IT UP
Gnolls are people in furs—a townsperson sold the town out—townsfolk offer up the PCs as a bargain
126
CHAPTER 6
STORY KITS ◈
BEACONS OF GLOOMDALE
The town erupts in sudden panic as
the beacon keeper calls out warning.
Down in the valley, one of the lights
piercing the fog goes dark.
Fog crashes in on your caravan as the
light keeping it at bay goes out.
For the first time in a decade, the beacon of Misthaven has gone dark. Its twin in Fogport still shines, carving
a fragile path through the suffocating mists all the way to Centerlight, the midway point between the towns.
But without both beacons, travel is impossible—any who venture into the fog will be lost to the horrors within.
2d Townsfolk Panic
6d Misthaven Changes
6d Fogport Changes
◉ Town's outer wardlights flicker.
◉ Beacon flickers on, then off.
◉ Beacon flickers off, then on.
◉ Fog seeps inside the barriers.
◉ City wardlights flicker off.
◉ Town wardlights flicker off.
◉ Fire erupts, spreading chaos.
◉ Citizens flee into the fog.
◉ Townsfolk flee into the fog.
USEFUL PIECES
The Beacons: Towering devices of
science and magic, focusing light up
to half a day's ride away.
Misthaven: A sophisticated, alchemical city—home to inventors,
engineers, and scholars.
Fogport: A hardworking, industrial town supplying vital resources
and airship landing for Misthaven.
▸ The light keeps fog at bay.
▸ Crystal-lens crafting facilities.
▸ Blacksalt mines employ most.
▸ Relay information to each other.
▸ Alchemical foundry smokestacks.
▸ Hunter's guild, Fogwatchers.
▸ Used to travel between towns.
▸ Glowflower fields outside the city.
▸ Skyship dock.
SET IT UP
The Reason: Choose 1 apparent
reason for the beacon’s failure and
1 that's the deeper cause.
The Horrors Within: Choose 3
that stalk the fog and 1 false rumor
that spreads fear but isn’t true.
Centerlight: Choose 3 features at
the midpoint and 3 that the fog has
overtaken.
▢ Intentionally sabotaged.
▢ Basilisks
▢ Fogwatch Inn
▢ Foghorn Tavern
▢ Beacon keeper is missing.
▢ Carcass crawlers ▢ Dislocation beasts
▢ Wardlights
▢ Graveyard
▢ Crystal powering it shattered.
▢ Chimeras
▢ Ettercaps
▢ Fogshrine
▢ Few houses
▢ Disrupted by magic.
▢ Chuuls
▢ Otyughs
▢ Trading post
▢ Mage tower
▢ Riot spiraled out of control.
▢ Cockatrice
▢ Owlbears
▢ A half-finished beacon tower
▢ Dire spiders
8d | Navigate the Fog
4d | Reach the Beacon
6d | Confront Keeper
8d | Light the Beacon
✱ Can't see far
✱ City in chaos
✱ Doesn't trust you
✱ Confusing mechanism
✱ Compasses don't work
✱ Outsiders distrusted
✱ Beacon is trapped
◉ Power Depletes
◉ Beast Attack
◉ Lay Blame
◉ Mechanical Trap
◉ Lens Cracking
◉ Unexpected Chasm
◉ Get 'Em!
◉ Rapidfire Crossbow
◉ Beacon Crumbles
◉ Lights in the Fog
◉ Maze-Like Streets
◉ Escape Into Fog
✘ Breaks fully
✘ Lose the path
✘ 8d The City Burns
MIX IT UP
Keepers are holding towns hostage with the fog—all in Misthaven are dead—the fog is sentient
127
STORY KITS
WANDERSTONE
The forest opens up into a shrine of
stones, with a monk meditating.
Following the cat through the forest
leads you into a shrine.
Heading this way just feels right, like
going to meet an old friend.
The Wanderstone, a mysterious shrine, appears without warning. At its base sits Skebker, a gnome monk surrounded by cats. He greets visitors like old friends before asking a favor they seem to be unable to turn down,
sending them on strange tasks. It feels like part of a larger puzzle, but he never explains.
4d Wanderstone Appears
4d Wanderstone Calls
8d Compulsion Fades
◉ It's just around the corner.
◉ Feel an urge to go west.
◉ No longer feel the old kinship.
◉ It's where you least expect it.
◉ A strange compulsion grows.
◉ Quest memories fragment.
◉ You were on your way there.
◉ Dreams lead you to it.
◉ Wanderstone appears, empty.
USEFUL PIECES
Skebker (easygoing): Monk who's lived
here for years. He says it wasn't always so, but it is what it is now.
Timing: He has a way of saying just
the right thing, to explain or confuse.
▸ "All good answers begin in silence."
The Cats: The other residents of
Wanderstone. They seem ordinary,
except how oddly aware they are.
▸ Skilled and evasive martial artist.
▸ "Paths find those ready to walk them."
▸ Follow quest-takers on quests.
▸ Avoids conflict, but will unleash
▸ "People like you need to keep busy.
▸ Playfully persuade others to help.
hell to protect others.
Me? I just pet cats and meditate."
▸ Skebker sees what they see.
SET IT UP
Quests: Choose 3 tasks he asks you
to do and 1 he insists you can't be
trusted with... yet.
Why: Choose 2 reasons for the
quests. Smash them together to
form a barely plausible explanation.
Evasive: Choose 3 ways Skebker
responds to questions and 1 he also
does without thinking.
▢ Recover a stone from a temple.
▢ Repair a timeline fracture.
▢ Riddles
▢ Ignores
▢ Deliver a sealed letter to a hermit.
▢ Guide PCs to their paths.
▢ Laughter
▢ Redirects
▢ Meditate at a sacred grove.
▢ Find a new shrinekeeper.
▢ Half-truths
▢ Smirks
▢ Follow a specific animal.
▢ Tie loose ends from his own past.
▢ Metaphors
▢ Shrugs
▢ Build a cairn in a precise location.
▢ Keep himself busy and amused.
▢ Silence
▢ Deflects
8d | Turn Down Quest
8d | Unravel Purpose
✱ Incredibly convincing
✱ Contradicting info
✱ Assumes acceptance
GAMEPLAY NOTE
Wanderstone sits in the background of a campaign.
Roll the pressure pools after a quest is finished, then
occasionally with faction pools. Wanderstone calls
or comes up when you least expect it. Roll Compulsion
Fades once after each quest is finished. The enigmatic Skebker will pop in and out of your campaign until
it makes sense—or maybe it never will. That's okay.
◉ Profound Saying
◉ Perfect Reasoning
◉ Cryptic Answers
◉ Doesn't Take No
◉ Cat Starts Purring
◉ Cat Starts Purring
✘ Give him even an inch
MIX IT UP
Wanderstone is truly just random—Skebker is not real—a second wanderstone and Skebker appear
Thanks to Jeremy Kitchen for the character inspiration!
128
CHAPTER 6
129
THE BLEEDING TREE
There are whispers of magical healing
tree in a village to the north.
Sprites, sprigs, and other fey seem to
be gathering gleefully near the town.
A merchant begs for help rescuing
their child from the cult.
In the town square, an ancient tree bleeds crimson sap, said to miraculously heal and empower. Those who drink
it change, their minds bound to a fanatical cult, their bodies soon following. Deep within, the dryad Selen (dying,
deranged) lurks, vowing to return the horrors visited upon her home thricefold.
4d Cult Grows
8d People Transform
4d Tree Awakens
◉ Prominent villager joins cult.
◉ Treeform, bark and leaves.
◉ Sap takes on a life of its own.
◉ Chanting fanatics patrol streets.
◉ Bloodform, bleeding sap.
◉ Branches kill all nearby.
◉ Town sealed from outsiders.
◉ Rootform, anchored.
◉ Tree uproots itself, rampages.
USEFUL PIECES
Selen (vengeful, stoic): A withered dryad, trapped in a lightning-struck
tree as her grove was destroyed.
Crella Dor (charismatic, unpredictable):
The fanatical cult leader that first
drank from the tree.
The Gnarled Tree: Formerly a common meeting point, now surrounded by worshippers night and day.
▸ Grotesque form, scorched.
▸ Carries a sap-covered staff.
▸ Leaks bloody sap, a "miracle" cure.
▸ Will sacrifice herself for vengeance.
▸ Knows about the dryad.
▸ Within the above ground roots, a
▸ Speaks in mournful tones.
▸ Thinks she is becoming divine.
crack shows its rotting core.
SET IT UP
Cult Beliefs: Choose 3 to define
the cult's dogmas, and 1 of those as
their prime belief.
Outsiders: Choose 2 other outsiders who wander into town and 1
that's already dead somewhere.
Townsfolk: Choose 2 townsfolk
that are firm believers and 1 that
fervently insists it's poison.
▢ Only the chosen can partake.
▢ One who sees prophetic visions.
▢ One who lost their wife to it.
▢ There can be no violence.
▢ One who would burn the tree.
▢ One who refuses to drink from it.
▢ Blasphemers must drink the blood.
▢ One who claims it's a dryad.
▢ One who can now see again.
▢ True believers cannot die.
▢ One who has had visions of it.
▢ One who speaks to it in dreams.
▢ Sacrifices will bring more blood.
▢ One who knows Selen.
▢ One who hoards the jars of sap.
6d | Resist the Sap
6d | Confront the Cult
4d | Explore the Roots
8d+8d | Chop It Down
✱ A taste does nothing
✱ Zealots strong near tree
✱ Maze-like passages
✱ Dryad protects it
◉ Urge: Just a Taste
◉ Chanting Crescendo
◉ Roots Shift
◉ Lashing Branches
◉ Urge: Just Once
◉ Ultimatem
◉ Horrid Whispers
◉ Flaming Blood
◉ Urge: DRINK!
◉ Kill the Weakest
◉ Horrid Stink
◉ Selen Emerges
✘ 4d Crack closes
✘ PC is consumed
✘ Even just one taste
MIX IT UP
The tree (not the dryad) controls the cult—felling it destroys the town—the tree is completely natural
130
CHAPTER 6
STORY KITS ◈
THE GRAND HUNT
Flyers are posted in every settlement
in the region.
A note found on a dead body ravaged
by one of the targeted beasts.
A rival brags that they'll be the one to
get the bounty—wait, bounty?
The warlock Lucius Morrow (secretive, notorious) has offered a prize for slaying five deadly beasts, a Major Treasure
for each and a Mythic Treasure for three or more. Backed by the Duke's personal guarantee, the bounty has
drawn rival hunter groups to the wilds. His reasons for wanting these trophies remain suspicious and unclear.
4d Rival Attack
4d Beast Taken Down
8d Warlock's Deadline
◉ Ambush on the road.
◉ Next beast is harder to find.
◉ All prize offers rescinded.
◉ Swoop in to steal your kill.
◉ Rivals fight each other.
◉ All groups punished.
◉ Set up a fake beast trick.
◉ New group joins the hunt.
◉ Fails to stop the goal below.
USEFUL PIECES
Lucius Morrow (secretive): Convinced
the duke this was best for the realm.
However, he is largely distrusted.
Duke Eldo (generous): Altruistically
wishes to rid the realm of the beasts.
▸ Offers aid to worthy hunters.
Conditions: Specific body part
must be brought back and you must
carry the following arcana.
▸ Court mage under a dead Baron.
▸ Sends his own son on the hunt.
▸ Scroll of Teleport back to the city.
▸ Rumors of dealings with demons.
▸ Adds reward for bringing down
▸ Tracking Orb to see your locations.
other beasts on the list below.
▸ List of Beasts Slain, to get updates.
▸ Has one skeletal hand.
SET IT UP
Rival Groups: Combine words from
both columns to make 6 groups.
▢ Arrogant
▢ Adventurers
Secret Motivations: Choose 1 goal
Lucius pursues and 1 they're determined to stop.
▢ Worthless
▢ Soldiers
▢ Their patron (pg. 74) demands it.
▢ Wyvern
▢ Dire shark
▢ Unscrupulous
▢ Dwarves
▢ Fulfill a horrible prophecy.
▢ Ettercap
▢ Yeti
▢ Gnomes
▢ Feed a cursed artifact.
▢ Behir
▢ Hydra
▢ Elves
▢ Release a bound demon.
▢ Dragon
▢ Remorhaz
▢ Halflings
▢ Hire mercenaries for a great task.
▢ Dislocation beast
▢ Desperate
▢ Bloodthirsty
▢ Mysterious
4d | Track Beast
8d | Ambush Rivals
◉ Confusing Trail
✱ On the lookout
◉ Cautious Looks
◉ You Are The Prey
✘ Beast sprints away
GAMEPLAY NOTES
▸ Every beast will be different, so look towards their
monster entries to set up the tracking and fights.
◉ Alert Scout
▸ The key to this story kit is to focus on the rivalries.
◉ Change Path
Antagonize the party with the other groups.
◉ Split Up
▸ If the PCs take a beast down, reset the beast taken
✘ Spotted early
MIX IT UP
Beasts: Choose 4 monsters with
known whereabouts and 1 nearly
impossible to find.
down pool and roll the deadline pool.
The monsters are the wizard's enemies—rival groups band together against the PCs—Duke joins the hunt
131
STORY KITS
SHACKLEMINE BREAKOUT
A tip-off arrives from the owner of
the caravan.
Mercenary contracts go out to escort a
caravan to the prison.
The artifact must be delivered in
person by the ones who found it.
In the mines beneath a dwarven prison, Primsley Watts (altruistic) serves their grim sentence. A priest of good
character, they were caught using a forbidden rite. The dwarves, bound by unyielding law, will not hear pleas or
bribes. Tonight, a caravan is bringing a rare artifact into the citadel, a rare chance to breach the prison’s defenses.
4d Mining Disaster
8d Gates Close
8d Fake Artifact Discovered
◉ Series of tunnel collapses.
◉ Door slams shut; no escape.
◉ Prison goes on a lockdown.
◉ Pocket of gas explodes.
◉ Prison lockdown imminent.
◉ Entire caravan arrested.
◉ Something growls in the deep.
◉ Guards none the wiser.
◉ Interrogators demand answers.
USEFUL PIECES
Warden Danin (orderly): one hundred years as Shacklemine warden.
Abandoned Tunnels: Long-forgotten passageways lying unused.
▸ Carries a keyring of magic keys.
Operational Tunnels: Where
most prisoners are taken for mining
operations.
▸ Complete loyalty from staff.
▸ Bustling with activity.
▸ Occasional skeleton found on the
▸ Has an intricate mapped model
▸ Recently hit rich veins.
of the prison in his chambers.
▸ Patrolled by hulking overseers.
▸ Walls etched with glowing runes.
floors, stripped to the bone.
▸ Movements along the ceiling.
SET IT UP
The Crime: Choose 1 obvious reason
Primsley performed the forbidden
rites and 1 they keep secret.
Prison Buddy: Choose 1 Primsley
won't leave without and 2 more that
ask you to take them with.
Other Things in Mines: Choose 1
that everyone knows are down here
and 1 that nobody knows about.
▢ To get into the prison.
▢ Priest, rightfully imprisoned.
▢ Explosives lining tunnel walls.
▢ To save a sick old friend.
▢ Young man with an injury.
▢ Abandoned temple to dark gods.
▢ To destroy the real artifact.
▢ Elf noble, long imprisoned.
▢ Streams of molten ore flowing.
▢ To save a village from plague.
▢ Mute bard with a haunted past.
▢ Mushroomfolk.
▢ To become closer to his god.
▢ Child thief with a face tattoo.
▢ Uncharted demon-infested tunnels.
6d | Hide In Wagons
4d | Locate Prisoner
8d | Convince Primsley
8d | Evade Pursuit
✱ Careful scrutiny
✱ Many, many tunnels
✱ Wants to take friend(s)
✱ Footsteps echo loudly
◉ Crates Shift
✱ Loyal guards
◉ Naivety
◉ Busy Tunnel
◉ Unloading Goods
◉ Incorrect Cell
◉ Acceptance
◉ Primsley Collapses
◉ Sniffing Dogs
◉ Trapped Lock
◉ Won't Break Law
◉ Hunted by Beast
✘ Make a noise
◉ Prisoner Rotation
✘ Primsley calls guards
✘ Gates shut
✘ You're noticed
MIX IT UP
Primsley is actually a heinous criminal—the warden seeks out Primsley—the mine often delves too deep
132
CHAPTER 6
STORY KITS ◈
PIRATES OF BLIGHTWATER
Orc flag and ragged sails spotted
across the waters.
The ooze is the last anchor for the
complex ritual.
Orc recruiters approach adventurers
about opportunities in piracy.
Blightwater—a vast, glistening lake tainted by the deadly black ooze known as the Blight. While locals have
learned to avoid its dangers, orc marauders in ramshackle boats now prowl the waters, attacking ships and
rousing the Blight into a ravenous frenzy. All signs suggest the orcs are preparing to raid larger targets soon.
4d Ship Raided
4d Town Raided
4d Night of Black Sails
◉ Guildleader kidnapped.
◉ Leadership kidnapped.
◉ Each town on the lake burns.
◉ Ship burned to the waterline.
◉ Town reduced to embers.
◉ Each ship on the lake sunk.
◉ Blight-scarred survivor returns.
◉ Town established as orc base.
◉ Orcs get their fill of piracy.
USEFUL PIECES
Blight: A black jelly (pg. 109) that
splits into more black jellies.
The Lake: A vast, cursed expanse
riddled with peril.
▸ Older than the lake itself.
Pirate Armada: A fleet of terror,
bound by Blight and blood. Besides
the flagship and small ships, also:
▸ Hungers endlessly to grow larger.
▸ Blackwake (stealthy, Blight-infused)
▸ Haven (mobile pirate home isle)
▸ The ancient Blightking (colossal, cun-
▸ Reaver's Pride (human deserters)
▸ Blightstone (rocky isle of blight jellies)
▸ Deepspike (ramming ship, reckless crew)
▸ Ash Cove (dragon's smoky lair)
ning) lurks in the deep.
▸ The Maw (huge, moving whirlpool)
SET IT UP
Party's Ship: The PCs have or are
given a vessel. Choose (or the PCs
choose) 3 it is and 1 it definitely isn't.
Krag Blacktide (cultured): Choose 3
she is known for, and 1 that's really
a big facade.
Darkfang: Choose 2 the orc flagship has, and 1 they're adding to it.
▢ Fast but barely afloat.
▢ Well-loved, well-hated.
▢ Fueled by Blight alchemy.
▢ Ballista prone to misfire.
▢ Brilliant tactician, reckless streak.
▢ Cursed kraken figurehead.
▢ Gnome-crafted gadget rigging.
▢ Superstitious trinket hoarder.
▢ Hidden arsenal of firepower.
▢ Sentient, whispers to crew.
▢ Wields Blightclaw, greataxe.
▢ Deck swarming with Blightspawn.
▢ Seems to attract the Blight.
▢ Fueled by unrelenting grudges.
▢ Sails of magical shadow.
▢ Armored, iron-spiked hull.
8d | Escape Blight
8d | Orcish Junksloops
8d+8d+8d | Darkfang
6d | Broker Peace
✱ Slow, but devious
✱ Crew of 10
✱ Crew of 50
✱ Demand too much
✱ Blight lingers in path
✱ Fast, unpredictable
◉ Can't Breathe
◉ Harpoon the Sails
◉ Unleash Hell
◉ No Common Ground
◉ Can't Swim
◉ Evasive Maneuver
◉ Orc-a-pults
◉ Betrayed by Ally
◉ Can't See
◉ Blight-Oiled Rigs
✘ 4d Suffocate
MIX IT UP
◉ War Drums
✱ No common language
◉ Miscommunication
Create a linked challenge!
✘ Boarded by pirates
✘ Talks collapse
Blight controlled by the orcs—pirates want to contain the blight—Blacktide is a Blightspawn
133
STORY KITS
THE THORNWATCH
The sounds of bitter words cuts
through the thicket.
Arriving to be inducted into the
Thornwatch, nothing but chaos.
A lesser knight sends word that the
briarwoods are unwatched.
In the shadow of the twisted briarwoods, where unspeakable beasts claw their way into the world, the Thornwatch falters. Their leader is dead, leaving a shattered order behind. A bitter rivalry has formed as two knights
vie for control. Now, swords are drawn in the glade, voices raised, and the order teeters on the brink of collapse.
4d Enough Talk
6d Pure Violence
8d Schism
◉ Words devolve into fistfights.
◉ Candidates clash in a duel.
◉ Half the Thornwatch desert.
◉ Duel between 2 factions called.
◉ All-out battle to the death.
◉ Briarwoods devours the glade.
◉ Sacred oaths are shattered.
◉ Briarwoods beasts spotted.
◉ "Nobody leaves—nobody."
USEFUL PIECES
The Thorned Sentinel: A thorn
golem (pg. 103), eternally bound to
the glade and the order.
Knight's Grimoire: A weathered
tome containing rituals and secrets
of the Thornwatch.
Factions: The fractured Thornwatch,
splintered into bitter rivalries.
▸ Dark energy pulses as tensions rise.
▸ Forbidden rites for dire times.
▸ Reformers, radical new vision.
▸ Revered as holy by the knights.
▸ Written half in cryptic symbols.
▸ Faithful, believe this is a religion.
▸ Knows the glade's entire history.
▸ Held by Kaela Shenmoore.
▸ Old Guard, staunch traditionalists.
SET IT UP
Simis Terana (loose morals): A flawed
idealist. Choose 1 truth and 2 deceptions used to protect his position.
Erynda Bluehair (cunning, always scheming): Choose 2 truths and 1 secret she
fervently denies.
Kaela Shenmoore (seasoned warrior):
Choose 1 truth and 2 rumors that
shadow her path.
▢ Knows a secret about order's origin.
▢ Bears the heir medallion.
▢ Involved in a past betrayal.
▢ Wields cursed sword, Thorneater.
▢ Struck dark deal with briarwoods.
▢ Influences others though visions.
▢ Holds blackmail on key members.
▢ Plots to dismantle the Thornwatch.
▢ Speaks with the Thorned Sentinel.
▢ Previously second-in-command.
▢ Gathers loyalist spies.
▢ Turned down leadership before.
▢ Has divine visions.
▢ Bringing in outsider mercenaries.
▢ Has friends in the briarwoods.
4d | Calm Everyone
8d | Assassination
6d | Hold a Vote
8d | Expose the Truth
✱ Old grudges
✱ Leaders protected
✱ Rigged ballots
✱ Hidden alliances
◉ Voices Raised
◉ Fast Response
✱ Vocal opposition
✱ Suspicion everywhere
◉ Strike Peacekeeper
◉ Watchful Eyes
◉ Bribery
◉ Shift the Blame
◉ Go Too Far
◉ Pure Happenstance
◉ Contesting Votes
◉ Blatantly Lie
◉ Hard Looks
◉ Threaten
✘ Blood spilled
MIX IT UP
Old leader returns, alive from the Thornwood—sentinel holds the leader's soul—sentinel is dead, too
134
CHAPTER 6
STORY KITS ◈
THE STARVING GOD-THING
Visions arrive from an angry,
forgotten god.
Every field in the area seems to have
withered to nothing.
Villagers said the pit was nothing to
worry about—they were wrong.
The pit lay silent, its hunger long denied. Once, sacrifices fed the god-thing within, ensuring prosperity. When
the offerings ceased, so did the blessings. Now, three generations later, famine grips the land, crops wither, and
livestock fall dead without cause. From the pit’s depths, guttural echoes rise. The god-thing awakens, ravenous.
4d Whispers of Madness
2d Horrific Signs
8d Awakening
◉ Villager succumbs to the voices.
◉ Crops rot instantly on touch.
◉ The pit expands through town.
◉ Dreams leave villagers sleepless.
◉ Riverbed cracks dry overnight.
◉ The god crawls out of the pit.
◉ Della sacrifices self to the pit.
◉ Livestock turned inside-out.
◉ Shadowy tendrils drag all in.
USEFUL PIECES
Elder Grevor (haunted): A very old
priest, once a child when the feedings first stopped.
Havran Coil (pathological liar): A madman who jumped into the pit and
climbed out, though tale shifts.
Thelis Sorn (charismatic): Outsider,
claims to understand the god’s hunger.
▸ Knows the god's true name.
▸ Says there's nothing down there.
▸ Keeps a locked tome in temple.
▸ Doesn't hear any voices.
▸ Obsessed with pit's potential.
▸ Secretly feeds goats to the pit.
▸ Isn't preparing for something big.
▸ Speaks cryptically, but hopefully.
▸ Wields a staff carved with eldritch
runes of power.
SET IT UP
Forgotten Blessings: Choose 1
true blessing the fed god bestowed
before and 2 false hopes.
Bottom of the Pit: What truly lies
at the bottom of the pit. Choose 2
and smash them together.
Pit Details: Choose 4 eerie features
that send shivers down your spine.
▢ Wrong echoes
▢ Endless dark
▢ Ensures bountiful harvests.
▢ Kobold tribe, recently arrived.
▢ Cryptic runes
▢ Dripping ichor
▢ Raises the dead, at a steep price.
▢ Slumbering, actual god-thing.
▢ Foul stench
▢ Phantom lights
▢ Extends life for great sacrifice.
▢ Mortal beast playing divine.
▢ Moving walls
▢ Twisting roots
▢ Shields village from marauders.
▢ Nothing, it is but an illusion.
▢ Crawling mist
▢ Chittering
▢ Takes on the pain of the dying.
▢ Gateway to a horrific realm.
▢ Glowing eyes
▢ Strange heat
4d | Save the Fields
4d | Decipher Tome
8d | Protect Grevor
6d | Destroy Havran
✱ Ritual rites
✱ Ancient coded script
✱ Mob justice coming
✱ The god's avatar
✱ Anchors required
◉ Unbelievable Clues
✱ Is actually guilty
✱ Belly is a huge maw
◉ Storm Rolls In
◉ False Reading
◉ Sound Arguments
◉ Holy Tentacles
◉ Howling Winds
◉ Shifting Script
◉ Pointy Pitchforks
◉ Devour Whole
✘ 4d Give up
◉ Flaming Torches
◉ Control Zealots
✘ Grevor grows defiant
✘ 6d Feeds and morphs
◉ Violent Tremors
MIX IT UP
Isn't evil, sacrifices just food—Grevor is the god-thing—god-thing protects them from worse below
135
STORY KITS
EXTRAS ◈
CHAPTER 7
EXTRAS
FLAVORS OF FANTASY
With a few quick rules tweaks, you can shift the
base assumptions of Grimwild over to other genres
of fantasy, or just more to your table's liking.
HEROIC FANTASY
Inspirational and adventurous, with a focus on
self-discovery and the hero's journey.
GRIMDARK
◆ Default Grimwild rules.
Bleak, brutal, and unforgiving. A world of moral ambiguity, harsh realities, and the constant threat of ruin.
NOBLEBRIGHT
◆ PCs can't cast potent spells.
Optimistic, hopeful, and virtuous. Good triumphs over
evil, and the world can be made better.
◆ Make a 1d story roll when dropped.
◆ Marks only clear on rest.
◆ PCs begin at 2nd level with 1 minor arcana.
◆ Vex responses are random.
◆ Make a 3d story roll when dropped.
◆ Bonds rolled randomly.
◆ Default harm is a mark.
◆ Each PC has a 4d Supplies resource pool.
◆ Rattled healing rolled after any intense scene.
◆ Social fallout from vex responses heightened.
LOW FANTASY
BUY GRIMWILD TO
HIGH FANTASY
Grounded, often more cynical or realistic.
Small-scale
UNLOCK
THIS CHAPTER
conflicts, limited or absent magic.
Epic and grand, often with a sense of wonder. Cosmic
◆ PCs can't cast potent spells.
conflicts, destinies, and large-scale battles.
◆ Make a 1d story roll when dropped.
◆ PCs begin at 3rd level with 2 minor arcana or
1 major arcana.
◆ Emphasis placed on vigilance, especially hint.
◆ Mooks and toughs require no roll to take out.
◆ Social fallout from vex responses increased.
◆ Carry 4 + Brawn items. Small, 1/2 slot. Big, 2+ slots.
COZY FANTASY
SWORDS & SORCERY
Wholesome, heartwarming, and low-stakes. Focused
on friendship, personal growth, and simple joys in a
magical world.
Adventurous, action-packed, and often pulpy. Glory,
treasure hunting, and survival in dangerous worlds.
◆ Default is low risk. Medium must be declared.
◆ No spellcasting PCs allowed.
◆ Default harm is a mark.
◆ Make a 1d story roll when dropped.
◆ PCs only die when the player agrees.
◆ Roll healing after intense scenes and carousing.
◆ XP only earned if one of your bonds changed
◆ Vex happens more often, but social fallout
or arcs finished that session.
from vex responses is lessened.
◆ Each PC has a 4d Renown campaign timer.
137
EXTRAS