A D20-Based Roleplaying Game for Fire Emblem

ELH
VERSION 1.0A 12/01/18
Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................................ 2
Ch 1: Basic Mechanics ......................................................................................................................................................... 4
Ch 2: Creating Characters ................................................................................................................................................... 8
Ch 3: Talents...................................................................................................................................................................... 13
Ch 4: Combat..................................................................................................................................................................... 18
Ch 5: Armory ..................................................................................................................................................................... 24
Ch 6: Supporting Characters ............................................................................................................................................. 26
Ch 7: Character Advances ................................................................................................................................................. 27
Ch 8: Example Adventure .................................................................................................................................................. 28
Afterword .......................................................................................................................................................................... 30
Hello there! My name is ELH (or EGMH if you prefer) and I’m excited to bring you a simplified set of roleplaying rules for
use with the Fire Emblem setting. My goal with this system is to provide an easy way to handle both roleplay and
combat without the need for any advanced math or constant recalculations. For this purpose, I’ve cannibalized an
existing d20 system I know very well: Star Trek Adventures by Modiphius Entertainment, as well as taking notes from
Fire Emblem Heroes (no BST here though!) It’s a little bit more work up front learning the rules, but once you’ve got the
basics down everything else is quick and painless. No calculators needed here!

This is one of my first attempts at creating a system. There will be mistakes and possible balance problems, especially as
this is an Alpha Version. As time and interest permits, I’ll be providing fixes and updates based on community feedback.
Above all else I hope you have fun! And yes, I realize the irony of calling this a “simplified ruleset” for a PDF of 20+
pages.

concern their main character and to facilitate different

Fire Emblem is a fantasy tactical role-playing game
franchise developed by Intelligent Systems and
published by Nintendo. The very first game came out in
1990 and the series has persisted to this day. All of the
games take place within a Medievel or Renaissance-
themed time period, with the main protagonist, usually
a member of royalty, caught in conflict across a
continent.
A recurring element in all of the games is the titular Fire
Emblem. It is an object with magical powers, ranging
from a shield insert with five magical gems to an actual
sword. Other magical elements, including feuding gods,
spellcasting, and mystical creatures such as dragons and
shape-shifters are also present.
To begin your adventure it is recommended that you
assemble the following before you begin:
personalities/abilities than their main character.
One Player takes on the role of the Gamemaster (GM).
Typically they are the host of the game, and are
responsible for setting the scenes, describing the
environment, keeping track of the story’s direction, and
presenting the dramatic scenes and puzzles that the
Players will encounter. They also act as the characters
that are not controlled by the Players (Non-Player
Characters, or NPCs for short) whether those are
adversaries, commanding officers, or even Supporting
Characters depending on the circumstances.
The GM also acts as a referee and judge for the rules of
the game. They not only run the game but ensure the
game is fun, fair, and exciting. If at any point the rules
come into question then GM has the final say on how
the rules are applied. A GM must be fair and listen to
the Players to make sure everyone is enjoying the game.
Being a GM can be challenging, but a rewarding one.
Additional advice for GMing can be found later on here.

You can’t have a game without Players. One of these

Players will be the Gamemaster (see below) while 1 to 5
Every Player needs a character. Chapter 2 presents all
other players will take on the roles of the Player
the information Players need to create new characters.
Characters. The Players work together, just like heads of
an army, to face challenges that the Gamemaster puts
before them. It is possible to play with more than five
Players but this tends to limit how much time each Fire Emblem Simplified Tabletop (FEST) uses two
Player gets to share the spotlight. common types of dice found in most hobby and game
stores. These are twenty-sided dice (d20) and six-sided
As heads of an army, each Player can control up to four
dice (d6). Ideally each Player and the GM should have
other characters known as Supporting Characters. This
two or more d20s. These d20s are used for many
allows Players to stay active when scenes do not
different things, including attempting Tasks and
determining results from tables. A good amount of d6s
to have on hand is four or more for the group. These
d6s are used to determine the effectiveness of attempts
such as when causing or resisting damage.

The Players will need six counters to track Momentum

points, while the GM will need a dozen or more for the
Threat pool. Each of these resources is described later
in the rules.

Fire Emblem maps are typically set out in a grid-like

fashion. While you can do things purely in the theatre of
the mind, it’s recommended that you have some visual
form of keeping track of unit positions. Graph paper, an
erasable mat, and even Roll20 are all good options for
this.

When a Player decides to do something they may or not
succeed at they will need to roll some dice. They look at
their character sheet and determine an Attribute and a
Discipline that best fits the situation. The GM can
provide guidance in this matter if a Player is unsure.
Attributes and Disciplines have scores that define how
capable the character is at various actions.
The Player then rolls two d20s (sometimes more
depending on the situation) and checks to see if any
dice roll less than or equal to the combined score of
their chosen Attribute and Discipline. This is commonly
abbreviated as the Target Number (TN). Each dice
below the TN counts as a success. The more difficult the
action, the more successes are needed to accomplish
the task. Rolling too high on the dice means failure and
perhaps complications. A result of 1 on the d20 counts
as two successes, also known as a crit. A result of 20 is
considered a Complication.
Example: Hector is attempting to attack an axe-wielding
brigand. He combines his Daring and Offense scores for
a TN of 13. He then rolls and achieves a result of a 3 and
a 14. The 3 counts as one success while the 14 does not
count for anything.
When determining damage and how much a protection
a character receives from armor or cover, d6s are used
against the following table:
1 1
2 2
3 0
4 0
5 1, plus Effect
6 1, plus Effect
Effects can be used to trigger special outcomes, such as
extra damage, armor piercing, and so forth.
Example: Hector hits a brigand with his signature
weapon, Armads. He rolls 8d6 for damage, rolling 1, 2,
4, 4, 5, 5, 1, and 6. This totals up to 7 damage plus 3
Effects.
A variety of circumstances allow a character to re-roll
one or more dice. When re-rolling the Player chooses
the number of dice to re-roll. They then roll these dice
and the new result replaces the original score, even if
they’re worse than the original results. You may always
choose not to re-roll a die if you wish to keep that
result.
A character has Focuses in addition to Attributes and
Disciplines. These Focuses do not have a specific rating
of their own and instead represent specialized training
and practical experience in specific fields. If a Focus
applies to a Task then any dice rolling under the
character’s Discipline counts as a crit.
Example: Hector continues to attack the brigand. His TN
remains a 13 but this time he rolls a 2 and a 5. Since he
has an Offense score of 2, that means he’s achieved a
total of 3 successes!
When the GM calls for a Task, they set a Difficulty for
that Task. Most Tasks have a basic difficulty of 1, though
more routine or straight-forward Tasks may have a
Difficulty of 0, and more complex or challenging Tasks
will have higher Difficulties up to a maximum of 5. A
player must achieve a number of successes equal to the
Difficulty in order to succeed on the Task. The GM
should tell the Players this Difficulty so they can
determine what they’ll need to do to have the best
chance of success.
Advantages are circumstances that typically decrease
the difficulty of a task. Complications are the reverse,
typically increasing the difficulty of a task.
There are several ways a character to improve their
chances of success by buying additional d20s to roll on a
Task. These extra dice always come with a cost, and
which options a character chooses depends entirely
upon what cost they are willing and able to pay.
  Momentum – A single point of Momentum
adds one bonus d20 to a Task. The second
bonus d20 costs 2 Momentum and the third
costs 3.
 Threat – Threat is spent in the same way as
Momentum, only that each point spent adds to
the GM’s Threat Pool.
 Determination – When spending
Determination, the character adds a single
bonus d20 to the Task that is automatically
considered as having rolled a 1 (therefore
achieving two successes automatically).
Determination may only be spent in certain
circumstances.
 Talents – Some Talents that a character may
have grant them bonus d20 in specific
circumstances. These extra dice cost nothing
other than the correct situation to use, but they
still count towards the number of bonus d20s
that can be purchased.
A Player cannot roll more than five d20s at a time.
Bonus dice bought with Determination or Talents are
applied before any can be bought with Momentum or
Threat.
Example: Hector is attempting to climb a mountain
while wearing heavy armor. The GM sets the Difficulty
of this task at 3. As Hector does not have a Focus that
applies to the situation, his odds of success are low. He
decides to spend a momentum so that he can roll 3d20s
instead of the usual 2.
Example: Hector is attempting to bind a wound of his
friend, Roy. The GM sets the Difficulty of this task at 4.
Hector calls upon his Determination to ensure he starts
with two successes. He then buys two more dice with
five momentum (2 for the first and 3 for the second) so
that he’s rolling 4d20.
When a character attempts a Task and achieves a
greater number of successes than the Difficulty, then
these excess successes become Momentum.
Momentum is a shared resource pool among all Players
that they may call upon to improve a Task’s outcome,
make achieving a Task easier, or stored for later. The
maximum amount of Momentum the Players may store
is 6. Any Momentum past this cap is lost after the
current Task is resolved, meaning a Player may want to
spend that floating Momentum!
Each mission resets the Momentum Pool to 0.
Momentum only comes from action.
Example: Hector is still attacking that brigand. He rolls
an amazing two 1’s in a row, achieving four total
successes. As melee attacks have a Base Difficulty of 1,
this means he’s able to bank three Momentum for the
group!
NPCs do not save Momentum. Instead they add to the
GM’s Threat Pool. They can then spend from this Threat
Pool in the same manner as the Players. Threat is
covered in more detail in its own section
Common uses for Momentum include:
 Creating an Advantage – Spending two
Momentum establishes some new Advantage in
addition to whatever effect the successful Task
had. This Advantage must relate to the nature
of Task attempted, and must be something that
could logically result from the character’s
actions. This can be used to create a
Complication on an enemy or to remove a
Complication in play.
 Create Opportunity – Essentially the process of
buying additional d20s for a Task. This decision
must be made before the dice are rolled.
 Obtain Information – Each point of Momentum
spent on a successful Task can be used to ask
the GM a single question about the current
situation, or an item, object, structure,
creature, or character present in the scene. The
GM must answer this truthfully but does not
have to give complete information.
Threat is used by the GM to alter scenes, empower
NPCs, and generally making things more perilous. It’s a
means of building tension, as the larger the Threat pool
grows the more likely something will endanger or
challenge the Player Characters. The GM should keep
their Threat total a secret at all times in order to
preserve the mystery to the Players.
A GM begins play with two Threat for each Player
usually, though this can be modified at the GM’s
discretion based on the mission at hand.
As noted before, Threat typically comes from either
Player action or NPC success. It also comes from the
following sources:
 Complications – If a character suffers one or
more Complications on a Task, they or the GM
may choose to add two to the Threat pool
instead of letting the Complication take effect.
 Threatening Circumstances – Certain
environments and NPCs will automatically add
one or Threat to the pool. Additionally, the use
of certain weapons by the Players also adds to
Threat as noted in their profile.
Threat may be spent in the following ways:
 NPC Momentum – A NPC may use Threat in all
the ways a Player Character uses Momentum.
 NPC Threat Spends – Any action or choice that
would mean a Player Character adding one or
more points to Threat as undertaken by an NPC
must spend the equivalent number of Threat.
 NPC Complications – An NPC can spend two
threat to ignore a complication it has rolled.
 Complication – The GM may create a
complication by spending two Threat.
 Reinforcements – The GM may bring in
additional NPCs during a scene. Minor NPCs
cost one threat apiece, while notable NPCs cost
two.
 Environmental Effects – The GM may trigger or
cause problems with the environment by
spending two threat.
A character’s Values can drive them to achieve more
than they might have done otherwise. Whenever a
character is attempting a Task in which one of their
Values would be called into play, they may spend one
point of Determination.
A point of Determination may be spent to:
 Auto-Crit – Add a single bonus d20 to any roll
that automatically counts as rolling a 1, thus
generating two successes. This must be done
prior to rolling the dice pool.
 Re-Roll – Re-roll all the character’s dice in their
dice pool
 Action Surge – The character may immediately
perform another Task. This is most useful in
combat and other situations where the
character is under pressure.
 Create Advantage – The character immediately
creates an Advantage that applies to the
current scene.
All players start each session with a single point of
Determination. If a character is in a situation where one
of their Values would make the situation more
complicated or difficult, the GM can offer the Player
one Determination in exchange for suffering a
Complication. The Player does not have to accept this
offer and can also make an offer of their own to the
GM.
An extra point of Determination can also be gained by
Challenging a Value once per mission. In a situation
where a character’s Values are sorely tested, they may
choose to challenge a Value. This Value is then crossed
out and cannot be used until the end of the Mission. At
that time the character must alter the Challenged Value
to reflect the challenge to character’s beliefs or outright
replace it with another.
Things don’t always happen as expected. When
attempting a Task, each d20 that rolls a 20 creates a
Complication. This Complication comes into play once
the Task has been resolved.
A Complication is a fact about the scene or situation
that is inherently negative. This does not prevent a
character from succeeding, but might impede later
activities or make matters inconvenient, painful, or
even embarrassing. The normal effect of a Complication
is to increase the Difficulty of all related Tasks by 1.
The GM can increase the Complication range of a given
Task by spending two Threat. The GM then decides how
big this range is given the situation according to the
following table:
1 20
2 19 to 20
3 18 to 20
4 17 to 20
5 16 to 20
Some Tasks can’t really be failed outright. Rather,
there’s uncertainty as to whether the Task can be
completed without problems. In such an event, the GM
may allow characters to Succeed at Cost. This means
that even a failed Task still allows the Task to be
successful, at the cost of one automatic Complication to
the character.
Example: Eliwood rolls a 18 and 20 on a Task to forage
for food. This Difficulty 0 Task succeeds at cost, meaning
he still finds a meal. It just takes quite a bit of time. As a
result, he’s exhausted when he returns to camp and
suffers an increased complication range of 2 until he
gets some rest!
Advantages are the counterpart to Complications. They
generally are something about a scene or situation that
is inherently positive. The normal effect of an
Advantage is to decrease the Difficulty of all related
Tasks by 1. An Advantage may also make a previously-
impossible Task now possible.
 Both Character succeed – Compare the total
Momentum generated on each character’s
Task. The Character with the higher Momentum
wins and achieves their goal, but loses one
Momentum for each Momentum their
opponent scored. In case of a tie, the active
character wins but loses all Momentum they
generated.
A character may assist another if the situation allows.
The Player must describe how their character is
assisting the Task’s leader to the GM. If the GM agrees,
then each assistant rolls a single 1d20 against their own
TN and using their own Focus. So long as the Task
leader achieves at least one success, all successes
generated by the assistants count towards the Task.
Assistants’ dice can generate Complications as normal.
Assistants do not have to use the same Attribute,
Discipline, or Focus as any other character involved in
the Task. Assistants may only ever roll 1d20 while
assisting.

Sometimes a character will be trying to best an

opponent. These situations typically call for an Opposed
Task. With each Opposed Task there is an Active
Character and a Reactive Character. The former is the
character attempting to do something, while the latter
is the one seeking to resist or avoid the former’s
attempts.
Both characters attempt the Task normally, usually at a
base Difficulty of 1. Depending on the circumstances,
each character may have a different Difficultly for their
respective Tasks.
Game sessions are also referred to as “adventures” and
“missions” throughout this PDF. They represent the
entire time you spend at the table, virtually or
otherwise. Every adventure has a sub-set of “scenes.”
These scenes are notable changes in the situation, such
as when Combat breaks up or when arriving in a new
town for the first time. It’s meant to break up the
narrative into smaller chunks and define when a given
bit of RP is over.

The four outcomes of this are as follows:

 Active Character succeeds, Reactive Character

Fails – The active character achieves their goal
and their Task is successful
 Active Character fails, Reactive Character
succeeds – The active character fails to achieve
their goal and the reactive character’s Task is
resolved.
 Both Characters fail – Essentially, nothing
happens.

Each character is represented by several elements that
collectively serve to depict how that individual interacts
with the world, both in game terms and in story terms.
These elements are Attributes, Disciplines, Focuses,
Values, and Talents. Together they paint a picture of
who the character is, what they’re good at, and how
they view the world around them
Attributes embody a character’s physical and mental
capabilities. These attributes are Control, Daring,
Fitness, Insight, Presence, and Reason. Each attribute
has a rating which determines its measure, with higher
numbers reflecting greater ability. This rating ranges
from 7 to 12 for humanoids, with 8 representing
average capabilities. Non-humanoids may have a
broader range.
Control is about the character controlling themselves. It
covers precision, accuracy, and careful timing. A
character may use Control...
 ...when performing precise or delicate work
 ...when performing a Task that involves precise
timing or accuracy
 ...when giving detailed instructions
 ...to resist mental assault, duress, or other
stressful situations through an orderly mind and
discipline.
Daring is used whenever a character reacts to a new
situation without doubt, hesitation, or caution. A
character may use Daring...
 ...when responding to an emergency
 ...when attempting to evade or resist some
form of immediate danger
 ...when acting aggressively
 ...when acting based on instinct
 ...to resist mental assault, fear, or panic through
stubbornness and defiance
Fitness is about endurance and employing force. A
character may use Fitness...
 ...when attempting to employ raw physical
force to a situation
 ...when performing some strenuous or tiring
physical activity
 ...when trying to resist or act despite the effect
of some physically debilitating condition such as
poisoning, disease, and environmental
extremes.
Insight is about understanding people and their feelings,
as well as being open to different ideas and ways of
thinking. A character may use Insight...
 ...when attempting to understand the feelings
of another creature (including people)
 ...when trying to determine how another
creature might think or act, to anticipate or
predict its actions
 ...when trying to overcome their own
judgements and preconceptions
 ...when attempting to calm or reassure others
 ...when allowing past experiences and instinct
to discern changes in the environment around
them.
Presence is the power of personality and the ability to
command attention or respect. A character may use
Presence...
 ...to sway the mood or opinion of others
through emotive language and rhetoric
 ...when trying to keep others calm and focused
during a stressful situation
 ...when resisting duress or manipulation by
others by maintaining a strong sense of self
 ...to present a specific appearance or demeanor
to others
 ...when seeking to capture and command
attention through speech and behavior
Reason is about logic and meticulous analysis. A
character may use Reason...
  ...to study and analyze some unfamiliar
phenomenon and come to a hypothesis about it
 ...to research a complicated subject or
otherwise interpret large amounts of
information
 ...when trying to sway the opinion of others
through facts and logic
 ...to use observation and rational thought to
anticipate and discern changes in the
environment around them
In addition to the six Attributes, each character is
trained in six Disciplines. Each Discipline is rated from 0
to 5, with all main characters having at least 1 in every
Discipline.
Discipline Score Meaning
0 Untrained, unskilled
1 Basic Training, Rudimentary Skill
2 Professional competence
3 Experienced and well-trained
4 Excellence within the field
5 Exceptional and note-worthy
The six Disciplines are Command, Conn, Medicine,
Science, Offense, and Defense.
Command covers a wide range or interpersonal
interactions, as well as discipline and resisting coercion
either alone or helping others.
A character might use Command with...
 Control to carefully and precisely coordinate a
group of subordinates, or to give detailed
orders.
 Daring to make split-second command
decisions, or to resist fear or coercion
 Fitness to coach and guide others performing
the same physical activity, or to coordinate a
group all performing related physical activities
 Insight to judge the mood and morale of a
group of subordinates, or to try and assuage
the fears of a group.
 Presence to rally or inspire others during a
difficulty situation, or to command the
attention and respect of someone hostile.
 Reason to consider and evaluate the orders
given by a superior, or to find a solution to a
difficult diplomatic or legal situation.
Conn covers navigation, both on the ground and over
water, and an understanding of the terrain, weather,
and continent in general.
A character might use Conn with...
 Control to direct a group through a difficult
environment
 Daring to perform extreme or unorthodox
maneuvers across the battlefield
 Fitness to move quickly and effectively across
terrain
 Insight to judge the nature or intent of an
approaching army or individual
 Presence to maintain professional decorum and
etiquette or to argue effectively over a course
of action
 Reason to plot a course through treacherous
terrain or determine the location of someone
else based on available information
Medicine is the understanding of the physical and
mental makeup of living beings. It is also used when
healing someone with a staff.
A character might use Medicine with...
 Control to perform surgery, talk someone else
through giving medical attention, or use a staff
 Daring to provide emergency care on someone
who is in imminent danger of death, or when
resisting fear/panic to protect a patient
 Fitness to resist the effects of poisons,
diseases, and exposure to the elements, or to
move/restrain a patient without injuring them
further
 Insight to diagnose a patient’s illness or injury
from a description of the symptoms, or to
provide therapy care for a patient who is
traumatized or otherwise distressed
  Presence to impress upon a stubborn or
unwilling patient how serious their condition is
and how necessary treatment is
 Reason to diagnose a patient’s illness or injury
from a thorough examination, or to research
and unknown disease, procedure, or treatment
Science is the understanding of both scientific theory
and its practical applications. This covers both “hard”
sciences as well as social sciences and doctrines of war.
A character might use Science with...
 Control to perform a delicate experiment or
talk someone else through a complex procedure
 Daring to devise a solution to a scientific
problem without proof or adequate testing, or
to gather data/perform an experiment under
hazardous conditions
 Fitness to correctly analyze information while
fatigued or to effectively resist the effects of
radiation or other environmental phenomena
by knowing how to protect against them
 Insight to gain useful data from witnesses or
subjects of a study, or devise a working
hypothesis from incomplete information
 Presence to explain an extremely complex
scientific problem or solution to someone with
less knowledge, or to argue the merits of a
theory with another scientist.
 Reason to form a hypothesis from available
information, or performing research on an
unfamiliar subject
Offense is the use of force during combat as well as
stealth, interrogation, and intimidation. It also is used to
calculate how many d6 to roll for damage.
A character might use Security with...
 Control to attack an enemy from a distance, or
to stay unseen or unnoticed when moving
 Daring to attack in melee combat or to scare or
intimidate someone with the threat of violence
 Fitness to restrain an unwilling prisoner, or to
climb or swim in difficult circumstances
 Insight to judge whether an individual is a
threat to you or your allies
 Presence to interrogate someone or to impress
upon someone the danger of a course of action
or decision
 Reason to devise a plan for a dangerous
situation, including combat, infiltration, or some
combination thereof
Defense is the use of skill and knowledge during combat
as well as in-depth knowledge of weaponry, combat
styles, and strategy. It also is used to calculate Stress,
Armor Rating, and Resistance Rating.
A character might use Defense with...
 Control to defend from a ranged attack or move
through a certain combat form
 Daring to defend in melee combat or attempt
to use an opponent’s strength/speed/etc.
against them
 Fitness to move quickly while in heavy armor or
to goad one’s steed into charging the enemy
 Insight to discern if there is the potential for an
ambush or a trap
 Presence to impress upon someone the futility
of attacking you
 Reason to identify the participants of a battle
by studying the aftermath, or to come up with a
viable battle plan against superior numbers
Focuses allow a character to demonstrate talent,
specialization, and the kind of expertise that comes
from deeper study and practical experiences. They are
not tied to any specific Discipline and thus can be
applied to any Task a character attempts so long as the
Focus would logically apply.
Main characters will have four focuses, and they are
encouraged to create their own. They should be
narrower than the six Disciplines but not so narrow that
they will never come up in play. A focus may also cover
Tasks covering more than one Discipline.
Example focuses include:
Armor Care, Axe Combat, Botany, Bow Use, Composure,
Daggers, Dark Magic, Diplomacy, Dragon Veins,
Emergency Medicine, Espionage, Foraging, Geology,
Infectious Diseases, Infiltration, Interrogation, Lance
Combat, Military Formations, Persuasion, Philosophy,
Poisons, Shapeshifters, Staff Use, Survival, Sword
Combat, Unorthodox Tactics
Talents are additional benefits that a character
possesses that define areas of specialty, the advantages
of their personal approach to circumstances, and other
decisive abilities. These typically take the form of a
bonus such as extra d20s, re-rolls, bonus Momentum,
and so on that apply when the character is performing a
type of Task or taking a certain approach. They also
provide weapon training so that a character can use a
specific type of weapon or staff.
Many Talents have one or more specific Requirements.
A large selection of Talents is covered in its own chapter
starting on Page 13.
All players start by creating their very own Lord.
Creating a Lord is fairly straightforward. It consists of
several steps:
1. Choosing a character’s Role
2. Assigning the character’s Attributes
3. Assigning the character’s Disciplines
4. Choosing a Single Value
5. Choosing six Focuses
6. Choosing one Weapon Talent
7. Choosing one Talent that the character qualifies
for
8. Deriving additional characteristics
9. Begin Play!
’ The Player chooses one additional Talent that their Lord
First and foremost, the Player should determine what
kind of role they intend their character to fill within the
group. Are they a cunning tactician commanding from
the backline? Or maybe they’re a frontline fighter?
Perhaps even a powerful mage? It’s best if the Players
are able to diversify their roles but there’s nothing
stopping them from playing all the same role.
The Player starts by assigning a score of 7 to each
Attribute. They then can add a total of 14 additional
points across any Attributes they wish. If done properly,
adding all the Attribute Scores should total to 56.
The Player starts by assigning a score of 1 to each
Discipline. They then can add a total of 10 additional
points across any Disciplines they wish. If done properly,
adding all the Disciplines Scores should total to 16.
The Player chooses a single Value that reflects the basic
concept the Player has for their Lord. There is no
defined list of Values, so Players are encouraged to
come up with their own. For example:
 A tactician might take “Careful study beats rash
decisions”
 A fighter might take “Limits are made to be
broken”
 A healer might take “Patient before Self”
 A diplomat might take “Compassion through
Understanding”
The Player chooses what kind of weapon they would
like their Lord to use. This will define their starting
weapon and the one they are most proficient in using.
Additional weapons can be taken via Talents. All
weapon talents can be found in Chapter 3.
Note: You cannot take either Dragonstone or
Beaststone mastery unless you plan on picking up the
matching Talent in the next step. See the note below.
qualifies for. A full listing can be found in Chapter 3.
Note: A Player can opt to start out as a Manakete or a
Shapeshifter. They are not required to take the
matching weapon talent, but it is highly recommended.
I.e. For a Manakete that means taking Dragon Within
and Dragonstone Mastery. A character can still be a
Manakete and not know how to use a Dragonstone.
This could be used as a plot hook and potential quest
for that character!

Before entering play, the following things need to be

determined:

 Stress: A character has Stress equal to their

Fitness + Defense Discipline.
 Damage Bonus: A character gains a bonus d6
equal to their Offense Discipline on all attacks.
 Healing Bonus: A character gains a bonus d6
equal to their Medicine Discipline on all staff
use.
 Armor/Resistance: A character has a number of
points equal to their Defense Discipline to
spread across their Armor and Resistance
scores. Armor is used to resist physical attacks,
and Resistance is used to resist magical attacks.
 Movement: All characters start with a base
movement of 2 squares
 Equipment: A character receives an appropriate
weapon based on their starting weapon talent.
For example, Roy chose a Sword, and thus is
given a Bronze Sword to start with. A full list of
equipment can be found in Chapter 5.
 Personal Details: A character should have a
name! The Players should also have a rough
description of their character’s personality and
appearance.

The following Talents are available to all characters.
Unless otherwise noted, each Talent may only be
selected once. Players are free to rename the Talents to
suit their own tastes and their character’s background;
this does not affect the rules for that talent in any way.
Requirement: None
Allows a Character to use Axes
Requirement: Shapeshifter other Manakete
Allows a Character to use Beaststones
Requirement: Control 8+
Allows a Character to use Bows
Requirement: Control 8+
Allows a Character to use Daggers
Requirement: Manakete
Allows a Character to use Dragonstones
Requirement: None
Allows a Character to use Lances
Requirement: Defense 2+
Allows a Character to use Staves
Requirement: None
Allows a Character to use Swords
Requirement: None
Allows a Character to use a specific type of Tome. You
must pick between Anima, Light, or Dark when taking
this talent. You may take this Talent multiple times for
any type of Tome you do not already have already
Requirement: None
Pick a single Discipline when selecting this Talent.
Whenever you attempt a Task with that Discipline and
you buy one or more d20s with Threat, you may re-roll
a single d20. You may select this Talent multiple times,
one for each Discipline. You cannot select this Talent for
any Discipline for which you already have the Cautious
Talent.
Requirement: None
Pick a single Discipline when selecting this Talent.
Whenever you attempt a Task with that Discipline and
you buy one or more d20s with Momentum, you may
re-roll a single d20. You may select this Talent multiple
times, one for each Discipline. You cannot select this
Talent for any Discipline for which you already have the
Bold Talent.
Requirement: None
When you attempt a Task to detect danger or hidden
enemies, reduce the Difficulty by 1.
Requirement: None
Whenever you attempt a Task to resist being
intimidated or threatened, you may add a single bonus
d20 to your dice pool.
Requirement: None
Increase your maximum Stress by 3.
Requirement: None
Whenever you spend one or more Momentum to
Obtain Information, you may ask one additional
question.

Requirement: None
Whenever you Avoid an Injury the cost is reduced by 1
to a minimum of 1.
Requirement: Command 2+
Whenever you assist another character using your
Command Discipline, the character being assisted may
re-roll one d20
Requirement: Command 3+
Grants two bonus d6 to allies rolling damage for an
attack if they are within two spaces
Requirement: Command 4+
Grants two bonus d6 to any adjacent ally rolling damage
for an attack and one additional point of Resistance.
Requirement: Command 3+
In combat, a character my use the Prepare Minor Action
to grant one ally a Minor Action of their choice
(performed immediately) if they can communicate with
that ally.
Requirement: Command 4+
In combat, whenever the character performs the Assist
Task and would then pay two Momentum to keep the
Initiative, the cost to keep the Initiative is reduced to 0.
Requirement: Command 3+
Grants allies within two spaces of a character 2
additional points of Armor
Requirement: Command 3+
Whenever you attempt a Task to persuade someone
not to resort to violence, you may add a bonus d20 to
your dice pool.
Requirement: Command 3+
Once per scene, when you succeed at a Task during
combat or another perilous situation, you may spend
one point of Determination. In doing so, choose a single
ally. The next Task that ally attempts counts as having
assistance from you using your Presence + Command.
Requirement: Command 4+
Infantry and armored allies within 2 spaces can move to
a space adjacent to this character
Requirement: Conn 4+, Flier
A character can move to a space adjacent to any
infantry, armored, or cavalry ally within 2 spaces
Requirement: Conn 3+, Not a Shapeshifter or Manakete
A character gains a winged mount. This mount confers
the ability to fly and increases movement range by 1.
This also makes the character vulnerable to bows and
any other weapons with bonuses against fliers.
Requirement: Conn 4+
When a character attempts a Task to plot a course
through unknown territory, reduce the Difficultyy of the
Task by 1, 2, or 3, to a minimum of 1. Each point that
reduces the Difficulty increases the Complication Range
of the Task
Requirement: Conn 3+, Not a Shapeshifter or Manakete
A character gains a noble steed. This mount increases
movement range by 2. This also makes the character
vulnerable to any weapons with bonuses against
cavalry.
 Requirement: Science 2+
When you attempt a Task using Science, you may roll
one additional d20 so long as you succeeded at a
’ previous Task covering the same scientific field earlier in
Requirement: Medicine 4+ the same adventure.
When you attempt a Task to coordinate others, or to
coerce someone into taking or refraining from a specific
course of action, you may use your Medicine Discipline
instead of Command
Requirement: Offense 4+
Gain two bonus d6 to any damage roll and one
additional point of Resistance so long as you are not
Requirement: None
adjacent to an ally.
When attempting a Medicine Task you may ignore any
increase in Difficulty for working without the proper
tools or equipment
Requirement: Offense 4+
Doubles the damage if three or more effects are rolled
Requirement: Medicine 3+
Whenever you attempt the First Aid Task during
combat, you gain a bonus d20. Further, you may always
Requirement: Offense 3+
Succeed at Cost, with each Complication you suffer
If a character is attacked by a foe in range and is
adding +1 to the Difficulty of healing the patient’s injury
capable of counterattacking, gain two bonus d6 to the
subsequently.
counterattack’s damage roll

Requirement: Staff Mastery

When healing allies with a staff, this character also Requirement: None
recovers the same amount. Grants two bonus d6 on damage and two additional
Armor/Resistance. Unit takes 3 Stress damage after
being involved in any attack or counterattack.

Requirement: Medicine 3+
When attempting a Task that will involve an unfamiliar
Medical Procedure, or is used to treat an unusual Requirement: Offense 3+
patient, ignore any Difficulty increase stemming from Gain two bonus d6 on all damage rolls but suffer -1 to
your unfamiliarity. Armor and Resistance

Requirement: None
Your Unarmed Strike Attack has the Vicious 1 Damage
Requirement: Science 3+
Effect
Your weapon (even a tome or staff) applies a deadly
poison to the foe. Inflict 2 Stress of damage to foe
regardless of Armor/Resistance on a successful attack
or counterattack. Requirement: Offense 3+
During the first round of any combat, you and your
allies may ignore the normal cost to Retain the
Initiative.
Requirement: Offense 2+
Gain two bonus d6 on damage rolls if the character has
weapon-triangle advantage, but grants two bonus d6 to
the foe’s damage rolls if the character has a weapon-
triangle disadvantage. This stacks with any existing
bonus dice from said advantage/disadvantage.
Requirement: Offense 3+, Defense 2+
This character gains one bonus d20 when making a
counterattack while their Stress is not full.
Requirement: Heavy Armor or Mage Armor, Defense 3+
Allows a character to ignore the movement penalty for
Heavy/Mage Armor.
Requirement: Defense 4+
If foe initiates an attack, a character gains 2
Armor/Resistance for that attack.
Requirement: Defense 4+
If a character is attacked by a foe using a sword, axe,
lance, dragonstone, or beaststone, gain 2
Armor/Resistance for that attack.
Requirement: Defense 4+
When you make a successful Attack, you may spend one
Momentum to protect a single Ally within Close Range.
The next Attack against that ally before the start of your
next turn increases in Difficulty by 1.
Requirement: Defense 4+
If a character is attacked by a foe using a bow, daggers,
magic, or staff, gain 2 Armor/Resistance for that attack.
Requirement: Defense 2+, Not a Flier or Rider
Increase this character’s Armor by 2 but reduce their
movement to 1. This cannot be taken alongside Mage
Armor or with any Talents conferring flight. This also
makes the character weak to any anti-armor weaponry.
Requirement: Defense 2+, Not a Flier or Rider
Increase this character’s Resistance by 2 but reduce
their movement to 1. This cannot be taken alongside
Heavy Armor or with any Talents conferring flight. This
also makes the character weak to any anti-armor
weaponry.
Requirement: Defense 3+
Whenever you assist another character during combat,
the character you assisted gains one bonus Momentum
if they succeed.
Requirement: Defense 3+, Manakete
If a foe initiates an attack, gain 2 Armor/Resistance for
that attack. If the character also has the Dragon Flight
Talent, then ignore any vulnerability to bows.
Requirement: Conn 3+, Manakete
The character’s wings are now able to support the
character in flight. Gain the ability to fly and increase
movement range by 1. This also makes the character
vulnerable to bows.
Requirement: Must be taken during character creation
or with GM’s permission, Cannot have the Beast Within
Talent
The character is actually shapeshifting Dragon known as
a Manakete! They possess pointed ears when in Human
form that can range from typical ear size to elven-like
proportions. Some even have wings, though an
additional Talent must be taken for them to provide
flight. This makes the character vulnerable to any
weapon that has any bonuses against Dragons.

Requirement: Must be taken during character creation

or with GM’s permission, Cannot have the Manakete
Talent
The character is actually a shapeshifter! They are either
a Taguel, Wolfskin, or Kitsune depending on the Player’s
choice. This typically means they possess some marker
of their beast form such as bunny ears, a fluffy tail, or
even both! This also makes the character vulnerable to
any weapon that has bonuses against shapeshifters.
This section deals with the part of the rules you might
be interfacing with the most. Not all combat is the
same. The hallmark of a worthwhile battle is an
objective beyond sampling routing the enemy. This
could be as simple as reaching a location, defending for
a set amount of turns, or dealing with unusual terrain.
The recommended size of any encounter map is ten
squares by eight squares. This keeps things relatively
small while still allowing terrain to play a major role in
how the battle unfolds. Smaller maps, such as 8 x 6, are
possible as well but limit how many Player-controlled
units (including Supporting characters) can be on the
map at any given time. When in doubt, use the
following chart:
6x4 3 Cover Dice depending on how thick the trees are. Ruins
8x6 5 and Walls provide anywhere between 2 to 4 Cover Dice
10 x 8 8 depending on their position between the two units
12 x 10 12
As stated previously, a character’s base movement is
two squares. Certain talents increase/decrease this
amount, as does certain types of terrain. The types of
terrain include, but are not limited to:
 Plains – Normal Movement
 Mountains – Impassable by all units save for
Fliers
 Sky – Same as Mountains
 Rivers – Impassable by Riders, Normal
movement for Fliers, -1 movement for all other
units to a minimum of 1
 Forests – Same as Rivers
 Walls – Impassable by all units
 Ruins – Same as Walls except that Ruins can be
destroyed by an attack
Certain weather conditions can hamper or improve
movement. Examples of weather conditions include:
 Rain – Reduce Movement for all Units by 1 to a
Minimum of 1
 Headwind - +1 Movement for all Fliers
 Blistering Heat – Difficulty 1 Fitness + Defense
Task for any Armored Unit to move. Succeeds at
Cost, complications usually meaning a reduction
to their defense or offense in some way.
Certain types of terrain can provide cover. This gives
characters in that type of terrain a number of Cover
Dice (d6) that can provide additional Resistance against
attacks as described in greater detail later on.
For example, Forests provide anywhere between 1 to 4
involved in an attack.
Example: Lyn puts a Wall between herself and an
attacking Archer. The Archer can still attempt to hit Lyn,
but the GM rules that the Wall provides 3 Cover Dice
should the attack land.
All melee weapons (including Beaststones and
Dragonstones) are able to attack and counterattack
adjacent squares. All Bows (save the Longbow) are able
to attack and counterattack two squares away, even
through impassable terrain. A Bow cannot
counterattack in melee, just as a melee weapon cannot
counterattack at range. Certain weapons forgo this
restriction as noted in their Armory entry.
Magic is a little bit different. Magic can attack and
counterattack either adjacent squares or those two
squares away. However, using magic in melee increases
the complication range to 16 to 20.

In any given turn of Combat, a character can attempt a
single Task and several Minor Actions. Common
examples for both are detailed in this section.
Minor Actions are those that a character can do without
requiring dice to be rolled or otherwise involve a Task.
The first Minor Action comes with no cost. Subsequent
Minor Actions cost 1 Momentum each. Each Minor
Action may only be performed once per Turn.
Common Minor Actions include:
 Aim – The character may re-roll a single d20
made on an Attack before the start of their next
Turn.
 Draw Item – The character may pick up an item
within their current square or an adjacent one,
or draw a weapon or other item on their
person.
 Drop Prone – The character immediately drops
to the ground. While prone, a character may re-
roll any number of Cover dice, and the Difficulty
of all ranged attacks against them from two or
more squares away increases by 1. However,
melee attacks and ranged attacks from adjacent
squares gain two bonus momentum against the
character. The character may also not attempt
any movement-related Tasks. A Character
cannot Stand and Drop Prone in the same Turn.
 Interact – The character interacts with an
object in the environment in some way, though
not in such a complex matter that would involve
a Task
 Movement – A character may move their
movement rating so long as they do not
perform any movement-related Tasks.
 Prepare – The character prepares for or sets up
a Task.
 Stand – If the character is prone, they may
stand up. A character may not Stand and Drop
Prone in the same Turn.
A character can attempt a single Task during each Turn,
though there are a few ways to take a second:
 Determination – Calling upon a Value and
spending a point of Determination
 Momentum – Spending two Momentum to
attempt the second Task at an increased
Difficulty of 1
 Leadership – See the Direct Task below.
Regardless of the methods used, a character cannot
attempt more than two Tasks a round. Common Tasks
in Combat include:
 Assist – The character nominates a single ally
they can communicate with and declares how
they are giving aid. During the nominated ally’s
Task, the character assists using the Attribute,
Discipline, and Focus decided upon by the GM.
 Attack – The character attacks an enemy or
other viable target. See Making an Attack
below for a full explanation
 Create Advantage – The character attempts to
create some favorable circumstance that
benefits their side. This is a Task with a
Difficulty of 2 that uses whatever Attribute,
Discipline, and Focus the GM decides applies to
this action.
 Direct – This is only available to Lords (i.e. Main
Characters). The character nominates a single
other character present. That nominated
character may immediately attempt a single
Task, assisted by the directing character. This
may only be used once per Combat.
 Guard – The character finds a defensible
position or otherwise steels themselves for
incoming blows. This is a Difficulty 0 Task, with
success increasing the Difficulty of any attacks
made against the character by +1 until the start
of that character’s next Turn.
 Pass – Choosing to do nothing, essentially.
 Ready – The character declares a specific action
to be undertaken if a specific situation or event
occurs. When the triggering situation occurs,
the character with the readied Task temporarily
interrupts the acting character’s Turn to resolve
the readied Task. If the triggering situation does
not occur before the character’s next Turn, then
the readied Task is lost.
 Recover – The character takes a moment to
regain their breath, clear their mind, and
otherwise stay frost on the battlefield. This is a
 Difficulty 2 Fitness + Command Task. Success
means the character gains an additional
Resistance for each Effect rolled on Cover Dice,
regains their ability to Avoid an Injury, and may
regain 2 Stress per Momentum spent.
 Sprint – The character attempts a Difficulty 0
Fitness + Offense Task. Success means the
character can move their movement and one
additional square per Momentum spent. A
character may not attempt this Task more than
once per round, and not at all if the character
has already performed the Movement Minor
Action.
 First Aid – The character attempts to stabilize
an injured character in an adjacent square. This
is a Difficulty 1 Daring + Medicine. Success
means the injured character is stabilized and
will not die at the end of Combat. The character
may spend 2 Momentum to get the patient
back into fighting right away.
 Staff Use – The character uses their staff to
restore Stress based on their staff’s range and
total heal value. This is a Control + Medicine at
Difficulty 2. The character may spend 1
Momentum to allow an injured patient to get
back to fighting right away.
The process of making an attack is as follows:
1. The Attacker chooses the weapon they plan to
make the attack with
2. The Attacker nominates a viable target for that
weapon
3. The Attacker declares whether the attack is
intended to be non-lethal or lethal. Depending
on the circumstances, a GM may elect to add a
point of Threat to their pool for a lethal attack.
4. The Attacker attempts a Task determined by
the type of attack:
a. For a Melee Attack, the Attacker
attempt a Difficulty 1 Daring + Offense
opposed by the target’s Daring +
Defense. If the target wins the Opposed
Task, then they are considered to have
made a successful Attack instead so
long as they are able to counterattack
with their weapon.
b. For a Ranged Attack (including Magic),
the Attacker attempts a Control +
Offense Task at Difficulty 2. This is not
an Opposed Task. The Difficulty
increases by +1 if there are enemies
within melee range of the Attacker. The
Complication Range of the Attack
increases by 1 if there are any creatures
within 1 square of the target. A
Complication may indicate one of these
adjacent creatures was struck by the
attack as well.
If the Attack is successful, then the Attacker inflicts
damage as described below. A successful attack does
not necessarily mean a direct hit on the target, but does
mean that the target has been affected in some way by
the attack. This could be flavored as wearing down the
target’s stamina or forcing them onto the defensive.
A successful Melee Attack does not just have to inflict
damage. Instead, it may be used to:
 Disengage – The character may move safely
away from their opponent by one square
 Grapple – The character grabs their opponent
using an empty hand. This prevents the target
from taking any action other than trying to
break free (Difficulty 2 Fitness + Security) or
attacking the grappling character (at an
increased Difficulty of +1). The grappling
character gains one bonus Momentum on all
melee attacks against the grappled character.
 Shove – The character shoves their opponent
one square away. This rolls the normal unarmed
strike damage dice but does not inflict any
damage. Instead, these dice are rolled only to
see if the Knockdown effect triggers. If there is a
hazard that a character could be pushed over
(such as a cliff), then they will fall only if they
are knocked prone as part of this attack.
Attacks and other hazards have a damage rating, which
is a number of d6 to be rolled against the character.
While hazards are at the discretion of the GM, most
Attacks have a known and easily discerned damage
rating based on combining the weapon’s rating, the
character’s damage bonus, and whether or not the
target is vulnerable.
Example: Roy picks up a Bronze Sword and lands an
attack against a axe-wielder. A Bronze Sword has a
rating of 1 and he has a Offense score of 3. That means
Roy is rolling 4d6 for damage. Because axes are weak to
swords, he gains an additional 1d6 for a total of 5d6
overall. He rolls a 1, 2, 4, 3 and 6, meaning 1, 2, 0, 0,
and 1 + Effect respectively for a total of 4 damage and 1
effect.
Characters have a quantity of Stress, representing their
ability to respond to peril and avoid the worst of it. A
character’s maximum Stress is equal to their Fitness +
Defense. A character’s Stress returns to its maximum
value after a brief rest while not engaged in Combat.
Characters also have two forms of damage reduction.
The first form is the static values of their Armor and
their Resistance. The second form is from circumstantial
protection, such as Cover, and is a number of d6.
Whenever a character suffers damage, follow this
procedure:
1. Roll the number of d6 as determined by the
damage rating of the Attack or Hazard
2. If the target has any Cover Dice, roll those and
add the total to the static Armor and Resistance
the character has. The new totals are the
character’s total Armor and Resistance for that
attack.
3. Reduce the total damage depending upon the
type of attack:
a. If attacked with magic or a dragon
stone, reduce the total damage by 1 for
each point of Resistance
b. If attacked with a bow or any non-
magical melee weapon, reduce the total
damage by 1 for each point of Armor
4. If there is 1 or more damage remaining after
reduction, then the character loses one point of
Stress for each point of remaining damage. The
character may also suffer an injury if one or
more of the following occurs:
a. If the character takes 5+ Stress damage
from a single attack or hazard
b. If the character is reduced to 0 Stress by
that attack or hazard
c. If the character had 0 Stress before the
attack or hazard and the attack or
hazard inflicts 1+ Stress damage
When a character suffers an Injury, they are
incapacitated. This means they are unable to take any
minor actions or attempt any Tasks for the remainder of
Combat. If a character was already injured by a non-
lethal attack and takes another injury, then that injury
becomes a lethal injury instead. If a character has
already been injured by a lethal attack, then another
injury will kill the character instantly.
An injured character cannot be targeted by any further
attacks unless the attacker adds one to Threat (or
spends 1 Threat if a NPC). The enemy can still interact
with them in such ways such as capturing them.
If an injury came from a non-lethal attack then the
character recovers from it at the end of Combat. This
does not remove any complications that may have
come from non-lethal attacks, meaning they could still
be dizzy or disoriented.
If an injury came from a lethal attack then the character
will die at the end of Combat unless they receive First
Aid or Healing via a staff. The GM should try to not end
combat until characters have had a chance to attempt
first aid or healing. If a character has received first aid or
healing then they’re still considered to be injured,
though no longer in immediate danger of death. This is
then treated as a non-lethal injury as detailed above.
There are three immediate ways a character can deal
with injuries to avoid or lessen their impact:
 Determination – Spend one Determination to
ignore the effects of an injury for the remainder
of Combat. This does not require the use of an
appropriate Value. It also does not negate any
damage to Stress. The character is still
considered to be injured, meaning another
injury could prove fatal. At the end of Combat,
the character returns to suffering the injury’s
effects as normal and any Medicine Task made
to heal the injury increase in Difficulty by +1
 Momentum – Spend two Momentum to avoid
suffering a single injury, though the character
still suffers any damage to Stress
  Complication – Suffer a Complication at the
GMs discretion, though the character still
suffers any damage to Stress
Actually healing an injury (as opposed to First Aid)
cannot be done during combat unless you are using a
staff. Both instances require a Control + Medicine at
Difficulty 2. Success on this Task removes the injury
completely as well as any related Complications.
A hallmark of the Fire Emblem series is the weapon
triangle. In general, it works like this:
Bows, Dragonstones, and Beaststones are not
vulnerable to any other weapon type.
A weapon that is designed to kill a certain type of
enemy (i.e. Armor, Bows for Fliers) gains an additional
1d6 on any attack or counterattack.
The below table provides a few additional options for
characters to spend Momentum on in Combat. If a
spend is noted with an “R” under cost then it can be
repeated.

 Swords > Axes

 Axes > Lances The sequence of events in Combat can be split into
 Lances > Swords Rounds and Turns. During a Round, each character
Any attack or counterattack made with a weapon that is takes a single Turn. At the start of Combat, the GM
vulnerable to the opponent’s (i.e. Axe vs Sword) has its determines a single character to act first. This is decided
damage reduced by 1d6. Any attack or counterattack in the following ways:
with a weapon that beats the opponent’s (i.e. Sword vs  If an NPC has an obvious and clear justification
Axe) has its damage increased by 1d6. to start Combat, then they should take the first
Magic works similarly: Turn
 If not, then the GM should select a Player
 Anima > Light Character to start Combat. This may be obvious
 Light > Dark based on events that led up to this point, but
 Dark > Anima other times it will not be. In such a case, the

Increase the damaged inflicted by a successful attack regardless of

Bonus Damage 1R
the type of attack. Each Momentum spent adds +1 damage.
Knock away one weapon held by the target to anywhere within one
Disarm 2
square
Extra Minor Actions 1R Take additional Minor Actions
Pass the action order to another ally instead of the enemy. May only
Keep the Initiative 2
be done once before the enemy has taken at least one action
Penetration 1R Ignore two Armor or Resistance per Momentum spent
Avoid and Injury 2 Detailed earlier, can only be used once per scene
A second target within one square of the attack’s target is also
Secondary Target 2 affected by the attack. They suffer half the attack’s damage,
rounding down after applying normal Armor/Resistance reduction
Swift Task 2 Attempt one additional Task at a +1 Difficulty
 Player Character with the highest Daring takes
the first Turn.
 If there is still doubt as to who should act first,
the GM can spend one Threat to allow an NPC
to take the first Turn.

After a character has completed their Turn then they

hand the action to the opposing side (unless they are
keeping the initiative). The opposing side (be it Players
or the GM) are free to choose what character acts next.
Once a character has opted to keep the initiative, no
one on that side may do so again until the opposition
has taken at least one Turn of their own. No character
may take more than one Turn in a Round.

Once all characters on one side have taken a Turn, any

remaining characters on the other side take their Turns
in any order they choose (though still one at a time).
Once all characters on both sides have taken a Turn,
then a new Round begins. Action goes to a character on
whichever side did not take the last Turn.

This section provides a listing of common weapons for
use in combat. This is not a complete listing by any
means, though it should prove useful when trying to
homebrew your own weapons.
Every weapon has five common traits:
 Type – Melee Or Ranged
 Damage Rating – A number of d6 and possibly
one or more Damage Effects that trigger when
Effects are rolled. All weapons gains additional
d6 to their damage rating equal to the wielder’s
Damage Bonus (see Chapter 2)
 Size – Weapons will either be one-handed (1H)
or two-handed (2H). A 2H weapon can be used
with one hand but the difficulty increases by +1
 Qualities – Additional rules that apply to the
weapon’s use
 Cost – Certain weapons require spending either
Momentum or Threat to take them into battle.
This is noted by an Opportunity (O) or
Escalation (E) cost respectively. A weapon can
have both an O and an E cost
The following abilities provide additional benefits
whenever an effect is rolled on a d6. All damage effects
that apply to the attack trigger at the same time.
 Intense – The cost to Avoid an Injury caused by
this weapon increases by one for each effect
rolled.
 Knockdown – The target is knocked prone. This
can be resisted by adding a number of points to
Threat equal to the number of effects rolled.
 Piercing X – The attack ignores X points of
Armor/Resistance for each effect rolled
 Vicious 1 – The attack inflicts X additional
damage for each effect rolled
The following qualities define how the weapon
functions. Some are positive while others apply
restrictions.
 Accurate – If the character performs the Aim
Minor Action before making an attack with this
weapon, then any number of d20s may be re-
rolled
 Cumbersome – This weapon cannot be used to
attack unless a Prepare Minor Action is
performed during the same Turn
 Deadly – The weapon is designed to be lethal. If
the character attempts to make a non-lethal
attack with this weapon, the Difficulty of the
attack increases by +1
 Debilitating – Medicine Tasks to perform First
Aid/Heal on characters injured by this weapon
increase in Difficulty by +1
 Inaccurate – A character gains no benefit from
the Aim Minor Action when attacking with this
weapon
 Non-lethal – The weapon is designed to be
debilitating rather than deadly. If the character
attempts to make a lethal attack with this
weapon, the Difficulty of the attack increases by
+1
 Reverse – This weapon reverses the weapon
triangle (I.e. Swords now beat lances but are
vulnerable to axes)
Staves are weapons that can also be used to heal. They
come with a few changes when used for healing:
 Type – A Staff can be used to heal in Melee, at
Range, or Both. Attacks are always at Range.
 Healing Rating – A number of d6 and possibly
one or more Healing Effects that trigger when
Effects are rolled. All Staves gain additional d6
to this rating equal to the wielder’s Healing
Bonus (see Chapter 2)
 Size – All staves are 2H
The following abilities provide additional benefits
whenever an effect is rolled on a d6. All healing effects
that apply to the heal trigger at the same time.
 Intense – Automatically heals one injury
 Soothing X – Restores X additional points of
Stress for each effect rolled
 Unarmed Strike Melee 1d6, Knockdown 1H Non-Lethal -
Bronze Weapons (Non-Stone) Melee 1d6 1H - -
Iron Weapons (Non-Stone) Melee 1d6, Vicious 1 1H - -
Steel Weapons (Non-Stone) Melee 2d6, Vicious 1 2H - O1
Silver Weapons (Non-Stone) Melee 3d6, Vicious 1 2H Accurate O1, E1
Dragonstone/Beaststone Melee 2d6, Vicious 1 1H - -
Dragonstone+/Beaststone+ Melee 3d6, Vicious 1 1H Accurate O1, E1
Armorslayer (Non-Stone) Melee 2d6, Vicious 1, Piercing 1 2H Cumbersome O1
Calvary Bane (Non-Stone) Melee 2d6, Vicious 1, Knockdown 2H Cumbersome O1
Dragon/Beast Killer (Non-Stone) Melee 2d6, Vicious 1, Intense 2H Cumbersome O1
Divine Weapons Melee 4d6, Vicious 1, Deadly 2H Accurate O1, E2

Bronze Bow Ranged 1d6 2H - -

Iron Bow Ranged 2d6 2H - -
Steel Bow Ranged 3d6 2H Accurate O1
Silver Bow Ranged 4d6 2H Accurate O1, E1
Killer Bow Ranged 3d6, Vicious 1 2H - O1, E1
Divine Bows Ranged 5d6, Vicious 1 2H Accurate O1, E2
Longbow 2-3 Squares 2d6, Piercing 1 2H Accurate O1

Fire (Anima), Light (Light) Both 1d6, Vicious 1 1H - -

Thunder (Anima), Shine (Light),
Both 2d6, Vicious 1 1H - -
Flux (Dark)
Elfire (Anima), Purge (Light),
Both 3d6, Vicious 1, Piercing 1 1H - O1, E1
Ruin (Dark)
Divine Tomes Both 4d6, Vicious 1, Piercing 1 1H - O1, E2

Assault/Heal 1d6 Melee 1d6 -

Pain/Mend 2d6 Melee 2d6, Soothing 1
Blast/Recover 3d6 Melee 3d6, Soothing 1, Intense O1
Divine Staff 4d6 Both 4d6, Soothing 1, Intense O1, E2
Wrathful Assault/Physic 2d6, Vicious 1 Both 2d6, Soothing 1 O1, E1

Supporting Characters are non-Lord characters that the
Players create and/or control. Supporting Characters
are less detailed and are created in a less involved
manner than Lords. They are not permanently owned
by a single Player. Instead, Supporting Characters can
be used by any Player at the table if the
circumstances/story permits.
The purposes for Supporting Characters include:
 Representing the rest of the Players’ Army,
giving the Players subordinates to command
and interact with
 Allowing Players to take on different roles in
play, capitalize on a skillset that doesn’t exist
amongst the Lords, play a more active role in an
adventure that doesn’t focus on their Lord,
and/or to account for Players who are absent
 Allowing Players to split their characters
between different activities in different
locations without being left out of the game for
long periods of time
 Allowing small groups of Players to bolster their
numbers
When a Player uses a Supporting Character in lieu of
their Supporting Character, they are considered to be
full Player Characters for whatever length the situation
permits. That is to say that a Player cannot be both their
Lord and a Supporting Character in the same non-
combat scene. In such an instance, the GM plays the
Supporting Character and the Player plays their Lord.
During combat a Lord can control up to two Supporting
Characters at once. They are responsible for keeping
track of those character sheets.
There is no hard cap on the maximum number of
Supporting Characters that can be in the Players’ Army.
Certain adventures and combat will have limits on how
many Supporting Characters can be active as per the
GM’s judgement.
When creating a Supporting Character, use the
following procedure:
1. Purpose – Determine what purpose the
Supporting Character will have
2. Attributes – Assign the following array to the
Supporting Character’s Attributes: 10, 9, 9, 8, 8,
7. Then distribute 3 points further. If done
correctly, their Attribute total should be 54
3. Disciplines – Assign the following array to the
Supporting Character’s Disciplines: 4, 3, 2, 2, 1,
1.
4. Focuses – Choose three Focuses for the
Supporting Character
5. Weapon Talent – Choose a weapon talent that
the Supporting Character qualifies for
6. Finishing Up – Assign relevant equipment and
derive qualities such as Stress and
Armor/Resistance
Those paying attention may note that this means
Players cannot create Shapeshifters and Manaketes as
Supporting Characters. Only GMs may create such
characters, and they should only be turned over to the
rest of the Players after certain RP has occurred. This is
to keep the rarity of such individuals somewhat intact!
Whenever a Supporting Character is introduced to an
adventure or to combat, and this is not the first time
they have been introduced (i.e. they have been
introduced before), the Player introducing them may
choose one of the following options:
 Values – Gain a single Value. If the Supporting
Character had none prior to this, this now
means they can use Determination
 Attributes – Increase a single Attribute by 1.
This option may only be chosen once.
 Disciplines – Increase a single Discipline by 1.
This option may only be chosen once.
 Focuses – Add a new Focus. This option may be
chosen up to three times.
 Talents – Gain a single talent that the
Supporting Character qualifies for. This option
may be chosen up to four times.
A Lord is always growing and learning from their
experiences. Every two sessions of play, all Lords
receive a Milestone, and every four sessions they
receive an Arc Milestone.

A normal Milestone allows a Lord to select an option

from the following list:

 Choose two Attributes. Reduce one by 1 (to a

minimum of 7) and increasing the other by 1
(up to a maximum of 11)
 Choose one of the character’s Talents and
replace it for another Talent
 Choose one of the character’s Focuses and
replace it with another
 Select a Supporting Character used during that
session and use one of the above options on
them
 Save the Milestone (Covered below)

Saving the Milestone means that you should note

somewhere on your character sheet that you have
stored a milestone. This saved milestone can be used in
place of spending a point of determination, but after
being spent it’s gone forever.

An Arc Milestone allows a Lord to select an option from

the following list:

 Choose a single Attribute and increase it by 1.

This Attribute cannot be increased above 12.
 Choose a single Discipline and increase it by 1.
This Discipline cannot be increased above 5.
 Select an additional Talent
 Select an additional Focus
 Select an additional Value
 Select a Supporting Character used during the
past five sessions and use one of the above
options on them

Trouble on the Plains is a starting adventure designed to
introduce Player and GM alike to FEST. It is meant for 3-
5 players, ideally with one Player covering the role of a
Staff user or Healer in general. Groups with less than 3
players will need a Supporting Character designed for
them as well. This chapter is directed at Gamemasters
specifically, so Players worried about spoilers should
stop reading here!
The Player Characters are all either life-long friends or
fast comrades. They awake in the middle of a plain with
only their basic equipment on hand. They have no
recollection with how they got there, though the rest of
their memory is intact. As they try to figure out what
brought them here, brigands attack and attempt to
capture them for nefarious purposes. It’s only after
their defeat that the brigands’ leader tells the Player
Characters how they got there in the first place.
After every Player has created a Lord and has signaled
that they are ready, the GM should read the following
aloud:
A cool, pleasant breeze wafts across your face as you
come to consciousness. As you open your eyes, you’re
greeted by the sight of a cloudless, blue sky. Looking
around, you notice that you’re in the middle of some
rolling hills covered in ankle-high, violet grass that
stretch as far as the eye can see. You also see several
other people waking up around you.
It is at this point that the GM should have every Player
introduce their Lord to the rest of the group. If the
Players determined that their characters knew each
other beforehand, encourage them to roleplay as such.
Conversely, if they want to be entirely new to one
another, prod them to roleplay in such a fashion!
The Lords all have their basic equipment, including their
armor, clothing, and weapon. All other valuables, such
as jewelry or keepsakes, have been taken from them.
This could be very distressing for some characters, while
others might simply wave it off as “another drunken
night on the town.” If the Players seem stuck or unsure
how to react, tell them that the best way to figure out
how they got here is to start looking for clues.
There are several ways a character could learn more
about their situation:
 A Difficulty 1 Reason + Science or Reason +
Conn to study the plains and determine where
they are. Success reveals they are more than
likely somewhere in the Violet Hills. This is a
region known for the vibrant color of its grass
and the rumors that such plant life has
restorative properties. The nearest village is
likely about three day’s travel on foot to the
East.
 A Difficulty 1 Reason + Defense to study the
immediate area for any sign of how they got
here. Success reveals a series of impressions
from boots, hooves, and a wheeled cart. These
impressions trail off to the East. At best, three
lightly-armored people and two horses may
have been involved.
 A Difficulty 1 Reason + Medicine to study their
own mental state and that of the others.
Success reveals that everyone has been
drugged with Sleepweed. As the name suggests,
this plant causes a temporary coma-like state
when ingested. It is usually used during medical
care to sedate a patient but can knock out
someone for quite a while depending on how
much is consumed.
As the Players decide what to do with this information,
have the character with the highest Insight + Conn or
Insight + Defense roll a Task at Difficulty 2. Success
reveals that there is a group of about six individuals
riding towards them. They appear to be your average
brigands, armed with basic weaponry. One among them
has a vibrant pink Mohawk. This Task succeeds at cost,
the Complication being that this approaching group is
not noticed until it’s too late.
The brigands encircle the Players and hop off their
horses. The one with the pink Mohawk steps forward
and says:
“Right then you lot, hand over those weapons and any Roaming Brigand (Minor NPC)
valuables you might have. Let’s not do anything stupid, Attributes
eh?” Control – 5 Fitness – 8 Presence – 4
Daring – 9 Insight – 4 Reason – 9
The Players are able to ask some basic questions of this Disciplines
man before they will be forced either to surrender or Command – 1 Offense – 1 Science – 0
defend themselves. In particular, they can learn: Conn – 1 Defense – 1 Medicine – 0
 Mr. Pink Mohawk is actually named Hroan Stress: 9 Armor: 1 Resistance: 0
Attacks:
 Hroan and his men roam the Violet Hills as
Bronze Axe (Melee, 2d6)
lawless men
 Hroan received a fresh tip from a friend in Teba
Village that the Players might be around here Hroan (Notable NPC)
Attributes
A Player with skills in diplomacy, leadership, and/or
Control – 10 Fitness – 10 Presence – 7
negotiation might be able to convince Hroan that Daring – 10 Insight – 8 Reason – 9
they’re not worth robbing using words alone. Such a Disciplines
Task would likely be at Difficulty 4+. If they succeed, Command – 2 Offense – 2 Science – 0
then Hroan is willing to leave one of the Players with Conn – 1 Defense – 2 Medicine – 0
their weapon and armor. Otherwise everyone else will Stress: 9 Armor: 2 Resistance: 0
be stripped of everything but the clothes on their backs. Attacks:
Iron Axe (Melee, 3d6, Vicious 1)
It’s assumed that by this point the Players and Hroan’s
men are eager to start fighting. Use the following
battlemap for this encounter: The fight ends either when every Brigand save Hroan
falls or when Hroan himself falls. The GM is encouraged
to flavor and modify combat as needed to achieve
either of these outcomes. Nothing is worse than failing
your first combat encounter as a Player!

Should Hroan survive (whether he surrenders, the

Players injure him non-lethally, or the Players catch his
dying words), he’ll tell the Players:

Blue Squares represent anywhere that the Player
Characters may start. Red Squares represent the
brigands. The brigand at D7 is Hroan.
Hroan and his men aren’t the best out there. Use the
following stats for them:
“Look, I messed up. But I’m not the one you want. It’s
Nissul back at Teba Village. He’s the one that drugged
you. I overheard him at The Rusty Bucket gloating about
some poor saps he slipped some Sleepweed and robbed
blind.”
Hroan doesn’t know much else besides that. There is no
real peacekeeping force in the Violet Hills, so the
Players gain nothing by dragging Hroan around as a
prisoner. Compassionate Players might simply disarm
him and let him go, while more ruthless Players might
cut him down then and there.

Either way, the Players have a new plot hook to

explore! Who is Nissul? Why did he choose the Players?
Was he working for anyone? Where is the stuff he
stole? All good questions for the GM to create answers
for dependent on their group!
Thanks so much for checking out this ruleset! I hope you have as much fun running the games as I do
with my own!

As this is the first alpha-version of the rules, there’s bound to be problems and things I either omitted by
accident or didn’t explain very well. Or maybe this has inspired you to help out with development?
Whatever the case may be, the best place to drop me a line is either via email or by via a comment on
my Wordpress blog.

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Neither the author (ELH) nor the content within is endorsed, sponsored, or affiliated with Nintendo,
Intelligent Systems, Modiphius Entertainment, or the Fire Emblem franchise.

This content is available free of charge and licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-
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Email ELH: elhmk1@gmail.com