The Banner Saga

Introduction
Using this book
How to play
Adventures in the world
Part 1
Chapter 1: Step by Step Characters
Chapter 2: Races
Chapter 3: Classes
Chapter 4: Origins
Chapter 5: Equipment
Chapter 6: Skills and Talents
Part 2
Chapter 7: Using your Statistics
Chapter 8: Adventuring
Chapter 9: Combat
Part 3
Appendix A: Conditions
Appendix B: The Gods
Appendix C: Monsters
Character Sheet
Introduction
T
he Banner saga roleplaying game is about
storytelling in the deadly but beautiful world of
the banner saga. The game is fueled by your
imagination. It’s all about picturing that varl
clan in metal striking his fist through a flimsy
barricade as much as it is about imagining
how you characters will react to such a scene.
The Banner Saga gives these tales structure by using dice
to determine the outcomes of the players actions. Does your
attack strike through an opponent's armor or bounce off
harmlessly ? Do you convince the guard you are a rich noble
or does he give you a beating for lying ? Anything is possible,
however the dice make some outcomes more likely than
others.
Using this book
This book is split into three parts with each section covering
a different topic.
Part 1: This section is all about the characters of the game.
The races, the classes, the origins and their tools of the trade.
Most rules that are referenced in part 1 are explained in part
2. So if you come across a keyword or phrase you do not
understand consult part 2 for an explanation
Part 2: This is the rules section. How to play the game, how
combat works and what does adventuring actually involve.
Part 3: This section covers the conditions that an adventuring
party might fall victim to. The dead gods of the world are also
covered in depth here.
How to Play
The gameplay of the Banner Saga generally follows a 3 step
process
1. Your loremaster describes the environment
The Loremaster or (LM) tells the players where their
characters are, granting them a broad look at the
environment around them, such as the terrain, how many
people are in the tavern or how many doors lead out of the
current room.
1. The players describe what they do
Players tell the LM what action they wish to take such as “I
want to talk to the varl in the corner” or “I wish to go hunting
for food” Some actions are easy, walking across a room for
instance should be something that doesn’t require a die roll.
However the floor might be trapped or the varl might need to
be persuaded to talk to a human. In these cases the LM often
used the results of die roll to determine the success or failure
of such an action.
1. The loremaster describes the result of these actions
Describing the results of the players options often leads
back to step 1 of this process.
The Game Dice
In order to play the Banner Saga you will need a set of dice
with different numbered sides. These dice can be found in
most game shops or bookstores. The dice a often written in
shorthand a d followed by a number: d4, d6, d8, d10, d12 and
d20. For example a d6 is a six-sided die mostly commonly
found in other board games. When you need to roll a dice the
rules will tell you how many to roll. For example if you need to
roll 3d4 +2 this means that you roll three four-sided dice,
totalling the result and adding 2.
The D20
Every time you roll a D20 in the banner saga you are rolling
to use one of the 12 statistics of the game. These are
Strength, Agility, Influence, Lore, Accuracy, Awareness,
Armor, Constitution, Willpower, Break, Exertion and
Deflection. Every time you roll follow these simple steps.
1. Determine your target value. In the Banner saga you want
to roll low with the target value to beat being your statistic,
For example if you are rolling influence to persuade a
guard to let you into a house, you have an Influence of 15,
now you roll a d20 and are trying to roll under 15. In this
example you roll a 16.
2. Apply modifiers. Are you skilled at persuasion or hit
creatures with your axe. Features or the environment
might grant you a bonus or penalty to your roll. In the
above example the player rolled a 16 with a target value of
16 however her necklace grants her +2 to Influence rolls
thusly she reduces her die roll by 2 giving her a 14 total
roll.
3. Determine the result. With everything totalled on each
side. You compare the result to the target, in this case a
total of 14 versus the target of 15, and determine whether
the action succeeds or fails. In the above example the
human success on persuading the guard to let her in...but
only just.
Advantage and
Disadvantage
Sometimes during an adventure a player might be granted
advantage or disadvantage on a roll due to the circumstances
surrounding it. Standing on ice whilst trying to dodge a
falling tree could result in the roll being made with
disadvantage, or swinging your hammer down upon a prone
enemy could result in advantage.
Advantage is used to represent a positive circumstance
surrounding the roll, whilst disadvantage is used to represent
the opposite.
When making a roll with advantage you roll, two d20s and
take the better or lower result of the two. For example if you
have advantage and roll a 5 and a 10. Then you would use the
5 as your rolled result. Disadvantage is the opposite, you roll
two d20s and take the higher or worse result of the two. For
example if you have disadvantage and roll a 6 and 19. Then
you would use the 19 as your rolled result.

Round Up
Whenever you are in the game and you divide a number,
always round the fraction up to the nearest whole number.
Chapter 1: Step by Step Character
Creation
Race
Everyone in the world of the banner saga belongs to one of
the three core humanoid race. These races are Human, Varl
and Horseborn.
The race you choose is a large part of your character's
identity either by their appearance or the natural talents that
each one of them possesses. Sometimes these talents lead
directly into the class options for example a Human's hit and
Run talent makes them excellent Landsman or archers.
Whilst the varls Hulking frame skill makes them ideal
warriors. You race also grants you a set of three key statistics,
which is covered in step 3. Be sure to note all of the talents,
abilities and languages your race gains.
Class
Every character belongs to a class. These classes cover what
combat skills and tactics that they will use in a fight. As well
as their general reputation within the world. The main feature
of your class being your Passive ability is what sets your class
apart from all the others, additionally your class also grants
you proficiency in certain weapons and armor. These are
covered later in the equipment section. Be sure to record
what abilities and proficiencies your characters gains at level
1.
Level
Usually a character begins their adventure at 1st level and
gains levels by using the renown earnt from their adventures.
Record your level on your sheet and note what you gain as
your level as shown in the level table later in this chapter.
Proficiency
Proficiency is a term used to describe your natural abilities
and talents as well as the training you have undertaken. It is
used when it comes to the following things.
Weapons
Armor
Skills
How proficiency relates and effects each of these elements
is explained in later chapters (Consult Chapter 5 for how
proficiency affects weapons and armor with Chapter 7
explaining how skill proficiency works.)
Your Statistics
Almost everything your character will do will involve one of
your 12 statistics which are broken up into two sections.
Your Core Statistics are Strength, Agility, Influence,
Lore, Accuracy, Awareness, Armor, Constitution and
Willpower.
Your Secondary Statistics are Break, Exertion and
Deflection.
These abilities and what each of them is used for is
covered in depth in chapter 7. You generate your statistics by
rolling the dice associated with each section for each one you
roll two of the dice associated with it and take the higher
result. For example for Strength you would roll 2d20, rolling
a 10 and 15, you would take the better result in this case a
strength score of 15.
For your Core statistics roll a d20 for each statistic, each
one cannot exceed 20.
For your Secondary statistics roll a 1d10 halved for each
statistic, each one cannot exceed 5.
If your choice of race grants you a key Statistic you get to
roll an additional die and take the higher result of the three
dice rolled. Record the result for all of your Statistics on your
character sheet for future reference.
Origin
Everyone's story begins somewhere and your origin is where
yours started. What did your character do for a living, where
did they come from and where your character fit into the
larger world.
Start by giving your character a name then choose an
Origin as detailed in Chapter 4. Flesh out your characters
back story. Why did they become a Skald ? Why did they have
to leave their hometown ? Work with your Lore Master to
create an interesting character story your race and class
choice can have a heavy impact on your origin story, the
Criminal Varl Berserker is probably going to be treated and
had a different life than the Wandering Horseborn Archer.
Skills
At first level you can choose up to six skills of your choice,
you then become proficient with these skills. What these
skills do and how they are used are further explained in
Chapter 7.
Equipment
Your character isn’t going to live long without weapons and
armor to keep them safe. All items that you can purchase are
listed in Chapter 5. Your Lore Master might wish to change
what equipment is available to your characters so consult
your loremaster before making any purchases.
The Party
Characters who work together, survive together in the world
of the Banner Saga. So talk with your other players and the
Loremaster to determine where your character fits in with
the group. Do any of your know each other ? Does your
characters goals align with anyone else's ?

Renown
Leveling
As your party and your character engages on epic quests and
political negotiations. They earn what is called Renown. The
party is usually awarded 1 Renown whenever they defeat a
creature in combat, lore masters are encouraged to grant
renown for good roleplaying as well as for using their using
their social skills such as negotiating with nobles could earn
the party renown.
Renown is a group resource that is expended in order for
character to gain a level. The amount of renown needed to
level up is shown in the Renown column of the leveling table.
However Renown as stated above is a group resource and is
spent on individual characters, for example if the party of
three 1st level players has earnt 10 renown and it costs 5 to
gain a level, this means only two of them could level up with
this amount as renown is expended when it is used.
Additionally a player can only gain a level when taking an
extended rest. Resting is covered later in this book. When a
player gains a level consult the leveling table located within
each class description to determine what they receive.
A lore master may also grant individual players renown for
great roleplaying or as a reward for completing a personal
story ark, this renown would not be added to the group total
and is instead recorded for the individual in question. This
renown can be used only by that player and cannot be shared
with others.
You as players should talk with each other on who is best to
use your renown earnt and who should spend however here
are a few tips for the Loremaster on renown
You have final say on who gains a level using renown. So
feel free to exclude characters from the debate.
Don’t allow a player to be more than two levels higher
than the rest of the party. For example if a player is level 6
and the rest of the party is level 4 do not let this player
gain a level until everyone else is level 5.
Try and keep everyone within one level of each other. Let
players debate who should level but don’t allow the loudest
player run the table.
Currency
Renown also refers to your currency in the world. It is a
resource that is expended in order to purchase everything
from equipment to services. As a Loremaster encourage your
players to talk about what they wish to spend their renown
on, as it is expended when used. Spending renown is covered
in Chapter 5.
Chapter 2: Races
Racial Traits
Age. This shows at what age when this race has reached
adulthood and what age they are expected to live till
Speed. This shows you the number of tiles a member of
this race can move in a standard round. Travel speeds are
covered in depth in Chapter 8 and Chapter
Key Statistics: By virtue of the race, your character has a
set of key statistics that reflect the common traits that the
race possesses. What these are for is covered in Chapter 1
under statistics.
Racial Trait. This is a unique trait only granted to this
race. Giving them a unique advantage over others both in
combat and in the world at large.
Humans
The humans were the original creation of the Loom-mother, a
very clever and patient god who was responsible for weaving
life into the tapestry of creation. As farmers, peasants,
merchants, woodsman and warriors, they are the center of
Viking culture in this world. Born out necessity due to the
threat of the dredge, humans hold a casual alliance with the
Varl, tainted with the sort of mistrust that exists between any
two different races of people.
Age: Humans reach adulthood in their early teens and tend
to live for just under a century.
Key Statistic: Humans are adaptable and quick thinkers
allowing them to choose three statistics to be their Key
Statistics.
Mobile. During your turn you can take your normal
movement, take the attack action or a special action and then
continue your movement provided you have any movement
remaining.
Talented: You can choose two skills of your choice and gain
proficiency with them.
Movement Speed: 8 tiles
Size: You occupy a 1x1 tile
Varl
The Varl are a cross-breed of man and animal, created by an
impatient god who wove together a twisted version the
original Loom-mother’s creations. Varl are horned giants who
are strong and aggressive and have the reputation of being
impeccable fighters. Respected as warriors, they can live to
be a few hundred years old if their lives are not cut short by a
fall in battle. Despite their warlike culture, they too cultivate
families and are not without emotions, similar to their human
counterparts, and tend to do a better job of sticking together
than the humans. Their attitude towards their human allies is
somewhat condescending, believing that they are the superior
beings, particularly when it comes to strength and fighting.
Age: Varl reach adulthood at the age of about 10, they also
tend to live for centuries. As there are no female varl, they are
the last of their kind.
Key Statistic: As a val you are strong, hardy and able to
punch from houses with your bare hands. As such your Key
Statistics are Strength, Constitution and Break.
Hulking Frame: Your attacks deal double damage to objects
and structures. Additionally if you are subject to an effect that
would Push or Knock you back you halve the distance you
would move.
Movement speed: 6 tiles
Size: you occupy a 2x2 tile.
Horseborn
Age: Horseborn reach adulthood about the age of 15 and
typically live for about 25-30 years
Key Statistic: Fast and nimble, the Horseborn are will
known for the deadly archers and brutal warriors. As such
your Key Statistics are Accuracy, Willpower and Deflection
Free Roam: Each point of willpower spent during movement
allows you to move 3 tiles instead of 1.
Movement speed: 10 tiles
Size: You occupy a 1x1 tile
Chapter 3: Classes

T
he characters you play in the banner Saga are
those willing to take their destiny in their own
hands and strike out to face the dangers of the
world. Maybe to avenge a lost loved one or to
seek the fame and fortune they feel they
deserve. As such each character belongs to a
class. You class details how you fight and what
type of person you are. Did you receive the power to
manipulate the tapestry of creation and joined the Menders
or did your father teach you how to hunt with a bow and now
you use it to strike your enemies from afar. You class gives
you a wide variety of abilities to choose from allowing you to
make a character that is truly unique to you. The Leveling
table informs you of what abilities you gain as your progress
through the levels.

Leveling Table
Level Renown Needed Feature Rank
1st - Class Passive and First Active Ability Journeyman
2nd 5 Heroic Improvement Journeyman
3rd 10 Specialisation Journeyman
4th 15 Heroic Improvement Journeyman
5th 20 Specialisation Journeyman

6th 20 Second Active Ability Veteran

7th 20 Heroic Improvement Veteran
8th 20 Specialisation Veteran
9th 20 Heroic Improvement Veteran
10th 20 Specialisation Veteran

11th 25 Third Active Ability Champion

12th 25 Heroic Improvement Champion
13th 25 Specialisation Champion
14th 25 Heroic Improvement Champion
15th 25 Specialisation Champion

16th 30 Fourth Active Ability Heroic

17th 30 Heroic Improvement Heroic
18th 30 Specialisation Heroic
19th 30 Heroic Improvement Heroic
20th 30 Specialisation Heroic
Choose a Class
When you make your character of 1st level, you choose your
class. Once your choice is made you gain the following from
your class
The classes Passive Ability.
Choose one Active Ability of your choice granted by your
class.
The Proficiencies associated with your class
Heroic Improvement
When you gain a level that grants you a heroic Improvement.
You gain one of the following benefits of your choice:
You gain 3 hero points which can be used to increase your
statistics up to their maximum. For example if you have
14 Strength you could spend 2 hero points to increase
your Strength to be 16.
Alternatively you can forgo gaining hero points and
instead learn a talent of your choice. What talents are and
how they work are explained in Chapter 6.
Unspent hero points cannot be saved and are lost if not
used.
Active Ability
At first level you choose one Active Ability granted to you by
your class.
Additionally when you reach 6th level, 11th level and 16th
level you can choose one additional ability from your class
abilities.
Specilisation
At 3rd level you learn you first specialization for one active
ability you know. When you know a specialization for an
ability you can choose if you want to use it when you use the
active ability it relates to.
When you reach 5th level, 8th level, 10th level, 13th level,
15th level, 18th level and 20th level you learn an additional
specialisation.
Additionally when you gain a level in your class you can
replace one specialisation you know with another one.
The Classes
Archer
Beastmaster
Berserker
Landsman
Mason
Mender
Raider
ShieldBanger
Shieldmaiden
Skald
Spearman
Warrior
Witch
Valkyrie
Archer
They told us we were not made for war, they told us we had
no mettle for battle, they told us nothing after they were
silenced by our arrows. Our foes buried upon the loose
stones of the toppled walls, buried beneath the blood-stained
soil, for the arrows strike true by our hands.
A Fortune’s Tale
Mjoll suffered misfortune upon the death of her husband, the
loss of stability, warmth and wealth. Stricken into poverty
with little left in her possession, her husband’s longbow with
a fistful of feathered arrows. She sought to sell her last
possessions but none of the villagers would buy a cursed
weapon, that befell its previous owner. Her last hope became
of a travelling merchant who refused to buy her possessions
except for a singular arrow, in exchange the merchant parted
these words to Mjoll “Fortune favours the bold before the
worthy!”. Mjoll sought her glory in the hunt of famed beasts
and dangerous men, in the ruins of the forgotten to the
mountains of the damned.
Fear Thy Archer
In the days of the first men, war was as common as the blood
spilt in its wake, the loss of life shadowed by the songs of
bravery, heroism and feats of inhuman nature. Such a feat
crowned by a young archer upon the battlements of a
forgotten battle, for his aim was true to a man’s beating heart,
they fell one by one as his comrades fell to the spears below.
Even as they climbed upon the walls of aging castle, the
archer drew upon his arrow onto their unguarded necks, even
when they surrounded him with their swords, blood dripping
from his mouth he would not give ground. For every soldier
fears the arrow of an archer.
Hridvaldry’s Wisdom
For the invaders had come when the day was lit by the
moonlight sky, they came under the disguise by the thick fog
that had rolled by the coast of the sea, but they were unaware
of the waiting Archer. Arrow after arrow was knocked from
the oaken bow. Screams of the fallen routed the invaders, as
they ran into the blades of waiting soldiers below. They asked
upon the archer on how they could see the enemy. The
Archer replied “Where they went made no matter, for death
guides my arrows”.
Proficiencies Active Ability: Slag and
Weapon Proficiencies: Longbow, Shortbow, Dagger Burn
Armor Proficiencies: Light armor
As an action you select a tile within 2-6 tiles of you. You
expend 2 willpower and slag the choose tile and all adjacent
Passive Ability: Puncture ones, you then proceed to fire a flaming arrow causing the
Once per turn If you do not move before making an ranged slagged area to explode. All creature in this area take break
health attack you deal +1 health damage for every 2 points of damage. Additionally each tile in this area is ignited, any unit
armor the target is missing. who moves through or ends their turn on an ignited tile takes
one point of armor damage. This area remains ignited until
the start of your turn 3 rounds later.
Active Ability: Birds of
Prey Specialisations
As an an action you expend 2 willpower to make an attack Explosive Force
with increased range. The range of your bow is increased by When you use Slag and Burn you can use your swift action to
10 tiles for this attack, additionally it ignores half and three expend 1 willpower. When your target area explodes each
quarters cover. creature in the area is Knocked Prone.

Specialisations Smoke Screen

When you use Slag and Burn as a swift action you can
Steady Aim expend 1 willpower. Targets in the area take no damage from
You expend 1 willpower as a swift action when you use Birds the attack and the ground is not ignited however thick smoke
of Prey and grant yourself advantage on your attack roll. rises instead. All creatures in the target area are Blinded until
the start of your next turn.
Pin
You expend 1 willpower as a swift action when you use Birds Funeral Pyre
of Prey on a successful hit the targets movement speed is As a swift action you can expend 1 willpower before you use
treated as halved until the start of your turn. Slag and Burn. You cause each creature in your chosen area
to instead take health damage equal to your Agility Damage
Hawk Eyed Die.
You expend 1 willpower as a swift action when you use Birds
of Prey if the attack is a health attack the target takes
additional health damage equal to your Agility Damage Die.
Ram Shot
When you use Birds of Prey you can use your swift action to
expend 1 willpower and cause the target you hit with your
attack to be Pushed back 3 tiles.
Shattering Arrow
When you use Birds of Prey you can use your swift action to
expend 1 willpower and cause all adjacent creatures to your
target to take health damage equal to your Agility Damage
Die.
Active Ability: Rain of
Arrows
As an action you expend 2 willpower and choose 3
unoccupied tiles up to 6 tiles away. You then launch a volley of
arrows into the air. These tiles are marked by you, before the
start of your next turn if a creature moves through a marked
tile they are struck by a falling arrow, they take no damage
but the targets movement ends.
Specialisations
Shattering Arrow
When you use Rain of Arrows you can use your swift action
to expend 1 willpower. When a creature moves through one
of your marked areas, the target takes health damage equal to
your Agility Damage Die. Additionally each adjacent creature
to your marked area takes 1d4 health damage which ignores
armor.
Leading Mark
When you use Rain of Arrows you can use your swift action
to expend 1 willpower. When a creature moves through one
of your marked area, the target takes break damage and the
next attack roll made against them before the end of your
next turn is made with advantage.
Predator Arrow
When you use Rain of Arrows you can use your swift action
to expend 1 willpower. When a creature moves through one
of your marked areas, they are Staggered until the start of
your next turn.
Active Ability: Overwatch
As an action you expend 2 willpower and take aim. Until the
start of your turn you can make a single ranged attack against
any creature who comes within 6 tiles of you.
Specialisations
Mobile Defender
Whilst using Overwatch if a creature ends its movement in an
adjacent tile to you. You can use your reaction to expend 1
willpower to immediately move up to 3 tiles.
Defending Shot
Whilst using Overwatch if a creature within 6 tiles of you
makes an attack roll against an allied creature you can use
your reaction to expend 1 willpower to make a ranged attack
against the attacking creature.
Follow Up
Whilst using Overwatch if an allied creature makes an attack
against a creature up to 6 tiles away from you, you can use
your reaction to expend 1 willpower to make a ranged attack
against the creature they attacked

Active Ability: Thread the

needle
As an action you expend 2 willpower and choose a creature
up to 6 tiles away. You fire an arrow in a single line through
each creature between you and the target. You roll a separate
health attack for each creature in this line dealing health
damage equal to your Agility Damage Bonus on a successful
hit.
Specialisations
Break the Line
When you use Thread the Needle you can use your swift
action to expend 1 willpower to cause each creature you
successfully hit to also take break damage.
All or Nothing
When you use Thread the Needle and roll your first attack
you can use your swift action to expend 1 willpower to use
that attack roll against each creature in the line.
Heavy Impact
When you use Thread the Needle you can use your swift
action to expend 1 willpower to cause the original target to be
Pushed back a number of tiles equal to the number of
successful attacks you make against each creature in the line.
Beastmaster
When the days were cold and harsh, you kept me warm and
safe by your side. As children, we played and learned together
in the wilds. When the Kragsmen of Swartbog discovered us
as we trailed them through the deep forest, they did not dare
separate us. There is no greater friendship than ours, we
trained to become warriors worthy of the names we carried,
we protected those who gave us shelter as they provided us a
home. Now after all these decades we have grown old and
watched our children bond, for they will carry the tradition of
Beastmaster and Warbear.
A Valuable Lesson
There are many people in this world with their own way of
fighting, personally I’m the dirty kind. I’ll throw kick dirt at
yah just to get closer to stabbing your fleshy neck, I’ll have
you chasing me through the forest as you slip over roots and
traps by my own handy work. And then there's those who
fight with numbers, I’m talking about the damned bastard
tamers! They’ll set a crow or two on you before you can blink,
minding you got any eyes left to see. Then comes this
rampaging bloody bear to ruin your day and behind all that
the smirking tamer prepping his bow just to watch you slip
up. Luckily, I escaped from getting completely mauled, never
fight those damned bastards unless you got bigger numbers!
Now be a good lad and get me stiff drink, my stumps starting
to get itchy.
A Backup Plan
“Are you sure you know where the chest is?” said the woman
as she brushed her red hair from her face, “Yes I am very
sure Shana its over there by the empty tent with no one in it”
as he waggled his finger at the small white tent. “if You keep
wiggling that finger, I’m going to feed it the crows Arden now
get moving I don’t want to stick around his place for too long”
as Shana nudged Arden to make their way to the tent, Dawn
was about to arrive and most of the soldiers were about to
wake for the next patrol shift.
They had taken a pair of patrolling soldiers uniform as they
earlier by the edge of the camp, unfortunately the armour was
loose on Shana and barely fit Arden. They decided to keep at
a distance so no one would hopefully tell two pretenders
were sneaking around. As they entered the tent they were met
by the sight of many discarded goods, rusted weapons paired
next to broken arrows, crates filled with rotten food and
decaying animals and one small chest no bigger than your
hand lay neatly on a rickety wooden chair. Arden quickly
pocketed the box as they hurriedly left the tent only to be met
by some very angry soldiers, especially by two who both quite
naked.
“What’s the backup plan here Ard- a high pitched whistle
stopped her mid sentence as she looked over to Arden as he
looked completely relaxed with a smile on his face. “Any
second now…” Soldiers looked amongst themselves around
them as if an approaching enemy was about to appear. They
were not entirely wrong, just no one suspects a 300lb bear to
be rushing towards them in the morning, the black bear
swiped left at the hapless soldiers as one was torn apart by
the chest, the soldiers ran screaming for help.
“This was your backup plan!” Shana looked at Arden
mortified at what just happened as the old man hugged his
bear. “Backup plan? This was the plan!” said Arden with a big
grin on his face.
My Friend Forever
I have carried you as far as I can, and I’m sorry it is here we
stop. I gently lay you against the wall of the cave, your gentle
smile as I feel the touch of your fingers, the scent of blood
upon your fingertips as I nudge your hand. The look of pain in
your eyes I have seen before and it wounds me so, you reach
out and take the arrow from my side as I am relieved of
momentary pain. I curl up by your side to give you warmth in
our last moments, I know this and so do you. Your eyes close
as you sing to me once more, the song of a young girl and her
bear. It’s getting difficult to keep my senses awake as I feel a
dullness come over me, I look up at you quiet and serene as
my eyes grow heavier. Sleep will take me soon and we shall
hunt again once more, I hear your singing in my dreams.
Proficiencies
Weapon Proficiencies: Spear, longsword, battleaxe,
warhammer, Shortbow, Sling, Javelin
Armor Proficiencies: Light armor, medium, buckler,
warshield.
Passive Ability: War bear
You have created a powerful magical bond with a bear
allowing you to fight side by side. Your bear has the statistics
of the Warbear (Appendix C: Monsters).
During combat your beast rolls for its own initiative and
follows your commands, if you don’t give it an order it defends
itself to the best of its ability. Additionally whenever you reach
a level that grants you hero points your bear gains its hero
points that it can spend to increase its statistics but it cannot
learn abilities. skills or talents.
If your bear is killed, you can use a magical ritual to return
it to life. The ritual takes place over the course of an extended
rest and reduces your maximum willpower by 6. At the end of
this ritual you call forth your bear’s soul from the tapestry of
creation and weave together a new body for it.
Active Ability: Murder of
Crows
As an action you expend 2 willpower to call forth a swarm of
crows around a creature of your choice up to 6 tiles away.
Until the start of your next turn this creatures movement
speed is halved.
Specialisations
Unleash the Crows
As a swift action when you use Murder of Crows you can
expend 1 willpower to command your crows to go for the kill.
Make a ranged health attack against your target. On a
successful hit the target takes health damage equal to your
Agility Damage Die.
Storm of Talons
As a swift action when you use Murder of Crows you can
expend 1 willpower to have your crows go your enemies eyes.
Make a ranged break attack against your target. On a
successful hit the target is Blinded until the start of your turn.
Easy Prey
As a swift action when you use Murder of Crows you can
expend 1 willpower to leave you opponent open to attacks.
Make a ranged break attack against your target. On a
successful hit the target takes break damage and the next
attack made by you or your animal companion before the end
of your next turn is made with advantage.
Active Ability: Trip Attack
As an action your animal companion can expend 2 willpower
and goes for your foes legs. It makes a melee break attack
against an adjacent creature. On a successful hit the creature
is knocked Prone.
Specialisations
Slam
When your animal companion uses Trip Attack the target also
suffers break damage on a successful hit.
Shove
As a swift action before your animal companion uses Trip
Attack is can use its swift action to expend 1 willpower. On a
successful hit the target is Knocked Back 3 tiles and ends
Prone.
Commander
When your animal companion uses trip attack you can
choose to either have your animal companion expend the
willpower cost or you can choose to expend it instead.
Active Ability: Thick Hide
As an action you expend 2 willpower and encourage your
animal companion to fight onwards despite the odds. Until
the start of your next turn all health damage your bear takes
is treated as armor damage.
Specialisations
Iron Fur
When you use Thick Hide you can use your swift action to
expend 1 willpower to grant your animal companion a +6
bonus to its armor until the start of your next turn.
Restore Companion
When you use Thick Hide you can use your swift action to
expend 1 willpower to cause your animal companion to
regain hit points equal to half your BeastMaster Level.
Active Ability: Undying
If your bear is no more than 6 tiles away from you and
receives damage that reduces it to 0 hit points or lower. You
can use your reaction to expend 2 willpower and instead
cause it to go to 1 hit point instead. You cannot use this ability
if the attack was a critical hit.
Specialisations
Furious Healing
When you use Undying you can spend 1 additional willpower
to cause your warbear to regain hit points equal to your
Strength Damage Die.
Down But Not Out
When you use Undying you can spend 1 additional willpower
to cause your warbear to gain a +6 bonus to its armor until
the start of your next turn.
Unkillable
When you use Undying you can expend 1 additional
willpower to make your bear unkillable. Until the start of your
next turn your animal companion cannot be reduced to below
0 hit points. If it takes damage that would reduce it to below 0
hit points it instead goes to 1.

Active Ability: Kill

Command
As an action you reduce your maximum willpower by 2 and
choose a creature up to 6 tiles away, commanding your war
bear to focus on them. This creature has become marked by
you. During your following turns you can use your swift
action to let your animal companion move up to half its
movement speed towards your marked target. A creature
remains marked by you as long as you can see it, you are not
unconscious or until the start of your turn after 6 rounds.
Specialisations
Charge
As an action on your bears turn it can spend 2 willpower to
barrel towards your marked creature. The bear can move up
to 6 tiles in a straight line and make a melee break attack
against the marked target. On successful hit the creature is
Knocked Back a number of tiles equal to double the number
of tiles that the bear moved during this action.
Rallying kill
If your animal companion reduces your marked target to 0 hit
points or lower. You can use your reaction to expend 1
willpower to regain hit points equal to your Beastmaster
Level.
Beastial Wrath
When your animal companion takes the attack action against
your marked target. You can use your reaction to expend 2
willpower to cause both of its attacks to score a critical hit on
a roll of 1-5 on the d20.
Berzerker Fear Thunder
The source of our power is ancient, forged by our ancestors These fools reek of fear, the shaking of hands as they hold up
who braved the harsh lands with weapon in hand, when their blades against me, the last bastion of hope that one
others ran and sought shelter from battle we ripped our foes lucky bastard may kill me. Five of them already lay dead
where the fighting was most fierce. When our weapons missing a limb here and there, they charge at me with the
shattered it did not hinder us, for our hands tore the belly of names of the dead gods to grant them strength. But only one
the beast. Our primal hatred will echo throughout history as being has heard their pleas as I grant them death.
we descend upon our foes, for it is written in our blood. The crack of lighting once more as droplets of rain fall
upon us, washing their blood off my scarred skin and sadly
my axe, it hissed as it felt the rain strip away its just reward.
Steel & Fury Do not despair my friend for these men are not worth the
The door shook once more, blisters of wood fell upon the blood they carry or the energy to end their miserable lives.
defenders inside, the cowered away from large oak doors Thunder…every clap of thunder they take a step back, as if I
providing them the last bastion of hope, children cried in the have summoned it to fight my battles! Then let it be so, they
arms of their parents who gave whispers of sweet comfort, die to the roar of the ancients as Thunder silences the
their words hollowed by fear. Again, and again the door screams of the damned. For I am surrounded by Dead Men.
rumbled as the villagers cried in fear.
Their cries grew silent over the sound of chanting, they
dared to draw their eyes from the door to the back of the hall,
there stood three figures, each bringing a fist in rhythm
against their chest. Their voices raised louder after each beat,
the villagers looked upon them as each saw no fear in the
eyes of these warriors. Words fell upon the villager’s lips as
they raised their fists, every woman, man and even child
roared the words. When the doors had finally come unhinged,
the invaders felt fear grip their hearts as they were met with
Steel and Fury.
Glory In Death
*Yurok woke once more back into the world of mortals, the
dread filled within him as he shook the bodies aside to stand
on his feet. fresh wounds surfaced on his chest as the gashes
still bled lightly, he tore the shirt of a nearby body to tie
around his wounds. All that was alive now were the animals
feasting upon the carcasses of rotting meat. Standards that
were held high in the battle now soiled in the blood offered by
its bearer, no kings, no generals all are but dead men in union
except Yurok.
He moved on forwards navigating through the thick of
bodies piled upon each other as he searched for his
connection to the mortal realm, where once a river flowed to
bring life to a villagers crop now bought the life blood of a
thousand warriors to end the harvest. And on the edge of the
river lay a body embedded with a sword, Yurok dived into the
water as his lungs were filled with a mixture of blood and
water. The river was calm now as he swam to the other side
to retrieve his companion. His beloved Uessa by his side, to
guide him upon his path to a glorious death.*
Proficiencies
Weapon Proficiencies: Dagger, Hand Axe, Hammer,
Longsword, Battleaxe, Warhammer, Javelin
Armor Proficiencies: Light
Passive Ability: Frenzy
During your turn if you take the attack action you can make
two attacks instead of one.
Active Ability: Cull the
Weak
As an action you can expend 2 willpower and make a single
melee health attack against an adjacent creature. On a
successful hit the creature takes damage equal to your
Strength Damage Die. If this damage reduces the creature to
0 hit points or lower you immediately gain an additional turn.
Specialisations
Fury
If your Cull the Weak attack reduces the creature to 0 hit
points or lower you can use your swift action to expend 1
willpower to instead of gaining the additional turn to instead
gain temporary hit points equal to your Strength Damage Die
+ your Berserker level.
Finish Them
If your Cull the Weak attack reduces the creature to 0 hit
points or lower you can use your swift action to expend 1
willpower to cause all adjacent creatures become Frightened
of you until the end of your next turn.
Rend
When you use your Cull the Weak ability if you haven't moved
this turn you can use your swift action to expend 1 willpower
and cause your attack to deal 1 point of damage for every 2
points of armor the target is missing.
Active Ability: Roar
As an action you expend 2 willpower and let out a mighty
roar. Each adjacent creature takes 1d4 points of armor
damage and are Pushed back 3 tiles.
Specialisations
Savage Howl
When you use Roar you can use your swift action to expend 1
willpower and choose one creature that would be affected by
Roar. make a melee break attack against them. On a
successful hit the target is Dazed until the start of your next
turn.
Cry Thunder
When you use Roar you can use your swift action to expend 1
willpower and cause each affected creature to be Pushed
back 6 tiles. Additionally they suffer 1 point of armor damage
for each tile they are Pushed.
Stunning Scream
When you use Roar you can use your swift action to expend 1
willpower to instead of its normal effects choose one adjacent
creature. You make a melee break attack against this
creature, on a successful hit the target is Stunned until the
start of your next turn.
Active Ability: Bear Rage
As an action you can reduce your maximum willpower by 3 to
unleash your true savage nature. Until the start of your turn 6
rounds later you halve all health damage you take.
Additionally during this rage if you roll a 1 or 2 on a melee
health damage roll you can reroll the die. You must then take
the second roll even if it is another 1 or 2. However during
this time you cannot expend willpower unless to use a Bear
Rage Specialisation.
Specialisations
Chieftains Rage
Whilst you are using your Bear Rage you can use your swift
action to expend 2 willpower to grant your allies advantage
on attack rolls against any creature you are adjacent to.
Furious Rage
Whilst you are using your Bear Rage and you roll a critical hit
for a melee health attack you can expend 2 willpower to deal
additional damage equal to your Strength Damage Die.
Unleash the Berserker
If you are reduced to 0 hit points or lower whilst using your
Bear Rage. You can reduced you maximum willpower by 1 to
instead go to 1 hit point.
Active Ability: Counter
Attack
If a creature makes a successful melee attack against you,
you can use your reaction to expend 2 willpower to make a
melee health attack against them provided they are within
your threatened reach.
Specialisations
Glancing Blow
When you make your Counter Attack and miss you can
expend 1 willpower to cause the target to take 1d4 break
damage.
Jotun
When you trigger your counter attack you can expend 1
willpower to instead of attacking to reduce the damage you
would take by the amount you roll of your Strength Damage
Die.
Landsman
The first men of the land, lived in fear of it. The wild berries
that gave a man an inescapable death from within, the beasts
that wore us down one by one as they tore us apart. We
created fire to buy us time, we built high walls to buy more
time but it does not matter, nature waits for none as our fires
were doused by nature's tears, our walls broken by nature's
breath. No more. With our spears we strike down against the
beasts that taunted us in the night, we cultivated the lands to
survive. The Landsman will guide our people far into
uncharted lands as we defy nature, We will be prey no more!
The Hunted
Your right leg hurts with every step, but you can’t slow down
for its behind you. The air smells of blood ...and fear, this is
alien to you. Every kill was swift and over in a matter of
seconds as the blood flowed while you feasted upon your kill.
Not this time. To your right you catch a glimpse of blurred
movement, it's faster than you now as it glides between the
trees. Its getting more difficult to escape but if you could just
get home. You see the signs of home ahead but only pain
welcomes you. Blinking heavily your sight is becoming
obscured as you see blood, your..blood flowing from you. It’s
here as it stands over you as it draws back its weapon. You
kick out against the snow, trying to make any noise to warn
the pack, but only a high pitched whine escapes you as the
creature brings down its long claw, the hunt is over.
The Bitter Truth
This child, what does he see when he looks upon me. A
warrior worthy of song or a fool that hunger’s for his own
death. Tell me child do you see what my entire life has been,
do the stories change in your mind when you see the scars
upon my face. The missing eye taken by an arrow, from a
novice hunter spooked by a grazing animal. The lost fingers
sliced by a scorned lover. Each infliction upon my body is not
from battle for I have not been touched by the monsters I
have hunted, the men I have slain. But by fickle luck, but
that’s no story to tell a child, that his life is dictated by luck
and not by his own choices. So I tell him the story of a bear
that tore apart my hunting partner, now he was a truly
unlucky bastard.
Law of the land
A spear pressed into the side, arrows burrowed into the skin,
the stag has finally fallen, bathed in its blood. The first hunter
retrieves his spear with her eyes on the hunter with his bow.
Neither took a step closer to one another as the Stag kicked
with little remaining life it possessed, choking upon its own
blood as the hunters began.
Singing birds were silenced by the cries of battle, the air
stained in death and blood as the hunters danced to whom
was worthy of the hunt. When the Stag had finally become
silent the spear hunter fell onto the ground, clutching the
blood slicked arrow embedded into her neck, the spear
lodged into a tree tipped with fresh blood as the second
hunter clutched his side. But for the dance of the hunt has
not yet ended, a young wolf bared its teeth at the hunter as he
lunged upon him, the spear hunter gasped for breath as the
dance began anew. For the price of the Hunt must be paid.
Proficiencies
Weapon Proficiencies: Longsword, Battleaxe, Warhammer,
Short Spear, Long Spear Shortbow, Longbow and Sling
Armor Proficiencies: Light armor
Passive Ability: Light Step
The landsman uses their superior dexterity to move around
bodies, allowing them to pass through, but not stop on, any
allies spaces.
Active Ability: Hunters
Mark
As a swift action on your turn you can reduce your maximum
willpower by 3 to mark a creature up to 6 tiles away that you
can see. A creature remains marked by you until the start of
your turn after 10 rounds, if you become unconscious, or if
you Mark another creature using this ability. For the duration
of the mark any time this creature ends its movement
adjacent to you, you can use your reaction to move up to half
your total movement speed. Additionally if an ally makes an
attack against your marked creature you can use your
reaction to expend 1 willpower to give them advantage on the
attack.
Specialisations
Defenders Mark
Whenever your marked target makes an attack against an ally
up to 6 tiles away you can use your reaction to expend 1
willpower to cause the attack to be made with disadvantage.
Swift Hunter
During your turns you can use your swift action to expend 1
willpower and move up to half your movement speed in a
straight line towards your marked target.
Predator
During your turns if you have not moved before you make a
health attack against your marked target you can use your
swift action to expend 1 willpower to cause your next attack
you make before the end of your turn to deal an additional 1
point of health damage for every 2 points of armor your
marked target is missing.
Active Ability: Mark Prey
As an action you expend 2 willpower and make a melee break
attack against an adjacent creature. On a successful hit the
target takes break damage and all adjacent allies to the target
can use their reactions to make an attack against them.
Specialisations
Superior Hunter
When you use Mark Prey you can use your swift action before
you make the break attack to expend 1 willpower. On a
successful hit you allow all allies up to 6 tiles away from your
target to use their reactions to make either a melee or ranged
attack.
Staggering Blow
When you use Mark Prey you can use your swift action before
you make the break attack to expend 1 willpower. On a
successful hit your allies cannot make their attack but the
target is instead Staggered until the end of your next turn
Hit and Run
After you use Mark Prey you can use your swift action to
expend 1 willpower to move up to half your movement speed.
Active Ability: Call to
Arms
If an enemy makes a successful attack against you, you can
use your reaction to expend 2 willpower to all any ally who is
adjacent to the attack to use their reaction to make an melee
attack against them.
Specialisations
Fall back
After using Call to Arms you can expend 1 additional
willpower to also move up to half your total movement speed.
Lure
When you use Call to Arms you can expend 1 additional
willpower to also make an attack against the creature
provided you are adjacent to it.
Dodge
When you trigger Call to Arms you can expend 1 additional
willpower to forgo allowing your allies to attack and instead
half the damage of the attack.
Active Ability: Track
As an action you expend 2 willpower and make a weapon
health attack against a creature who is adjacent to an ally. On
a successful hit the attack ignores 6 of the targets armor.
Specialisations
Keen Eye
As a swift action when you use Track you can expend 1
willpower. If your attack is successful the target also takes
additional damage equal to your Agility Damage Die.
Follow Up
If your attack triggered by Track is successful you can use
your reaction to expend 1 willpower to allow an adjacent ally
to the target to use their reaction to make an attack against
them.
Retreat
If your attack triggered by Track is successful you can use
your reaction to expend 1 willpower to allow an adjacent ally
to the target to use their reaction to move a number of tiles
equal to their movement speed

Active Ability: Rally

During your turn as a swift action you can expend 2
willpower and choose an ally up to 6 tiles away. This ally can
then use its reaction to move up to half its movement speed.
Specialisations
Rallying Strike
When you use Rally you can expend 1 additional willpower to
allow the chosen ally to make a single attack instead
Master of the Hunt
When you use Rally you can choose a creature up to 10 tiles
away and they can move up to their total movement speed.
Mason
The legendary smiths who tamed steel and fire in order
create weapons fit for kings. With only the greatest warriors
worthy of wielding the arms and armor crafted by these
craftsmen were blessed by the gods themselves before their
death. However with the death of the gods brought about the
death of their order, as people lost faith in their talents
believing only the gods could create such weapons and
armors. With the people's faith in them shaken and their
reputation ruined many believe that the Masons now
maintain the God Stones to ensure that even though they are
dead, none will forget the gifts the gods gave to them all.
Proficiencies
Weapon Proficiencies: All weapons
Armor Proficiencies: All armor
Passive Ability: Iron
Willpower
At the end of each of your turns whilst you are not
unconcious you regain one point of armor.
Active Ability: Hridvaldyr
Wrath
As an action you expend 2 willpower to invoke the powers of
Hirdvalur the god of hunters to cause vines to wrap around
your foe. You make a ranged health attack against a creature
up to 6 tiles away. On a successful hit the target is Restrained
until the start of your next turn. turn.
Specialisations
Spear of Hridvaldyr
When you use Hirdvaldyr Wrath you can use your swift action
before you make your ranged health attack to expend 1
willpower. If your attack is successful the target takes health
damage equal to your Strength Damage Die. Additionally you
can now target a creature up to 9 tiles away.
Shifting Forest
When you use Hirdvaldyr Wrath and your attack is successful
you can use your swift action to expend 1 willpower and
move your target up to 5 tiles in a straight line direction of
your choice.
Active Ability: Fortune of
Denglr
When an ally up to 6 tiles away from you makes an attack roll,
ability check or contest. You can use your reaction to expend
2 willpower to call up on the good fortune of Denglr to grant
the creature advantage on their roll.
Specialisations
Luck of the Gods
When you use Fortune of Denglr you can now target a
creature up to 9 tiles away. Additionally you can now target
hostile creatures with this ability you instead cause them to
have disadvantage on their roll.
Fortune Favors the Bold
You can now use Fortune of Denglr as a swift action choosing
a creature up to 6 tiles away. This creature can add 1d8 to its
Deflection Score until the start of your next turn.
Active Ability: Hadrborg’s
Warriors
As an action you expend 2 willpower to invoke Hadrborg the
creator of the Varl. You cause yourself and all adjacent allies
of your choice gain temporary hit points equal to half your
Mason Level. Additionally whilst a creature has these
temporary hit points and are subject to an effect that would
Push or Knock them back the distance they would move is
halved.
Specialisation
Reversal of Fortune
When a creature makes a successful melee attack against you
whilst you have temporary hit points granted by Hadrborg’s
Warriors you can use your reaction to expend 2 willpower.
The attacking creatures suffers break damage. However your
temporary hit points are lost.
Might of the Ox
When you use Hadrborg’s Warriors you can expend 1
additional willpower to choose allies up to 3 tiles away.
Additionally when you can use your swift action to expend 1
willpower to cause yourself to gain temporary hit points equal
to your Mason level instead.
Active Ability: Blizzard of
Irynx
As an action you expend 1 willpower to call upon Irynx the
Winter Bird to cause the ground around you to freeze. All
tiles up to 3 tiles away from you becomes difficult terrain for
all hostile creatures. This area remains until the start of your
turn 10 rounds later.
Specialisations
Brittle Bones
Whilst you are in the area of frost created by Blizzard of Irynx
you can use your swift action to expend 2 willpower to make
a ranged break attack against a hostile creature also within
the area. On a successful hit the target takes break damage.
Harsh Winds
Whilst you are in the area of frost created by Blizzard of Irynx
you can use your swift action to expend 2 willpower to make
a ranged health attack against a hostile creature also within
the area. On a successful hit the target takes health damage
equal to your Strength Damage Die.
Frozen Armor
When you use Blizzard of Irynx you can use your swift action
to expend 1 willpower to cause all allies creatures within the
area created to gain regain 5 armor.
Mender
Menders are an order train in the magical arts allowing them
to manipulate the tapestry of creation. They are well
respected across the world, however most have a “healthy”
fear of them.
Proficiencies
Weapon Proficiencies: Dagger, Handaxe, Hammer, Staff
Armor Proficiencies: Light armor
Passive Ability: Weave
At the end of each of your turns whilst you are not
unconscious you regain 1 willpower.
Active Ability: Mend
As an action you expend 2 willpower and choose a creature
up to 6 tiles away. This creature regains 10 armor.
Specialisations
Mend The Masses
When you use Mend you can use your swift action to expend
additional willpower to choose a number of additional
creatures equal to your willpower expended. For example if
you expend 3 willpower you can target 3 additional creatures
with Mend. All additional targets must be within 6 tiles of you
and you can only target a creature once.
Unravel
When you use mend you can expend 1 additional willpower
to instead target a hostile creature and make a ranged break
attack against them. On a successful hit the target takes 10
break damage.
Sharpened Blade
When you use Mend you can use your swift action to expend
1 willpower to cause the next successful attack your chosen
creature makes before the start of your next turn to score a
critical hit on a roll of 1-5 on the d20 however the chosen
creature does not regain any armor.
Active Ability: Arc
Lightning
As an action you expend 2 willpower and call down a bolt of
lightning from the sky. Choose a creature up to 8 tiles away
and make a ranged health attack against them. On a
successful hit the target takes health damage equal to your
Agility Damage Die which ignores armor.
Specialisation
Lighting Strike
As a swift action when you use Arc Lightning you can expend
additional willpower to cause your lightning to arc to a
number of additional creatures equal to your willpower
expended. The new targets must be within 3 tiles of your
original target, you roll a separate attack for each creature
the lightning arcs to and each creature can only be struck by
lightning once per use.
Stunning Bolt
As a swift action when you use Arc Lightning you can expend
1 willpower before you make your ranged health attack. If
your attack is successful the target takes only 1d4 health
damage and is Stunned until the start of your next turn.
Fury of the Storm
As a swift action when you use Arc Lightning you can expend
1 willpower before you make your ranged health attack. If you
attack is successful the target takes an additional 1 point of
health damage for every 2 points of armor the target is
missing.
Active Ability: Troll
Stones
As an action you expend 2 willpower an select up to three
2x2 tile areas within 10 tiles of you. You shape the earth and
pull up three large pillars of stone from the ground. Any
creature in these areas takes 1 point of armor damage and is
pushed to the closest unoccupied space. These pillars block
movement and provide total cover to those directly behind
them. They have hit points equal to your maximum willpower.
These pillars last until they are destroyed, until you dismiss
them as a swift action, or until you use this ability again.
Specialization
Shattering Stones
Whilst your pillars from Troll Stones are active you can use
your action on your turn to expend 2 willpower to cause all
the pillars to shatter. Each creature that is adjacent to any of
your pillars takes break damage.
Troll Guardian
When you use Troll Stones you can use your swift action to
expend 2 willpower to instead of summing the pillars to
instead weave together the stones and vines of the ground
into a guardian. This creature has the Statistics of a Dredge
Grunt and rolls for initiative, it follows your commands
however if given no command it will attempt to move to the
closest enemy and attack. At the start of each of the
guardians turns its hit point maximum is reduced by 2.
Additionally whilst you have a guardian summoned in this
manner you cannot use this ability again.
Active Ability: Runic Gale
As an action you expend 2 willpower and choose three
unoccupied tiles up to 6 tiles away. You then mark each of
these tiles with a rune of your choice from the list below. The
first time a creature moves though one of these marked tiles
they receive the blessing as detailed in each rune, the rune is
then destroyed. A creature retains this blessing until it
expires as detailed in the runes. If not the blessing fades at
the start of your next turn. A creature can receive the effects
of multiple runes at once. These runes remain active on the
marked tiles until the end of your next turn after which they
are destroyed.
Runes:
Rune of the Varl: A creature under the blessing of this
rune gains the strength of the Varl. This creature adds its
Strength Damage Die to the next successful melee health
attack this creature makes before the start of your next
turn.
Rune of the Keen Eye: A creature under the blessing of
this runes is grainted the keen eye of the hawk. The next
ranged attack this creature makes before the start of your
next turn is made with advantage.
Rune of the Valka: A creature who uses this rune gains a
burst of willpower. The next ability this creature uses
before the start of your next turn has its willpower cost
reduced by 1 to the minimum cost of 1.
Rune of the Horseborn: A creature under the blessing of
this rune gains the agility of the Horseborn. The next
attack roll made against this creature before the start of
your next turn is made with disadvantage.
Specialisations
Rune of the Warding Lantern
When you use Runic Gale you can use your swift action to
expend 1 willpower to creature a rune under you. Until the
end of your next turn 10 rounds later you can use your
reaction to expend 1 willpower to instantly teleport to that
rune provided that it is unoccupied.
Rune of the Altered Mind
If a hostile creature moves through a tile occupied by one of
your runs you can use your reaction to expend 1 willpower.
You make a melee break attack against the creature. On a
successful hit the target takes break damage and is Dazed
until the end of your next turn. However the rune is
destroyed.
Active Ability: Breeze
As an swift action you expend 2 willpower and grant your
allies the speed of the North Wind. Choose up to 3 allies of
your choice up to 6 tiles away. On each of these creatures
next turn their movement speed is doubled.
Specialisations
Northern Soul
When you use Breeze you can use your action to expend 1
willpower to grant each creature under the effect of breeze to
gain temporary hit points equal to your Agility Damage Die.
Blessing of The Mist
When you use Breeze you can use your action to expend 1
willpower to grant each creature under the effect of breeze
the blessing of the mist. Each of these creatures can move
through allies and enemies tiles as if they were difficult
terrain. But they cannot stop on them.
Pull of the North Wind
As an action you expend 2 willpower and choose an tile up to
6 tiles away. You then make a ranged break attack against
each creature of your choice up to 3 tiles away from the target
tile. On a successful hit they are Pushed up to 2 tiles towards
the nearest unoccupied tile adjacent to the original target tile.
Raider
Stop crying. You'll have to make the decision soon, boy.
Become a farmer or fisher; hard tedious labor for certain, but
you'll never go hungry. Become a trader, maybe live in wealth
when you've mastered the art of lying. Become a builder or a
smith, and make the things that will bring others glory. Or
carry this axe in your hand, and this shield in the other, and
take what those lesser men have made for you." -A father to
his son.
The Legendary Backbiter
As his friends and kin fell around him, screaming, the thought
that now filled young Fadr's head was to simply walk up to
the miserable archers responsible and gut each and every
one. And he did so. It was only after the deed was done that
he even noticed the wall of battle-hardened Varl he had
pushed aside to get there, their brows now furrowed in
confusion as if to say "What just happened?"
The Iron Wall
When men surrounded his modest home and shouted for his
prize, teeth and blades gleaming in the moonlight, Arnhallr
slowly took up his weapon. He stood in the doorway, and
simply waited. They crashed like waves against his shield and
in three flashes of his axe they fell. The last man fled,
screaming "Keep the damn axe!" into the night. Arnhallr
sighed and returned to his fire, setting the ordinary weapon
beside him. There was nothing special about that stupid axe.
Red Coat
See that one? Not the one you thought I'd pick, is it? Look
carefully at his face; that's not confidence, that's a man who
loathed all things and everyone so much that even his anger
has fled in fear. Push his back to the wall and he won't stop
swinging until everything in sight is lying in pieces and his
tunic hangs heavy, soaked in blood. Want to make it out of
this alive? Stay away from that one." -Klintr Turtle-back.
Proficiencies
Weapon Proficiencies: Dagger, Hand Axe, Hammer,
Longsword, Battleaxe, Warhammer, Sling and javelin
Armor Proficiencies: Light armor, Medium armor, Buckler,
Warshield
Passive Ability: ShieldWall
When you end your turn adjacent to an ally you increase both
your and their armor value by 1.
Active Ability: Run
Through
As an action you expend 2 willpower and choose a creature
up to 5 tiles away. You then proceed to run forward in a
straight line at them. Each creature you move through as part
of this movement takes 1d4 break damage. When you reach
your chosen creature you move through their space ending
directly behind them in the nearest unoccupied space and
make a melee health attack against them. On a successful hit
the target takes damage equal to your Strength Damage Die.
Specialisations
Back Bitter
As a swift action when you use Run Through you can expend
1 willpower in order to increase your critical hit range by 1
for your final health attack for each creature you deal break
damage to as part of your movement.
Backstab
As a swift action when you use Run Through you can expend
1 willpower to choose a creature up to 9 tiles away.
Additionally you can make either a melee health or break
attack against your chosen target.
Active Ability: Bloody
Flail
As an action you expend 2 willpower to unleash a flurry of
attacks. You can make up to 5 melee health attacks against
an adjacent creature. Each attack deals progressively more
health damage.
The health damage of these attacks increases in the
following order; 1d4 (First attack), 1d6 (Second attack), 1d8
(Third attack), 1d10 (Forth attack), 1d12 (Fifth attack)
Specialisations
Axe Storm
When you use Blood Flail and you are wielding a melee
weapon with a the Thrown property such as a Dagger or
Hand Axe you can make a ranged health attack instead of a
melee health attack with that weapon. You can replace any
number of the additional attacks you make as part of Bloody
Flail with a thrown attack however you must have the
weapons available to do so.
Brutal Lash
When you use Bloody Flail you no longer need to make all
your attacks against the same creature. Additionally if you
with an attack as part of Bloody Flail you can expend 1
willpower in order to move up to 2 tiles before making your
next attack.
Active Ability: Guts
As an action you expend 2 willpower and choose an
unoccupied tile up to 3 tiles away and make a mighty leap
towards it. When you land you make a melee break attack
against an adjacent creature, on a successful hit the creature
takes break damage and is knocked Prone.
Specialisations
Mighty Leap
When you use Guts you can now choose a tile up to 5 tiles
away. Additionally as a swift action you can expend 1
willpower before you make your break attack. On a
successful hit the target takes break damage and is instead
Knocked Back a number of tiles equal to the number of tiles
you leapt.
Savage Vault
When you use Guts you can choose to either make a break
attack or health attack against the adjacent target. If the
attack is a health attack the target takes damage equal to your
Strength Damage Die.
Active Ability: Stone Wall
As an action you expend 2 willpower and brace for impact.
Until the start of your turn all damage you take is reduced by
6.
Specialisations
Immovable
When you use Stone Wall you can expend 1 willpower as a
swift action in order to become immune to any effect that
would Push or Knock you Prone or back.
Counter
When you use Stone Wall if you reduce the damage of an
melee attack to 0 you can use your reaction to expend 1
willpower to make a melee attack against the attacker.
ShieldBanger
When the Dredge first arose and swarmed across the land
like a black-armored plague, it soon became known that the
sound of beating wooden shields in the distance either meant
salvation, or an early death, depending on which side of the
line you stood.
Nothing Personal
The obscenities spewed forth from Grettir's smirking face do
not make his enemies magically fly into a rage. But the third
time a foe suffers again to hear of Grettir's explicit romance
with his daughter, he may make his first angered mistake. It
is only then that Grettir's long nail slides silently into his
throat, and as he gurgles his last he would hear Grettir's
whisper, "Nothing personal."
The Best Offence
A talented but arrogant young warrior was often heard
mocking fellow Varl who would "hide behind a plank". An
elderly giant one day challenged him to a duel. Laughing, the
warrior accepted. in his first eager rush he was smashed by
the veteran's shield so hard that he flew into the air and
bounced off a tree, his ribs shattered and skull cracked. As
the elder walked past, he was overheard to say "You only had
one weapon".
The Front Line
There was one Varl who even the Dredge recognized and
feared, called Steinn. Though he as said to have never killed a
single enemy, they ran at the mere sight of him. Those who
witnessed the battles say as Steinn waded through their
midst, shield and cudgel a vicious blur, Dredge would stumble
away battered, bruised and with their fearsome black armor
shattered and worthless. The warriors who followed behind
found little resistance.
Proficiencies Active Ability: Battering
Weapon Proficiencies: Longsword, Battleaxe, Warhammer Ram
Armor Proficiencies: Light armor, Medium armor, Tower
Shield As an action you expend 2 willpower and make a melee break
attack against an adjacent creature. On a successful hit the
creature takes break damage and is Knocked Back 6 tiles.
Passive Ability: Return the
Favor Specialisation
Whenever the shieldbanger is wielding a shield and is hit Raw Muscle
with a melee health or break attack. The attacking creature When you use Battering Ram as a swift action you can
takes 1 point of armor damage. expend 2 willpower before you make your attack to instead
Knock Back the target a number of tiles equal to your
Strength Score.
Active Ability: Bring the
Thrashing Force
Pain When you use Battering Ram as a swift action you can
As an action you expend 2 willpower and make a melee break expend 1 willpower before you make your attack to instead
attack against an adjacent creature dealing normal break Knock Back the target 9 tiles. Additionally any creature that
damage on hit. You then hunker down and cause your passive the target moves through during this Knock Back takes 1
ability to now deal armor damage equal to your break point of armor damage.
damage until the start of your next turn.
Specialisation
Bring It
When you use Bring the Pain you can use your swift action to
expend 1 willpower to cause your Return the Favor passive to
instead deal 1d4 health damage which ignores armor to
creatures who attack you.
Bash
When you use Bring the Pain and a creature takes break
damage from your passive. Instead of taking break damage
you can make a melee break attack against them. On a
successful hit the target is Dazed until the start of your next
turn.

Active Ability: Malice

As an action you expend 2 willpower and shout a string of
insults at a creature up to 3 tiles away. Until the start of your
next turn this creature is Enraged by you.
Specialisation
Nothing Personal
You can now trigger malice against a creature up to 6 tiles
away.
Resistance
When you use Malice you can use your swift action to expend
1 willpower to reduce any damage you take from your
Enraged target by 1d4.
Shield Up
When you use Malice and your Enraged target attacks you.
You can use your reaction to cause their attacks to be made
with disadvantage.
Shieldmaiden
All great warriors know that after a battle there are few
things better than a cold mead. But always make sure to be
the first round for your shieldmaidens, as they are the
backbone of any great army as they are the ones brave
enough to get hit so you do have to.
Proficiencies
Weapon Proficiencies: Longsword, Battleaxe, Warhammer,
Short Spear
Armor Proficiencies: Light armor, Medium, bucker,
warshield

Passive Ability: Shield

Mastery
All armor and break damage you take whilst wielding a shield
is halved.

Active Ability: Champion

As an action you expend 2 willpower to enter into a protective
stance so you can guard your allies from harm. Until the start
of your next turn all adjacent allies take half damage from all
sources however you take the other half.
Specialisations
Unbreakable
Whilst using Champion if you take health damage you can
expend 1 willpower to convert the damage into armor
damage instead. However you must have at least 1 point of
armor in order to use this.
Royal Guard
Whilst using Champion if one of your guarded allies is
subject to an attack you can use your reaction to expend 1
willpower in order to impose disadvantage on that attack roll.
Stand Strong
Whilst using Champion if one of your guarded allies is
subject to an attack that would Push or Knock them back.
You can use your reaction to expend 2 willpower to negate
the distance they would move.

Active Ability: Shield

Smash
As an action you expend 2 willpower and make a melee break
attack. You apply this attack to each adjacent creature. On a
successful hit the target takes break damage. However until
the end of your next turn you cannot use Shield Mastery.
Specialisations
Empowered Slam
When you use Shield Smash you can use your swift action to
expend 1 willpower before you make your break attack. On a
successful hit you cause each target to take additional armor
damage equal to your Strength Damage Die.
Ram Horns
When you use Shield Smash you can use your swift action to
expend 1 willpower and choose one adjacent enemy before
you make your break attack. If your attack is successful this
target is knocked Prone.
Skald
When are bones have turned to dust, the only thing that shall
remain will be the skald's song.
Proficiencies
Weapon Proficiencies: Dagger, Handaxe, Hammer,
Shortbow, Sling
Armor Proficiencies: Light armor, buckler

Passive Ability: Skald’s

Song
Whenever you are within 2 tiles of an ally when they reduce a
creature to 0 hit points. You can use your reaction to cause all
creatures of your choice, including yourself, within 6 tiles of
you to regain 1 willpower.

Active Ability: Tale Worth

Telling
As an action you expend 2 willpower and choose a creature
up to 3 tiles away. Until the start of your next turn all health
attacks this creature makes score a critical hit on a roll of 1-5
on the d20 roll.
Specialisation
Song of Valor
When you use Tale Worth Telling you can now target a
creature up to 6 tiles away. Additionally when your buffed
target makes a health attack roll you can use your reaction to
expend 1 willpower to grant them advantage on the attack
roll.
Battle Ballad
When your creature buffed by Tale Worth Telling lands a
successful critical hit you can use your reaction to expend 2
willpower to cause the the critical hit to ignore the targets
armor.
Short Story
You can now use Tale Worth Telling as a swift action however
it now costs 3 willpower to use.

Active Ability: Insult

As an action you expend 2 willpower and choose a creature
up to 3 tiles away. Make a ranged break attack against this
creature. On a successful hit the target is Stunned until the
start of your next turn.
Specialisation
Stunning Strike
When you use Insult on an adjacent creature you can expend
1 willpower as a swift action to make a melee attack against
them.
Vicious Taunt
When you use Insult you can use your swift action to expend
1 willpower before you make your break attack against them.
On a successful hit the target is Stunned and also takes break
damage.
Spearman
Proficiencies
Weapon Proficiencies: Long Spear, Short Spear
Armor Proficiencies: Light armor, Buckler, War Shield

Passive Ability: Embolden

Whenever you reduce a hostile creature to 0 hit points or
lower all adjacent allies regain +1 willpower.

Active Ability: Impale

As an action you expend 2 willpower and make a melee
health attack against an adjacent creature. On a successful
hit the target takes health damage and is Pushed back 3 tiles.
Additionally until the start of your next turn each tile that the
target moves, forced or otherwise, causes the target to take 1
health damage which ignores armor
Specialisations
Lance
When use Impale you can use your swift action before your
make your attack to expend 1 willpower to instead make the
health attack against a creature within your threatened reach.
Driving Kick
When you use Impale you can use your swift action before
your make your attack to expend 1 willpower on a successful
attack. The target is Knocked back 6 tiles.

Active Ability: Pig Sticker

As an action you expend 2 willpower and make a melee
health attack against a creature within your threatened reach.
Your critical hit range increases by 1 for each adjacent all to
the target.
Specialisations
Skewer
When you use Pig Stick you can now either make a health or
break attack rather than just a health attack. Additionally
your threatened reach for this attack is increased by 1 tile.
Iron Fang
If your target of Pig Sticker is adjacent to you. Then you can
use your swift action before making your attack to make the
attack with advantage. Additionally your critical hit range is
increased by 2 for each adjacent ally.
Sweep
If your attack made as part of Pig Sticker is not a critical hit
you can use your swift action to expend 1 willpower to
instead knock the target Prone.
Warrior
"Are there any amongst us not made to fight and kill?" asked
the younger Varl. "Did Men and Dredge not run in fear just at
the sight of us?" His elder chuckled. "Maybe, pup, but I will
not call you a warrior until you have crushed someone so
thoroughly that his friends feel the impact."
Only the Strongest
When Varl vie for a new leader they compete in tests of wits
and strength. It was a giant named Raumr who stunned his
clan and won the trials when he felled not just a tree in a
single stroke, but four trees. Raumr would later discover that
his enemies would fall in quite a similar way, and more easily
than trees, much to their dismay.
Commander
"Heard you'd have to lose that arm. Didn't see the archer
behind the giant with the shield, did you? You know who did
see her? I did. And if you listened when I told you to step back
you'd still have an arm, and your mouthy partner wouldn't be
eating worms right now. So if you don't piss yourself tonight
and run off wailing for you mother, you do what I say next
time. Or I'll tear your other arm off myself." -Olfun the Aged.
Unbroken
"Go away. Does it look like I just bought my fifth mead
because I want to talk about fighting? Do I look like a training
yard dummy? If you and everyone who looks like you don't
stop bothering me you'll find out why I keep winning in the
arena. No special training, no hidden trick or fancy footwork.
Want to know the secret? Hit 'em harder than they can hit
you. Now get lost." -Halmr the Unbroken.
Proficiencies Active Ability: Sundering
Weapon Proficiencies: Longsword, Battle axe, War hammer, Impact
Greatsword, Greataxe, Maul As an action you expend 2 willpower and make a single
Armor Proficiencies: All armor and Shields melee attack against an adjacent creature. On a successful
attack the target takes normal damage and you trigger Heavy
Passive Ability: Heavy Impact and instead cause the health damage dealt to be equal
to your Strength Damage Die.
Impact
Once per turn when you make a successful attack as part of Specialisation
the attack action you cause all adjacent creatures to the Staggering impact
target (not including you) to take 1d4 health damage which If you make a break attack as part of Sundering Impact you
ignores armor. The weapon must have either the two handed can use your swift action before you roll your attack to
property or be wielded in two hands. If the attack is a critical expend 1 willpower. If the attack is successful the target is
hit this bonus damage is also doubled. Concussed until the end of your next turn.
Active Ability: Tempest Set Them Up
If you make a health attack as part of Sundering Impact you
As an action you swing your weapon around hit all creatures can use your swift action before you roll your attack to
who dared get near you. You expend 2 willpower and make a expend 1 willpower. If the attack is successful the target is
melee health attack against each adjacent creature. Pushed up to 6 tiles. You can choose to trigger Heavy Impact
of this attack before or after the creature moves.
Specialisation
Raging Tempest
When you use Tempest you can instead choose to make
either a break or health attack however you must choose the
same attack for all creatures you would attack.
Iron Storm
When you make your fist attack as part of Tempest you can
use your swift action to expend 1 willpower. You can then use
this attack roll against all adjacent creatures, instead of
rolling a separate attack for each
Storm Front
When you us Tempest you can use your swift action to
expend 2 willpower you then regain 1 point of armor for each
creature you hit as part of Tempest.

Active Ability: Forge

Ahead
As an action you expend 2 willpower and choose an ally up to
3 tiles away and give them a command. This creature can
immediately take an action.
Specialisation
Lord of War
When you use Forge Ahead you can use your swift action to
expend 1 willpower to allow your creature to be able to move
up to half their total movement speed before taking their
action.
Thunderous Voice
When you use Forge ahead you use your swift action can
expend 2 willpower. In order to command a creature up to 6
tiles away.
Witch
It's easy to forget that the menders aren’t the only ones who
can learn to weave the lines of power - in fact, it is untrained
children with raw potential who must go through the
mender’s tests to determine whether they’re ready to be
shown the ways. Those who fail the test often don’t return to
talk about it. Occasionally, a child slips past the notice of the
menders, hiding their power or teaching themselves in secret.
The temptation to abuse their powers without the mender’s
guidance has led fearful commoners to call them witches.
Proficiencies
Weapons: Dagger, Hand Axe, Hammer, Staff
Armors: Light Armor
Passive Ability: Will of the
Fallen
Whenever you reduce a hostile creature to 0 hit points or
lower with a melee attack you and all adjacent allies regain
1d6 hit points.
Active Ability: Strength
of Will
As an action you can expend 2 willpower to choose a creature
up to 6 tiles away. This creature immediately regains 10 hit
points.
Specialization
Heal the Masses
When you use Strength of Will you can use your swift action
to expend additional willpower to choose a number of
additional creatures equal to your willpower expended. For
example if you expend 3 willpower you can target 3
additional creatures with Strength of Will. All additional
targets must be within 6 tiles of you and you can only target a
creature once.
Price of Power
You can now use Strength of Will as a swift action however if
you use this ability in this manner instead of expending
willpower to use this ability you reduce your maximum
willpower by 2.
Active Ability: Force of
Will
As an action you expend 2 willpower to create an ethereal
version of yourself who can fly forward to strike your
enemies. Choose a creature up to 10 tiles away. You can
make a melee health attack against them. This attack ignores
half and three quarters cover. On a successful hit the target
takes health damage equal to your weapon damage plus your
Strength Damage Die.
Specialisations
Ethereal Stride
After you make your attack as part of Force of Will you can
use your swift action to expend 1 willpower to move up to 3
tiles.
Ghost Touch
You can now use Force of Will as a swift action however if
you use this ability in this manner instead of expending
willpower to use this ability you reduce your maximum
willpower by 2.
Will of the Masses
When you make your attack as part of Force of Will you have
advantage on the attack roll if the target is adjacent to one of
your allies.
Valkyrie
Valhalla: our reward for dying in battle. But what of those
who die elsewhere? The Valkyries- a warrior order who
through the teachings of the menders have learnt to
manipulate the great tapestry of life in order call forth the
spirits of those in valhalla. Each one can earn glory for the
fallen dead. In time, they can win a place for the deserving.
But they alones decide for whom they fight.
Proficiencies
Weapon Proficiencies: Longsword, Battle axe, War hammer,
Long Spear
Armor Proficiencies: Light Armor, Buckler, War Shield
Passive Ability: Honor and
Glory
As an action you can stabilize a dying creature up to 3 tiles
away.
Active Ability: Warriors
Spirit
As an action you expend 2 willpower and make a melee break
attack against an adjacent creature. You then call forth the
spirit of a varl warrior to attack the same target. If your break
attack is successful the target takes break damage and then
health damage equal to your Strength Damage Die
Specialisations
Break them Down
When you use Warriors Spirit you can use your swift action
to expend 1 willpower. You forgo the additional health
damage and the target is instead Stunned until the start of
your next turn.
Second Wind
When you use Warriors Spirit you can use your swift action
to expend 1 willpower. You forgo the additional health
damage and instead regain hit point equal to your Strength
Damage Die.
Heroic Strike
When you use Warriors Spirit you can use your swift action
to expend 1 willpower before you roll your break attack. On a
successful hit the target is also Knocked Back a number of
tiles equal to the number rolled on your Strength Damage
die. Additionally each creature the target moves through
takes 1 point of armor damage.
Active Ability: Soul of the
Shaman
As an action you expend 2 willpower to call forth the soul of a
great shaman to heal your wounds. You immediately regain
hit points equal to your Strength Damage Die + Agility
Damage Die.
Specialisations
Superior Healing
You can now use Soul of the Shaman as a swift action.
Additionally if you use Soul of the Shaman as an action you
can expend 1 additional willpower to cause all adjacent allies
to regain hit points equal to half your Valkyrie level.
Spirit Shield
When you use Soul of the Shaman you can choose to forgo
regaining hit point and instead gain temporary hit points
equal to your Valkyrie level.
Additionally you can spend 1 additional willpower you can
choose one adjacent ally to also gain these temporary hit
points, you can choose an additional adjacent ally for each
point of additional willpower you expend.
Active Ability: Horseborn
Strike
As an action you expend 2 willpower and call forth the spirit
of a great horseborn Teulu who strikes forth at your foes. You
make a melee break attack against an adjacent creature. On a
successful hit the target is Knocked Back 6 tiles. Additionally
each creature that the target moves through suffers 1 point of
armor damage.
Specialisations
Wild Charge
When you use Horseborn Strike the target of your attack also
suffers break damage. Additionally you can choose to make
either a break or health attack. If you make a health attack
the target takes health damage equal to your Strength
Damage Die.
Thunderous Kick
When you use Horseborn Strike you can use your swift action
before you roll your attack to expend 2 additional willpower.
If your break attack is successful the target takes no damage
but is Stunned in addition to being Knocked Back.
Trample
When you use Horseborn Strike you can use your swift action
before you roll your attack to expend 1 additional willpower.
If your break attack is successful the target is Knocked Back
8 tiles and each creature it moves through takes 1d4 armor
damage.
Active Ability: Heart of
Shadow
As an action you can send forth a shadow form version of
yourself. It can move up to 6 tiles and can move through but
not stop on enemy and allies tiles. Each creature it moves
through takes 1 point of armor damage. However a creature
can only be affected by this damage once per use.
Specialisations
Shadow Bomb
As a swift action during your shadows movement you can
expend 1 willpower to cause your shadow to explode. Each
adjacent creature takes 1d4 break damage. Additionally your
shadow can move up to 10 tiles.
Shadow Ram
During your shadows movement you can expend 1 movement
when it moves through a creatures space to make a melee
break attack against them. On a successful hit the creature is
Staggered until the start of your next turn.
Chapter 4: Origins
Origins
Everyone's story must begin somewhere. This is where your
characters started.
The following give you an idea of your life you lived. The most
important question you should answer about your character's
origin. Is what changed ? why did you character leave their
home and seek out their true destiny ? was your hometown
sacked by raiders ? Did you you have to flee from the law or
face punishment for the crimes you committed ? Where you a
fighter who won their freedom by fighting in pits ? What sets
you apart from others who might share your origin ?
Talk to your Lore Master and come up with an origin for
your character that fits into the game world and one whose
story would lead to more role playing opportunities.
Merchant
Travelling through any of the great cities will cause you to be
harassed by a legion of merchants trying to ply their wares.
Everything from the finest silk garments to mysterious relics
that will bring their wearer great fortune. You were one of
these merchants every day you were out there persuading
with crowds to buy things they didn’t really need or finding a
way to move your goods across the bandit filled lands.
Criminal
It's not always the beasts or dredge when traveling the world
that people should always fear, more often than not it's the
common bandits that cause the travellers the most trouble.
You were once one of these people whether you robbed
people on the road, broke into homes, picked pockets or ran a
criminal network.
Bounty Hunter
The world is a dangerous place, dredge waiting to take your
life and bandits wanting to take your money. It seems like no
road is safe. You have dedicated your life to hunting down the
criminals who prey on the weak and vulnerable, whether out
of a personal sense of justice or the renown that could be
earnt, no criminal was safe you would bring them in either
dead or alive.
Craftsman
Where others saw trees you saw longships, people saw iron
ore you saw a hammer that could shatter armor. You were
prominent and well respected. Farmers, warriors and jarls
would travel for miles in order to purchase your skills. What
drove you to become such a Craftsman was it the desire to
tame the natural world to your will, was it the family's
business and you wanted to carry on that legacy. Whatever
the reason your creations will be admired long since your
bones have turned to dust.
Laborer
You were raised with a simple and honest life. You worked
the fields, you were a ranch hand or a simple miner. Your life
was not meant for one of glory, that honor was reserved for
others. But what changed ? was your farm simply in the path
of the rampaging dredge, did the harsh winter destroy your
your fields, did you simply grow tired of working for others
and wanted to seek fame and glory for yourself.
Soldier
Some people are just born for battle. From a young age you
trained on how to wield weapons how to move in armor, how
to use tactics to destroy your foes. Or was it a call to Duty you
felt your father had taught you how to fight so when the
dredge attacked you enlisted in order to fight them back,
when raiders came from the woods to sack your town, you
were the front line holding them off. Did you simply seek the
glory of it all, did you learn the art of warfare in fighting pits
and areas across the land gaining fame and more importantly
gold for your victories.
Chieftain
The life of a Chieftain is never a simple one. Each day is a
struggle to maintain your influence over the land, by gaining
followers, soldiers and clansmen who will support you in
armed conflict if necessary but will also be willing to pay
taxes in return for a share of crops, game and other natural
resources your land can provide. In return for their loyalty
you were expected to protect the rights and welfare of your
supporters and to defend them in conflicts or any dispute.
However being a chieftain is a life of constant conflict as
everyone is seeking to expand their territory. Did a rival
chieftain claim what was yours ? did your clansman abandon
you in a time of famine ? Did you sacrifice your title, power
and land in return to keep your clansman feed and sheltered
during a brutal winter ?
Chapter 5: Equipment
Starting Renown
Each character starts with 20 renown which can only be
spent on equipment and items. This renown cannot be spent
on gaining a level. All unspent renown is lost.

Renown as Currency
The renown your party gains whilst traveling through the
world whether by slaying dredge and bandits or navigating
the political struggles of the jarls can be spent on gaining new
equipment. Renown is expended in the same way when
buying items or services as it is when gaining a level, and it is
encouraged that the party discuss what to spend their
renown. Additionally many merchants or caravan masters
may ask for work in return for their services, such as working
as guards for a shipment that is traveling across the country.
Either way players will have to manage their renown between
buying supplies, items and gaining levels.

Armor and Shield

Proficency
It takes years of training in order to be able to fully move and
fight whilst wearing armor. You class gives you proficiency
with different types armor. If you wear armor you are not
proficient with you have disadvantage on all rolls made whilst
wearing it.

Deflection
This is the value that represents how hard you are to hit.
With lightweight armors allowing their wearer to avoid blows
better but suffer when finally struck. This increase to
deflection is added to your deflection statistic and can allow
your to raise the value past its set maximum, for example if a
character with 5 deflection equips a war shield then their
deflection would be increased to 7. How deflection is used is
covered in detail in Chapter 9.

Armor Value
This acts as damage reduction by representing how good
your armor is at taking the brunt of attacks aimed at you.
How Armor is used is covered in detail in Chapter 9.

Shields
The most common shields fall into three groups; Buckler,
War and Tower. Shields grant their wielder a bonus to both
deflection and armor but occupy one hand. Wielding a shield
you are not proficient with causes your movement speed to
be halved. The buckler is unique in that it is designed to allow
people to use a two-handed weapon at the same time.
Light Armor Shields
Padded. Padded armor usually consists of layered textiles Buckler. A small circular shield often made of a single sheet
and leather. of metal, with a strip of leather on the inside allowing the
Leather. The breastplate of leather armor was made of users to wear the shield around the back of their hand but
boiled leather along with the vambraces. The rest of the keep their fingers free, this shield is often favored by
armor usually consists of a soft wool undershirt allowing the spearmen.
armor to remaining flexible but tough. War Shield. This large shield is often crafted out of hardened
Studded. Constructed in a similar fashion to leather armor wood with a series of metal bolts riveting a metal sheet
except with the addition of small metal plates usually riveted around the outer edge which re-enforces the whole shield
into the leather. allowing it to remain study in a battle and yet easier to make
and repair.
Tower Shield. Often made of a thick oak with strips of metal
Medium covering its front, this large square shield is designed to cover
Hide. This type of armor is often crudely made from thick almost all of the user's body.
animal furs and hides, often worn by tribes who often don't
have access to the equipment needed to fashion more Equipping and removing armor
modern armors. Getting in and out of armor is not a quick task and often takes
Chain Shirt. This armor is often worn over thick woolen the same amount of time to put on as it does to take off, due
undershirts or softer leathers and is constructed of to this task most travellers usually sleep in their armor when
interlocking metal rings. in the wilderness as most armor are designed to allow users
Breastplate. This armor is constructed of a fitted metal plate to sleep in it with a small amount of discomfort. Though in
that covers the wearer's torso, often worn with a set of metal towns and cities many chose to wear lighter armors as many
vambraces. This armor is worn over a combination of soft inns don’t allow its patrons to wear full armor.
wool and leather.
Half Plate. This armor is made of a series of metal plates Equiping Time
that cover most of the user's upper body, However the legs Light Armor. Equip: 1 minute Remove: 1 minute.
are usually left unprotected with the exception of greaves Medium Armor. Equip: 5 minutes Remove: 1 minute.
allowing. The armor is attached over leather padding with Heavy Armor. Equip: 10 minutes Remove: 5 minutes.
additional leather straps. Shield. Equip: 1 action Remove: 1 action.
Heavy Armor
Type Renown Cost Bonus
Ring Mail. Often constructed with leather armor as a base
with large metal rings woven into the leather itself. This is Light
usually considered the cheaper alternative for Chain Mail. Padded 1 +1 Deflection
Chain Mail. Built of heavy metal rings worn over a padded Leather 2 +2 Deflection
hard leather undershirt designed to cushion the impact of
attacks. Studded 3 +3 Deflection
Splint. With a flexible set of chain mail to protect the joints. Medium
This armor is made of strips of heavy metal plates riveted into
a base leather armor. Hide 4 +2 Armor
Plate. Plate often referred to as Plate Mail consists of sheets Chain Shirt 5 +3 Armor
of shaped, interconnected metal plates that cover most of the Breastplate 6 +4 Armor
user's body. It often includes a helmet with a visor, a series of
leather straps allow for the extreme weight of the metal to be Half Plate 7 +5 Armor
evenly distributed, whilst still allowing some degree of Heavy
movement. Ring Mail 15 +6 Armor
Chain Mail 17 +8 Armor
Splint 18 +10 Armor
Plate 20 +12 Armor
Shields
Buckler 5 +1 Deflection and Armor
War Shield 7 +2 Deflection and Armor
Tower Shield 10 +3 Deflection and Armor
Weapons
What weapons you can wield and use effectively in battle is
often determined by your class. Do you prefer to fight with a
battleaxe or with a shortbow, understanding which weapon
allows you to be the most effective is the difference between
life and death in the world of the banner saga.
The table of weapons shows the most common types and
styles of weapons that can be found in the world of the
banner saga and shows how much they cost, their damage
and their properties. These weapons are categories in two
different ways.
Melee weapons which allow you to attack anything within
1 tile of yourself.
Ranged which allows you to make attacks against
anything a distance but not against adjacent creatures.
Proficiency
Any idiot can swing an axe but only a true warrior can cleave
a tree with a single axe swing. When you are proficient with a
weapon you can attack with it with no penalty, if you make an
attack with a weapon you are not proficient with you suffer
disadvantage on all attack rolls made with that weapon.
Attack Damage
Strong steel cannot compensate for a weak arm. However
hitting someone with a hammer sure beats punching them.
When you make a successful weapon attack with a melee
weapon you deal damage equal to the die shown in the
damage column of shown in the weapon table.
For example if you are wielding a dagger and make a
successful health attack with it the target takes 1d6 health
damage. Break damage is different and is indepentant of
what weapon you wield. Whenever you make a successful
break attack the target takes break damage equal to your
Break Statistic.
Health and Armor Damage
What health and break damage does is covered in Chapter 9.
If a weapon deals both break and health damage with the
same attack, then the break damage happens first followed
by the health damage. As an attack goes through an
opponents armor in order to damage its wearer.
Properties
Ammunition. Weapons that require ammunition can only be
used when you have the appropriate ammunition. An arrow
for a bow or a rock for a sling for example. Drawing a piece of
ammunition from its quiver is done as part of the attack. After
a battle has concluded if you spend 1 minute searching the
battleground for your ammunition you can recover half of
your expended ammo.
Swift. These weapons are designed to be quick and light
weight. Making them perfect for rapid attacks.
Thrown. A weapon with the thrown property is designed to
both function as a melee weapon and as a ranged weapon.
With a thrown weapon you can make a ranged attack which
uses your Strength for both the attack and damage roll, with a
range of 2-6 tiles.
Reach. This weapon increases your attack range by 1 tile.
Adaptable. These are weapons that can be carried and
wielded in one or two hands. As such they qualify for any
ability or talent that requires the use of a one handed or two
handed weapon.
Two-handed. This weapon whilst it can be carried in one
hand you must wield it in two in order to make attacks with it.
Improvising Weapons
Sometimes you don’t have your weapons at hand, forcing you
to improvise. A chair, a tankard or a frying pan for example.
When wielding a improvised weapon they often can be
treated as actual weapons. A broken glass is similar to that of
a dagger, thus you Lm might treat it as such for the attack and
damage rolls. If a weapon is unlike others such as hitting a
creature with a chair, its health damage is 1d6.
Unarmed Attack
Occasionally you just need to punch, kick or headbutt
someone. Whenever making an unarmed melee attack you
can only make a health attack. Follow the same rules as
shown in Chapter 9 for the damage of this attack deals
damage equal to either your Strength or Agility Damage
Bonus. What this damage is is explained in Chapter 8.
Drawing and Stowing
Weapons
Weapons are only useful when you can wield them. On each
of your turns you can a special free action which allows you
to draw a weapon, stow and draw a new weapon or draw and
stow two weapons at the same time. However you can only
do this once per turn, if you wish to draw and stow more
weapons you must use your action.
Weapon Damage
Whenever you make a successful attack roll you deal damage
as shown in the Damage coloum of the weapons table. You
also deal additional additional damage as shown in the
Damage bonus rules.
For Thrown weapons the second value shows the damage
die for when the weapon is thrown.
For Adaptable weapons the second value shows the
damage die when the weapon is used in two hands.
Weapons
Renown
Name Cost Damage Properties
Melee
Dagger 1 1d6/1d8 Swift, Thrown
Hand Axe 1 1d6/1d8 Swift, Thrown
Hammer 1 1d6/1d8 Swift, Thrown
Longsword 3 1d8/1d10 Adaptable
Battle Axe 3 1d8/1d10 Adaptable
War 3 1d8/1d10 Adaptable
Hammer
Short Spear 2 1d8 Reach
Greatsword 5 1d12 Two-Handed
Great Axe 5 1d12 Two-Handed
Maul 5 1d12 Two-Handed
Long Spear 4 1d10 Two-Handed, Reach
Staff 1 1d8 Two-Handed, Reach
Ranged
Shortbow 3 1d12 Two-Handed, Range (2-
10 Tiles)
Longbow 5 1d10 Two-Handed, Range (2-
15 Tiles)
Sling 2 2d4 Range (2-8 Tiles)
Javelin 2 2d6 Range (2-6 Tiles)
 Sack
Traveling Gear Scale, Merchant
Whilst weapons and armor are instrumental in your survival Sealing wax
in a fight. Your war shield isn't much good if you have to use it Shovel
as firewood. Listed below are a range of items that players Signal Whistle
can purchase using their renown, in order to aid them in their Signet ring
travels. Each one of these items costs 2 renown to purchase Sap
however a Lore Master might increase or decrease the price Spikes, iron (10)
base on the location they are purchased in. Items that have Spyglass
special rules are detailed below. Tent
Tinderbox
Abacus Torch
Ammunitions Vial
Arrows 3 renown for 10 arrows Waterskin
Slinging Stones 3 renown for 20 stones Whetstone
Antitoxin
Backpack Antitoxin
Ballbearings A creature who drinks this removes one poison that is
Barrel currently affecting them
Basket
Bedroll Ball Bearings
Bell
Blanket As an action you can throw these small round beads in a 2x2
Block and tackle tile area adjacent to you. Any creature who walks through this
Book area must make an Agility test with a difficulty of 5, on a
Bottle,glass failure the creature falls prone. A creature can treat this area
Bucket as difficult terrain in order to avoid falling prone.
Caltrops
Candle (set of 6) Block and Tackle
Case, map or scroll A series of pulleys with a cable with a hook attached. It allows
Chain (10 feet) someone to lift up to 4 times the weight you could normally
Chalk (20 pieces) lift.
Chest
Climbing spike (4 spikes) Caltrops
Clothes, common
Clothes, costume As an action you can spread this small spiked tacs in a 1x1
Clothes, fine tile in a tile adjacent to you. If a creature moves through this
Clothes, traveler’s space it takes 1 point of armor damage. A creature can treat
Crowbar this tile as difficult terrain in order to avoid the damage.
Fishing tackle
Flask or tankard Climbing spikes
Hammer, forge This long narrow spikes are built to allow a creature to scale
Hammer, sledge wood or stone walls with ease. As such when using these
Hourglass climbing costs you no additional movement.
Hunter Trap
Jug or Pitcher
Ladder (10 foot) Crowbar
Lock You gain advantage on Strength tests to break open objects
Magnifying glass such as a door or chest whilst using this item.
Manacles
Mirror, steel Quiver
Oil (flask)
Paper (one sheet), Quill, Ink (1 ounce bottle) A simple quiver often made of hardened leather. It can hold
Parchment (one sheet), Quill, Ink (1 ounce bottle) 20 arrows.
Perfume (vial)
Pick, miners Lock
Pole (10 foot) A simple padlock with a key. The lock can be successful
Pot, iron broken with a Strength test with a difficulty of 5, or picketed
Pouch with a Agility test with a difficulty of 3.
Quiver
Rations (1 day)
Robes
Rope, hempen (50 feet)
Rope, silk (50 feet)
Manacles
A set of metal restraints designed to restrain a creature.
Manacles can be broken or slipped out of with a successful
Strength or Agility test with a difficulty of 6 respectively. The
manacles come with one key, however the lock can be picked
with an Agility test with a difficulty of 3.
Oil
A small clay flask that contains a pint of oil. As an action you
can splash a tile either occupied or not with the contents of
the flask. On a successful hit, treating the flask as an
improvised weapon, the flask shatters on impact covering the
creature or tile with the oil. For the next minute if the
creature takes any fire damage such as via slag and burn, the
damage is doubled. If placed on an unoccupied tile and lit the
oil burns for 3 rounds and deals one point of health and
armor damage to any creature who moves through or ends its
turn on the tile.
Pouch
A Pouch can hold up to 15 slinging stones or a range of other
smaller items.
Rations
A collection of dried meat and nuts designed to be taken on
long journey. One ration can feed a single creature for one
days of travel.
Tent
A single tent that can hold two people or a single varl.
Tinderbox
A collection of flint and steel that allows you to light fires with
ease such as lighting torches or starting a campfire.
Torch
A torch made of simple wood often covered in a pitch soaked
rag. Once lit the torch remains ignited for 1 hour and radiates
light in a 5 tiles radius around you.
Waterskin
A small bag made of soft leather, that can hold up to a pint of
liquid.
Chapter 6: Talents
T
alents represent an area of skill that your
character has chosen to specialise in. It is a
manifestation of training, study and
experience. When you gain a heroic
improvement when you gain a level you can
choose to forgo gaining any hero points and
instead choose to learn a talent. You cannot
take a talent more than once unless the talent specifies that
you can.
Art of the Menders
Your study of the great tapestry and those who can
manipulate it grants you the following benefits
You gain proficiency in Knowledge Weaving. If you are
already proficient in this skill if you roll a 20 when roll a
skill test you can choose to reroll, however you must take
the second roll.
You gain advantage on medicine checks to stabilize dying
creatures.
You gain replace one active ability of your choice with the
Menders “Mend” ability.
Art of Warfare
Your study of history allows you to flawless recall battle plans
and ambush tactics. You gain the following benefits
You gain proficiency in knowledge History. If you are
already proficient in this skill if you roll a 20 when roll a
skill test you can choose to reroll, however you must take
the second roll.
You cannot be surprised whilst conscious
If you spend 1 uninterrupted minute studying a creature.
You can learn if four of the following character statistics of
your choice are equal, weaker or surpass yours;
Strength
Agility
Influence
Lore
Accuracy
Awareness
Armor
Constitution
Willpower
Break
Exertion
Deflection
Bardic Tale
You gain the following benefits
You gain proficiency in the Performance skill. If you are
already proficient in this skill if you roll a 20 when roll a
skill test you can choose to reroll, however you must take
the second roll.
You can receive free lodging for you and up to 6 allies in
some establishments provided that you perform each
night.
You can perfectly recall anything you have seen or heard
in the past month.
Brawn
You gain the following benefits
Your attacks deal double damage to objects and
structures.
You can use your unarmed attacks to make break attacks.
Instead of your Influence you can instead use your
Strength Statistic whenever you attempt to Intimidate a
creature.
Wanderer
You gain the following benefits
You gain proficiency in three knowledge skills of your
choice
You cannot get lost except by magic means.
You can perfectly recall any path you have travelled
Danger Sense
You gain the following benefits
You gain proficiency in the Perception and Investigation
skills. If you are already proficient in this skill if you roll a
20 when roll a skill test you can choose to reroll, however
you must take the second roll.
You gain advantage on Investigation checks to search for
traps and other hazards.
You no longer suffer the effects on your vision such as
being in Shrouded or Densely Shrouded areas.
Additionally you can see in the dark up to a range of 10
tiles.
Influential
You gain proficiency in the Deception, Persuasion and
Intimidation skills
If you spend 1 uninterrupted minute having an
conversation with a creature. You gain advantage on
Persuasion tests against that creature for the next 24
hours.
Creatures have Disadvantage on Insight tests to
determine if you are lying to them
Thief
You gain the following benefits
You gain proficiency in the stealth, Tracking and Sleight of
hand Skills.
You have advantage on attack rolls against any creature
that is suprised by you.
Whenever you are making a Dodge, Sleight of hand,
Stealth or Tracking test you can use your reaction to
expend 1 willpower in order to gain advantage on the roll.
Lucky
The gods may be dead, but only luck can explain some of your
actions.
Whenever yourself or a creature you can see is making an
attack roll, ability test or contest you can use your reaction to
grant them either advantage or disadvantage on the roll. You
can use this feature three times, you regain all expended uses
when you complete an extended rest.
Rune Scribe
Your study of ancient runes and languages grants you the
following benefits
You gain proficiency in the Knowledge Runes and Religion
skills
You can speak, read and write all written languages.
At the start of each day roll a d20 and record the result.
Until the next dawn you can use your reaction to replace
an attack, test or contest you or a creature you can see
makes with your recorded value.
Chapter 7: Using your Statistics

T
here are 12 statistics that your characters in
the world of the banner saga use. These are
used to represent all the assets and drawbacks
that each hero possess.
Strength. Measures physical power
Agility. Measures dexterity
Influence. Measures force of personality
Lore. Measures your retention and application of
knowledge
Accuracy. Measures your precision
Awareness. Measures your perception of your
environment
Armor. Measures how effectively you use your armor
Constitution. Measures fortitude
Willpower. Measures your stamina
Break. Measures your effectiveness against armor
Exertion. Measures endurance
Deflection. Measures your ability to dodge
The three main roles that you will be making in the banner
saga are; Attack rolls, Ability tests and Contests. Each one
uses one or more of these statistics. Earlier in this book we
introduced the general flow of the die rolls. Roll a d20, apply
penalties and bonuses, then compare to your Statistic.
In this chapter we will be covering what each Statistic
represents and what each one in turn can be used for whilst
exploring the dangerous world of the banner saga.
Ability Tests
An ability test tests your characters or monsters innate talent
and skill in order to overcome a challenge. The LM can call
for an Ability test when the creature takes an action that has
a chance of failure. Each time a creature must make an
Ability test the LM determines which one of the core
statistics that are relevant to the test and the difficulty penalty
of the task. The more difficult the task the higher the
difficulty penalty.
Difficulty
Rank Penalty
Very Easy 1-2
Easy 3-4
Medium 5-6
Hard 7-8
Very Hard 9-10
Nearly Impossible 11+
To make an ability test you roll a d20, you apply the any
relevant penalties or bonuses and compare the result to your
Statistic and reduce the statistic by the difficulty penalty. If
the total roll is equal or under the statistic used then the test
is a success. Otherwise it is a failure and you make no
progress or suffer a setback as determined by the LM.
Brona is an archer who is exploring a cave when
the ceiling collapses and thus must make an Agility
test in order to avoid the falling debris. The LM has
determined that the difficulty of the task is
medium and thus incurs a penalty of 5 and tells the
player to roll an Agility Test. Brona has an 16 Agility
with a difficulty penalty of 5 means she must roll
under a 11 to succeed, after rolling the d20 she
has a total of 9 meaning she has succeed and deftly
dodges out of the way of the rocks and makes it to
safety.
Contests
Often a characters or monsters efforts are directly opposed to
another. Such as both attempting to grab a falling item or if a
dredge is attempting to push open a door with a player
attempting to keep it closed. This leads to contested roles In
this case both creatures involved make an Ability test related
to the task at hand such as Agility or Strength in the
examples above.
They then compare the totals to each others with the
winner of the contest being the creature who both rolls a
success and lower than their opponent. If the result is a tie
nothing changes about the situation or both creatures fail to
succeed. For example in the above examples both creatures
fail to catch the item or the door remains closed.
Skills
Each of the core statistics covers the wide range of skills that
your character might be proficient with. A skill is used to
represent a specific aspect of what the statistic is used for.
Influence for example can be used to convince another
creature to do something, deceive a creature, intimidate
another, tell if a creature is lying to you or pull of a wonderful
performance. So the skills related to influence are;
persuasion, deception, intimidation, insight and performance.
So a character who is proficient in deception is especially
talented at deceiving others. What each statistic and skill can
be used for is covered later in this Chapter.
The list below shows all the skills and the statistics they use.
Strength
Athletics
Agility
Dodge
Sleight of hand
Stealth
Influence
Persuasion
Deception
Intimidation
Insight
Performance
Lore
Knowledge History
Knowledge Local
Knowledge Religion
Knowledge Nature
Knowledge Medicine
Knowledge Weaving (magic)
Knowledge Runes (languages)
Awareness
Perception
Investigation
Tracking
Skill Proficiency
Gaining proficiency in a skill reflects both your natural skill
and practice or study in an area of expertise. A character who
gains proficiency in a skill can use their full relevant statistic
for their tests. A creature can always attempt a skill test even
if they are not proficient, for a skill in which the character is
not proficient you use half the related statistic.
Brona the Shieldmaiden has a Strength of 18 and is
attempting an Athletics test to push open a door. Since she is
proficient she must roll under 18 in order to succeed. If she
weren't proficiency then she would need to roll under a 9.
Working as a group
Often during the course of a game it might be beneficial for
characters to work together to achieve something. In this
case the character who is leading the test or who has the
higher statistic gains advantage on the test, reflecting the
help that is being provided. A character can only aid another
if the task is one that is made easier with help, such as
pushing a boulder out of the way, however some tasks such
as trying to pick a lock are made harder by multiple people
working on the task.
Using Each Ability Agility
This section explains what each statistics represents and Agility measures your dexterity, your reflexes and balance.
explains some of the main uses for each statistic. Agility Tests
An agility test can be used to reflect any attempt to nimbly,
Strength quickly, quietly or maintain your footing on solid ground.
Strength measures the raw physical power that a character Dodge, Sleight of Hand and stealth are the most common
can exert. ways that agility can be used.
Strength Tests Dodge
A Strength test can encompass any test made to push, carry, An dodge test can be used whenever a creature wishes to
lift, pull, break something, or apply brute force to the avoid a hazard such as a collapsing cave ceiling or rolling to
situation. Common examples of such Strength tests might be the side of a runaway cart.
one of the following: Sleight of hand
To break open a door Whenever a creature is attempting to remove an object such
To rip yourself free of bindings as via pickpocketing a character or place an object on a
To hang onto a charging beast creature then the LM might call for an Sleight of hand test.
To push a tree over
To stop a charging bear Stealth
An stealth test can be used if a player wants to hide from a
Athletics passing ground of dredge, pass a group of guards unseen, or
An Athletics test is used to cover a range of physical actions sneak up on a camp.
such as swimming, climbing and jumping. For example an
Athletics test can be used for the following. Agility Damage Die
Certain attacks your characters don't use your weapons
Climbing a cliff or attempting to resist someone's attempt damage instead it draws its damage from the characters
push you. natural agility. When an ability does so it will call for the use
When trying to jump over a long distance. of your Agility Damage Bonus which is based of your Agility
When trying to swim or stay afloat in rough seas. Statistic using the following table.
Strength Damage Die Agility Damage Die Table
Certain abilities you can use throughout the banner saga Agility Score Damage Die
aren't based on your weapon but draw their damage from
your own physical power. When an ability does so it will call 1-4 1d4
for the use of your Strength Damage Die which is based of 5-8 1d6
your Strength Statistics using the following table. 9-12 1d8
Strength Damage Die Table 13-16 1d10
Strength Score Damage Die
17-20 1d12
1-4 1d4
5-8 1d6
9-12 1d8
13-16 1d10
17-20 1d12

Carrying
As your group explore the world they will be acquiring
countless pieces of gear and items. The amount in pounds
that a creature can carry is equal to 10 times their strength
score. Often this is high enough that most characters don't
have to worry about it.
Influence
Influence is used to measure your character's charm,
eloquence and natural personality.
Influence Tests
An influence test might be called for by a LM whenever a
character is attempting to convince someone of a lie, making
the right impression or attempting to negotiate. Persuasion,
Deception, Intimidation and Insight are the most common
ways and influence test may be used for.
Persuasion
A persuasion test is used when your characters are
attempting to convince a creature or group of creatures to do
what you want. A common example of this would be convince
a merchant to give you a discount on their wares.
Deception
A deception test can be used in order to see if you
successfully hide a lie or assure someone of the truth. Typical
uses of this might be convincing a guard you are a noble or
not getting caught when lying about stealing something.
Intimidation. When you attempt to influence someone's
actions via hostile actions or threats you can use an
Intimidation test. Common uses might include threatening a
prisoner with pain in order to gather information or
screaming at bandits in order to scare them away.
Insight
When someone attempts to lie to you or hide their true
intentions you can use an insight test in order to see if you
can ascertain the truth.
Performance
A performance test is used whenever a character is in playing
music, telling a story, reciting a poem, acting in a play or
generally trying to entertain.
Lore
Lore covers you aptitude for knowledge. It involves both your
ability to remember facts and information as well as how you
apply the information you have learnt.
Lore Tests
A lore test can be used whenever you need to recall an
important piece of information, to apply knowledge you have
learnt in your studies or to understand a complex subject.
Lore tests are generally used to encompass anytime the
players needs to use logic or apply their knowledge to a
situation
History
A knowledge history test is used when you attempt to recall
information about historical events.
Local
A knowledge local test is used when you attempt to recall
information about local customs, culture or recent events.
Religion
A knowledge religion test is used when you attempt to recall
information about the gods or religious ceremonies and
rituals
Nature
A knowledge nature test is whenever you attempt to recall
information about plants, terrain, herbs or animals.
Medicine
A knowledge medicine test lets you aid a wounded creature
or determine the cause and treatment for an illness.
Weaving
A knowledge weaving test is used when you wish to recall
information about the menders, masons, witches, or the
information about the great tapestry of creation
Runes
A knowledge runes test is used when you wish to decipher or
translate written languages.
Accuracy
Measures your hand eye coordination and the precision of
your eye
Attack Rolls
You use your accuracy whenever you make a weapon attack
in combat. For the full rules on combat and attack rolls see
Chapter 9.
Awareness
Awareness represents you perceptiveness of your
surroundings.
Awareness Tests
The most common type of awareness tests are those used to
cover actions such as noticing a hidden clue or creature,
seeing a concealed passage or following a creature's tracks.
Perception
A perception test can be used in order to spot, hear or
otherwise detect the presence of something such as a
creature, passage or object.
Investigation
When looking around for clues or find traps you may use an
Investigation test.
Tracking
The art of following a creature via its tracks is a common use
of an tracking test.
Armor
Measures you talent for using your armor effectively in battle.
Taking Damage
Whilst in combat whenever you would take health damage
you reduce the total amount of damage you take by a number
equal to your Armor value. For the full rules on combat
consult Chapter 9.
Constitution Avoiding attacks
Constitution is used to measure your stamina, health and When a creature roles an attack roll against you the target
your vitality. Hit Points In order to calculate your hit point value they need to beat is reduced by your Deflection statistic.
maximum you use the following: For more in depth rules on deflection and how it's used see
chapter 9.
Base Hit Point Maximum = Your Constitution statistic +
Your Armor statistic.
Additionally as you gain levels your maximum hit points
increases to an amount equal to your level. As such whenever
you gain a level you gain the following:
Your Hit Point Maximum is increasd to you level.
For example a character with 10 Constitution and 10
Armor who is level 5 would have a hit point maximum of 25.
You do not add anything to these statistics for example gain
a bonus your armor statistic via an ability or piece of armor
does not grant you extra hit points.
Willpower
Willpower measures your ability to keep going when all
others cannot.
Gaining and expending Willpower At the start of each day
you gain an amount of willpower equal to your Willpower
statistics. Willpower can be used in a range of ways, such as;
Expending it to increase your movement distance
Landing more devastating attacks
Using an active ability from your class
For rules detailed rules on using willpower consult Chapter
9 and for how to regain expended willpower consult Chapter
8.
Break
Break is used to show how effective you are against fighting
foes in armor
Attacking armor
When making an armor attack you attempt to sunder the
creature's armor. On a successful hit the creature's armor
value is reduced by your break statistic. For detailed rules on
Combat see chapter 9
Exertion
Exertion measures how much willpower you can utilize in
any given situation.
Expending Willpower
Willpower is a key resource for all characters in the world of
the banner saga, however you can only use as much as your
Exertion statistic. For example if your Exertion statistic is 2
this means you can only expend 2 willpower per action.
Chapter 9 covers in depth the use of exertion in combat.
Deflection
Deflection measures how effectively in combat you can use
your armor in order to avoid attacks.
Chapter 8: Adventuring
The Passage of Time
During your adventures the LM might need to determine the
amount of time actions take. The time scale that a DM might
use can vary depending on the situation at hand. Navigating
through a cavern or camp might take a matter of minutes
actions such as searching for the correct tent, or finding
someone. In a large city or forest make take hours for the
players to navigate successfully, players might spend hours
trying to find a hidden thieves hideout or searching for a
abandoned town in the center of a forest. Whilst travelling
long distances through the wilderness, the most appropriate
method of travel is days, travelling to the capital might take
them 5 days of travel. In combat your time is reliant of
rounds. A round is the passage of 6 seconds as described in
chapter 9.
Traveling On the Long
Road
Characters and Monsters have a movement speed which
allows them to move a number of tiles. However over long
distances and outside of combat travelling speeds is often
measured in days as it is the easiest and most relatable
method of measuring vast distances. People might refer to a
distance as a half day march away or a 5 day march.
Caravans and groups of people travel at what is called a
Marching pace which is a assumes that people march for a
period of about 8 hours. The three types of marching paces
are detailed below.
Fortified March
Carts are pulled together with the caravan or group often
forming a circle formation however this slows the overall
travel pace of the group but reduces the risk of ambushes and
allows the group to better remain undetected.
Normal March
Along safe roads or guarded routes most parties travel at a
normal pace with caravans forming a long line of carts and
people. This brings no benefits but offers no problems as
well.
Death March
A fast and grueling speed often used by armies or caravans
that are being pursued, it is named thus as it follows the
principle that those who fall behind are left behind. This pace
allows a group to cover a vast amount of distance however it
leaves everyone exhausted.
Difficult Terrain
Whilst travelling over smooth roads or grass offers you no
penalty to movement however walking over loose ground or
deep snow can slow down movement. This is referred to as
difficult terrain, in order to move through difficult terrain it
costs 2 tiles of movement or half speed to navigate. So you
can only cover half the distance you could normally move or
travel.
Moving Stealthily
When travelling as part of a Fortified March it allows you to
move stealthily. This grants you advantage on Awareness
tests to spot dangers. Additionally a Lore Master might allow
you to sneak up on enemies.
Types of Movement
Simply walking through certain terrains might not be the best
solution or even possible. Characters might have to swim,
climb or jump over hazards.
Swimming
Whilst swimming in calm waters a creature moves at half
their movement speed. However if the water is rough, stormy
or flowing in a direction a character may need to make an
Athletics test in order to travel any distance. If a creature has
a swim speed then they can travel through water at a normal
speed.
Climbing
Whilst attempting to scale a cliff or a building a creature
moves at half of their speed. Unless they have a climb speed
in which they can climb at a normal pace. However if the
climb is particularly difficult such as scaling a fortress wall or
keeping your footing in a blizzard might call for an Athletics
test in order to advance.
Jumping
When trying to jump a gap or jump up to grab a ledge, you
can make either a long jump or a high jump.
Long Jump
If you have a 2 tile run up to a jump you can long jump a
number of tiles up to your Strength score. If not you can
make a standing long jump to jump up to your movement
speed.
High Jump
If you have a 2 tile run up to the jump you can highjump a
number of tiles up to half your Strength score. If not you can
high jump up to half that distance.
Hazards of the World Resting
Nature is a fickle mistress she can both provide for you and As brave and tough your characters are, everyone needs to
kill you. It may not be the monsters of this world that end sleep. Resting is an important as it allows your characters to
your characters life. The most common hazards to your treat wounds, plan or prepare yourself for the trials ahead.
characters are covered in this section.
Recover
Falling Characters can spend ten uninterrupted minutes recovering
After falling a distance greater than 10 tiles, a creature takes during the day. At the end of which each character restores
1d6 health damage which ignores armor for every 10 tiles the up to half their willpower, armor and hit point maximums.
creature falls. The creature lands prone, unless they did not You can only receive the benefits of a recover once an hour.
take any damage from the fall.
Suffocating Extended Rest
A character can hold their breath for a number of rounds A extended rest is an uninterrupted period of 10 hours.
equal to 1+ their Constitution score. At the end of which a During which a character is asleep for 8 hours or engages in
creature runs out of breath and has 1 round to reach the light activity for no more than 2 hours during this period, You
surface or oxygen. If the creature still cannot breathe at the can only benefit from one extended rest every 24 hours. Once
end of their next turn they are reduced to 0 hit points and you have completed an extended rest you gain the following
dying. A creature cannot be stabilized or regain hitpoint benefits:
whilst dying until it can breathe again.
You regain all your hit points and restore your hit point
maximum.
Vision and Light You regain all your lost points of armor and restores your
Almost everything your characters will do will rely on your armor maximum.
ability to see in some way. Described in below are just some You regain all your willpower and restore your willpower
of the ways that a player's vision can be obscured in the maximum.
nature environment. You reduce the severity of one injury you have by 1.
Visible
This is the most common visibility where characters are in
the sun or within the radius of light of a torch. People in an
area like this can see normally.
Shrouded
This covers dimly light areas such as those covered in a
foliage or a thin layer of fog. Whilst in an area that is
shrouded any perception tests are made with disadvantage.
Densely Shrouded
These are areas such as those under a thick fog or in total
darkness, anything that completely blocks vision. Creatures
in this area suffer from the Blinded condition.
Resources
Everyone needs to eat and drink. A character needs to eat at
least one pound of food and at least one gallon of water each
day. If a creature fails to do this then they gain one point of
exhaustion.
Mythical Items

T
hose who dare to travel beyond the safety of
the major cities of this world often in search of
something: Fame, Honor or Glory. However
many are hunting for something more tangible:
Fortune. Weapons, armor and other items
whose legend have been told by skalds long
since their original owners bones have long
since turned to dust. This section details mythical items that
your characters might find or even purchase in the manner
stalls across the land.

Equipping Mythical Items

Some items only have an effect or can only be fully utilised
when equipped. It takes a character one minute to equip and
item. A character can only equip up to three mythical items at
any given time, any attempt to equip a fourth causes all
mythical items equipped to become inert. Whilst equipped
the character receives the knowledge of how to use the item
and what effects it has on them. A character can also only
equip one of each item for example they cannot equip two
padded undercoats, additionally a character only gains the
benefits of a mythical item as long at remains on their person,
removing the item or allowing another to hold it causes the
character to lose its benefits.

Mythical Bonuses
Some items provided bonuses to the characters statistics,
bonuses received from different items to the same statistics
stack however they cannot increase a statistic past its
maximum as detailed in Chapter 1.
Chapter 9: Combat
Combat
Combat in the banner saga is an epic clash between two or
more parties. To organise such an event combat is order via
rounds and turns. A round is a period of 6 seconds of time
during which each creature in the combat has a single turn.
Initiative is your score which determines the order in which
the combatants take their turns. Once each creature has
taken a turn and no one is the victor then the round starts
again.
Surprising your enemy
The best way to gain an advantage against an enemy is to
surprise them such as via sneaking up on them or planning
an ambush. The LM will determine which side is surprised, if
neither party is attempting to be sneaky then neither side is
surprised. Otherwise the LM will have the party make a
Stealth vs Perception contest with each creature that doesn't
notice the enemy is surprised during the first round. If a
creature is surprised then they cannot take movement,
actions or reactions during their first turn in combat.
Individual creatures in a party can be surprised.
Initiative
Initiative is used to determine the order in which characters
take their turns in combat. Once combat has been declared
each creature consults the table below and rolls their
Initiative Die. The LM makes a single roll for the groups of
allied enemies allowing them to move at the same time. The
LM then orders the combatants from lowest to highest with
the player who rolled the lowest going first, this is called the
order of combat in the case of a tie between two or more
characters they then roll again with the lowest roll wins.
Initiative Table
Agility Score Initiative Die
17-20 1d4
13-16 1d6
9-12 1d8
5-8 1d10
1-4 1d12
Reaction
Certain actions can only be used when triggered, this is done
by using your reaction. A reaction is an instant action that
takes place on your turn or during another creatures turn.
Once you have used your reaction you cannot use another
until the start of your next turn. If your reaction takes place
on another creatures turn, that creatures turn continues as
normal afterwards.
Your Turn
During your turn in combat you can move up to your
movement speed and take a standard action. However in the
banner saga taking an action ends your turn, so you choose to
move and then take an action or take an action and not move.
Movement
Your movement speed is noted in tiles on your character
sheet, this shows you the number maximum number of tiles
you can move during your turn, which each tile representing
a distance of 5 feet.
The banner saga sacrifices realism for easier play by
allowing diagonals to be both a single tile of movement.
Additionally you cannot move through a tile that a creature
occupies regardless of if it is friend or foe.
Size
Creatures in the banner saga come in all different shapes and
sizes the table below shows the number of tiles in width x
length. Additionally objects and obstacles often have similar
sizes.
Size Table
Category Tiles (Width x Length)
Long 1x2
Regular 1x1
Giant 2x2
Actions in combat
Attack Action
Whether you're swinging a sword, firing a bow or punching
someone with your fist making an attack follows the
following structure:
1. Declare your target and what aspect you are attacking.
Pick a creature, object or tile within your range and
declare if you are making a health attack or break attack.
2. Apply bonuses and penalties. Is the creature behind
another and thus has cover, do you have advantage or
disadvantage on the attack.
3. Resolve the attack. You roll your attack and if it is a
success you roll damage.
Attack rolls
When making an attack roll against a creature you decide if
you are targeting the creature's health or their armor. You
declare which you are targeting before the attack and then
follow the structure below:
1. Accuracy Statistic Total
2. Enemy Deflection
3. Determining target number (Accuracy statistic - Enemy
Deflection)
4. Roll a d20 and apply bonuses and penalties to the attack
5. Compare total die roll to the target number
6. If you rolled equal or under the target number the attack is
successful. Otherwise the attack is a failure.
Critical success or Critical failure
When you make an attack roll and roll a 1 on the d20 roll,
then you land a critical hit which is an automatic hit. Note
that rolling a critical hit outside of a one such as via an
increased critical hit range is not an automatic hit. The
damage rules for a critical hit are explained later in this
chapter. If you roll a 20 on the die then the roll is an
automatic miss regardless of any bonuses
Health Damage
When you make a successful health attack against a creature
you are going for the kill and much like your attack roll your
follow a similar structure.
1. Roll your Weapon damage die
2. Get the targets armor value
3. Determine damage (damage rolled - enemy armor) and
total this
4. Reduce the targets hit points by the damage dealt.
Break Damage
Often in the banner saga you need to cripple a creature's
armor in order to kill them as such you after a successful
attack roll you deal Break damage following the below
structure:
1. Your Break Statistic
2. Apply any modifiers
3. Consult Enemy Armor value
4. Reduce the target's armor value by the break damage
Critical damage
When you score a critical hit with either a health or break
attack by either rolling a 1 or a number within you critical hit
range. Then the damage you deal with this attack is doubled.
Roll all dice associated with the attack, then double the value
and add any modifiers afterwards.
Ranged attack rolls
Attacking a creature with a ranged weapon such as a bow or
sling follows the exact structure as above however the range
of the weapon determines the number of tiles away that the
target of your attack can be. Additionally when making an
attack roll with a ranged weapon with a ranged weapon you
cannot attack a creature within 1 tile of you.
Spending Willpower
Willpower is a vital resources for your characters in battle
and be spent in several ways. As detailed below
Expending it to increase your movement distance
Landing more devastating attacks
Using an active ability from your class
Charging
During your movement action on your turn, you can expend
willpower allowing to move further than you normally can.
For each point of willpower you spend you can move 2
additional tiles.
Crushing Strike
During your turn when you take the attack action you can
focus your might into your attacks. Before you roll your attack
you can expend willpower to increase the critical hit range of
your attack by 2 for each point of willpower expended. For
example if your critical hit range is 1-2 and you expend 3
willpower your score a critical hit on a roll of 1 to 8 on the
d20 roll.
Class Action
Taking the class action allows you to use one of the unique
abilities granted to you by your class. What these abilities are
and how they function is covered in each class. However
every ability costs willpower and your exertion must be high
enough in order to use it. For example you must have at least
2 exertion in order to use any ability that requires 2 willpower
to be expended in order to use it.
Swift Action
Whilst in combat players have access to an action called the
Swift Action. This action is often used in conjunction with
other actions as such using your swift action does not end
your turn. As with movement and standard actions you only
gain one swift action per turn. Additionally if an ability is used
as a swift action you cannot do it as an action.
The Limit of Exertion
When expending willpower you are limited to the amount of
you can spend on a single action. The maximum amount of
willpower you can spend on a single action is equal to your
Exertion Statistic. For example if your exertion statistic is 3
you can you could only move up to 6 additional tiles or
increase your critical success range by 6.
Regaining Willpower
You regain willpower up to half your willpower maximum
when you use the recover feature and you regain up to your
willpower maximum when you complete an extended rest.

Ability Durations
Using an ability or under the effect that has a duration on
each of your following turns the duration. The ability will
state at what stage of your turn the duration is reduced. For
example if an ability states: At the start of your turn 3 rounds
later. At the start of each of your following turns the duration
is reduced by one.
When the duration is reduce to zero then the ability or
effect is no longer in effect. Abilities with durations do not
stack however multiple uses instead refreshes the duration.
Two Weapon Fighting
Sometimes it's better to have two smaller weapons then one
big one. When you take the attack action with a swift weapon
and are wielding a swift weapon in your off hand, you can
make an attack with your off hand weapon as a swift action. If
the swift weapon has the thrown property you can make a
ranged attack instead. However you cannot use Crushing
Strike with this off hand attacks.
Grapple
Whenever you want to grab a creature you can take the
Grapple action. The target of this must be within your
unarmed reach and you must have at least one free hand. You
then try to grasp your target by making an Athletics vs their
Athletics or Dodge contest. On a success you grapple the
target and they are subject to the Grappled Condition. Whilst
grappling a creature they move with you however your
movement speed is halved.
The main ways that a grapple ends are the following:
The grappler becomes unconscious
If the grappled creature is forced out of the reach of the
grappler via any means such as being knocked or pushed
back For example with Battering Ram.
The grappler releases the grapple on their turn. (No action
required)
A grappled creature can use its action to escape by
making a Athletics or Dodge vs the grapplers Athletics
contest. On a success the target is freed.
Cover
When in a fight the environment can be an useful ally, hiding
behind a tree or a barricade can grant you cover. A target can
only benefit from cover if the attacking creature is on the
opposite side of it. There are three degrees of cover: Half, ¾
and total. If a creature is behind multiple sources of cover
then then only benefit from the most protective source of
cover.
Half Cover
When behind half cover up to half of the creature's body is
covered by the object. As such the creature in cover receives a
+1 bonus to their Deflection Value.
Three Quarters Cover
When behind three-quarters cover over 75% of the targets
body is hidden behind the obstruction. As such the creature
in cover receives a +3 bonus to their Deflection Value.
Total Cover
A creature behind total cover cannot be targeted by an attack
or action, however attacks that cover an area such as Slag
and Burn can still affect the creature.
Hit points
Hit points are used to represent a character's physical and
mental resilience. Whilst as characters level up they become
stronger getting stabbed with a knife still hurts. A character's
current hit points are often just referred to a hit points can be
any number between 0 and the character's hit point
maximum as this number is altered a lot often to reflect
healing and taking damage. Whenever a creature takes
health damage you reduce their hit points by the damage
taken, when a character is below half their hit point
maximum they are considered Bloodied as they now have
visible and bleeding wounds..
Healing
Unless it kills you, damage is almost never permanent. There
are many ways in the realm of the banner saga to regain one's
hit points. When a creature receives healing of any kind they
add the points they regain to their current total, however a
creature's hit points cannot exceed your hit point maximum
any hit points that regained after reaching your maximum are
lost.
Temporary Hit Points
Some abilities or mythical items can grant creatures a unique
type of hit point, referred to as Temporary Hit Points these
are treated as a pool of hit points that protects your actual hit
points.
Whilst you have Temporary Hit Points whenever you take
health damage the temporary hit points are lost first with any
left over damage carrying over into your current hit points.
For example if you take 10 health damage and you have 5
temporary hit points, you lose the temporary hit points and
take 5 health damage.
Additionally since temporary hit points are separate from
your actual hit points they can exceed your hit point
maximum thus allowing you to be at full hit points and have
temporary hit points. Healing cannot restore temporary hit
points and they cannot be added together. If you have two
different sources that grant you temporary hit points you
choose whether to keep the old ones or take the new ones.
For example if you have 9 temporary hit points and an ability
grants you 5 you can choose to keep the 9 or you have 5, you
don't get 14.
You must have at least 1 hit point in order to gain
temporary hit points thus a dying creature cannot receive
them, also unless specified temporary hit points last until
they are depleted or until a character finishes an extended
rest.
Dying
When you are reduced to 0 hit points, you are either
immediately killed or you fall unconscious. As explained
below
Falling Unconscious
When you are reduced to 0 hit points and not killed outright.
You are unconscious (See Conditions Appendix) and are in a
state called Dying. If you regain any hit points whilst dying
you become stable and are no longer unconscious.
Knock Out
When a character reduces a creature to 0 hit points or lower
with a melee attack the character can instead choose to
knock the character out rather killing them. If they do this the
affected character is treated as unconscious but stable.
Dying
Whilst in a dying state you can survive for a number of
rounds equal to your Willpower Statistic. At the start of each
of your turns whilst in this state you reduce the number by
one, if this number reaches 0 your character dies. The
number of rounds is reset each time you are reduced to 0 hit
points.
Saving a Dying Creature
As an action you can attempt to save an adjacent creature
who is dying, you proceed to make a Medicine Test with a
challenge of 2, on a success the creature is stabilized. A
stabilized creature is still unconscious and any damage
reverts them back to the dying state. Each time a creature is
reduced to 0 hit points it becomes harder and harder to
stabilize them, as such the Challenge of the medicine test
increases by 2 each time a creature is reduced to 0 hit points
or lower. If a creature is left in a stabilized condition without
receiving healing then they regain 1 hit point after 1 hour.
Killing Blow
When you receive damage that reduces you to 0 hit points
and there is damage remaining, you die if the remaining
damage is equal or higher than your Constitution statistic.
For example if a landsman has 3 hit points and a Constitution
statistic of 10 and takes 14 damage. Then he is reduced to 0
hit points with 11 damage remaining which is higher then his
Constitution and thus the landsman dies.
Finisher
Whilst dying a creature can attempt to finish them off. The
creature can use their action to make a single weapon health
attack against the creature. On a successful hit, if the damage
dealt is higher than the dying creatures Constitution statistic
then they are killed. If not then the challenge of the medicine
test to stabilize them is increased by 1.
Appendix A: Conditions
Blinded Restrained
A blinded creature automatically fails all rolls that require A restrained creature cannot take movement actions
sight They cannot use reactions
Attack rolls against a blinded creature are made with Its deflection statistic is reduced to 0
advantage
Staggered
Concussed A staggered creature cannot expend willpower
The creature suffers disadvantage on all rolls made.
Stunned
Enraged Attack rolls made against a stunned creature are made
On an enraged creatures turn it must move in this most with advantage
direct method possible and take the attack action against A stunned creature cannot take movement, actions or
the creature it is enraged by. During its attack action it can reactions
only make health attacks.
Unconscious
Dazed You cannot take movement, actions or reactions
Attack rolls are made against this creature with advantage Its Deflection Statistic is set to 0
The creature's attack rolls are made with disadvantage The creature is also Prone (see prone condition)
Successful attack rolls against an unconscious creature
Frightened are treated as critical hits.
You cannot willing move close to the source of fear
You have disadvantage on ability tests and contests whilst
within line of sight of the source of your fear
Grappled
A grapple creatures movement speed is set to 0 and they
cannot receive bonuses to it.
Invisible
An invisible creature is impossible to perceive without the
aid of magic or special ability. However the location of the
creature can be determined by the noise it makes or
tracks it leaves.
Attacks against an invisible creature are made with
disadvantage, and the invisibles creature has advantage
on attack rolls.
Knocked Back
A creature who is knocked back will move the distance
until it reaches the end or collides with an object or
structure. However it will move through creatures in its
path.
Prone
Melee attack rolls are made against a prone creature with
advantage
Ranged attack rolls are made against a prone creature
with disadvantage
A creature must use half their movement to stand up from
prone.
Pushed
A creature who is pushed back will move the distance
until it reaches the end or collides with a creature, object
or structure
Appendix B: The Gods
W
hilst no one knows when or how there is only
one thing people truly know about the gods.
Its that they are dead. However their
godstones and the legends surrounding them
still stand the test of time. Listed below are the
gods in the world of the banner saga.
Hridvaldyr
Hridvaldyr was the god of hunters and of wild beasts,
occasionally seen roaming the land as both man and wolf. He
was always depicted in effigy with his terrible spear.
Dengir
One of the gods, Denglr was always one of the favorites
amongst men. God of Good Fortune. They believed he
brought luck, wealth, or whatever else you wish you had, but
couldn't get on your own. The word "fortune" has a lot of
meanings. Eventually you move on.
Radormyr
Nobody can really agree on what Radormyr looked like, as
fond as he was of his own isolation. He never directly
contacted humanity. Most think he was a serpent that lived in
the sun and it's not uncommon to hear speak of seeing the
tail of a great creature slipping through the thin clouds on a
sunny day. Radormyr was always one of the lucky gods, the
kind who people thanked for good weather, healthy livestock
and a good harvest.
Hadrborg
The little that most humans know about Hadrborg is that he
was a disciple of the Loom-mother, and he learned to create
under her guidance. He created a few beasts but soon
became bored with simple animals and began combining
man and beast, ending up with varl. That's the myth, anyway.
One thing is certain, each varl alive today was created by
Hadrborg, and now the god is dead. The Varl here now are
the last ones that will ever exist.
Dundr
While the Loom-mother was the first to create, she soon
found a counterpart in Dundr, who embodied her ideals in a
masculine form. Dundr took some of her creations and gave
them beards and showed them the secrets of smithing,
though many remember him just as fondly for teaching them
games and songs of mirth.
Stravhs
Legend states he is the creator of the dredge.
Aselei
She is the curves of every river, a guide for those of us
traveling unfamiliar lands." The skald runs a finger over small
etchings in the stone. "Inscriptions from all those who were
lost, but found a way back home with her help. Some say her
stone shows the struggle of leaving the familiar to see what's
over the next hill." Aleo looks at the ropes tied around parts of
her and smiles. "Before the gods died, her stone supposedly
stood tall and moved a few steps each year, so people are
always trying to make sure she stays put. Have you the
strength to hold her or a gift with which to entice her?"
Irunx
Irynx was a god known as The Winter Bird. Stories tell of
Irynx hunting Radormyr through the summer skies and
creating blizzards while flapping its wings in the winter.
Vez’nan
Vez'nan is a mysterious god who belonged to an ancient
subterranean race whose culture has been mostly forgotten.
According the the Valka Zefr, Vez'nan may not actually be his
name, though the framework for his history is based upon
repeated patterns on the walls around his godstone. Though
his attributes are mostly a mystery, what is known is that he
become the most powerful of their gods by forsaking
everything dear to him. Therefore it can be inferred that he is
a god of control, power, and letting go.
Geirraor
Geirraðr is the god of wise counsel and direction who is
accredited with all manner of discoveries and good decisions.
Bygglaserer
Bygglaerer, known as Bygglaerer the Builder is the god who
was responsible for laying the cavernous foundations of the
world and raising it's mountains. Due to this skill he was ever
regarded by the other gods with a kind of wary respect, as
one who knows how to put things together would also know
how to take them apart.
Lauga
Lauga is the god of beauty and night, she is also said to be the
goddess of love as well.
Appendix C: Monsters

T
he world of the Banner Saga is not a one of
safety and warmth. A realm where only the
strongest and those willing to keep fighting
despite the odds, can survive. Detailed below
are just some of the threats in the world. Those
that stand between your party and honor, glory
and fortune.

Racial Templates
Unless specified otherwise enemies in the Banner Saga
tabletop Rpg are not limited by race, in order to utilise the
enemies presented, you must apply one of the following racial
templates to them, this grants them all of the benefits that
comes with that race. For example for the Archer enemy
could be either a human, varl or horseborn archer.

Promotions
Listed under each Enemy is a list of “Promotions” for that
enemy. For example an Archer has the Bowmaster
promotion. Treat the Archer as a base class, if you want the
enemy to be more deadly or if the flavour of the enemy suits
an ability you can grant them a promotion. When promoted
they gain both the title and the abilities that it provides.

Racial Templates
Human
Mobile: During your turn you can take your normal
movement, take the attack action or a special action and then
continue your movement provided you have any movement
remaining.
Talented: You can choose two skills of your choice and gain
proficiency with it.
Movement Speed: 8 tiles.
Size: You occupy a 1x1 tile.
Varl
Hulking Frame: Your attacks deal double damage to objects
and structures. Additionally if you are subject to an effect that
would knock or push you back you halve the distance you
would move.
Size: you occupy a 2x2 tile.
Movement Speed: 6 tiles
Horseborn
Free Roam: Each point of willpower spent during movement
allows you to move 3 tiles instead of 1.
Movement Speed: 10 tiles
Size: You occupy a 1x1 tile
Archer Guardian
Health: 15 Active: Return Fire
Armor: Padded When an ally of the guardian is struck by a melee weapon
Initiative Die: 1d4 attack the guardian can use her reaction to expend 1
willpower to make a single range health attack against the
Stat block: attacking creature provided that they are within the range of
Strength: 3 her bow.
Agility: 17
Influence: 8
Lore: 15
Accuracy: 19
Awareness: 20
Armor: 6
Constitution: 2
Willpower: 14
Break: 2
Exertion: 2
Deflection: 4
Weapons
Short Bow: Range 2-10 tiles, Damage: 1d12 +6
Abilities
Passive: Puncture
Once per turn If you do not move before making an ranged
health attack you deal +1 health damage for every 2 points of
armor the target is missing.

Archer Promotions
Bow Master
Active: Birds of Prey
During the Bowmasters turn if they make a successful attack
that would trigger their Puncture passive. They can expend 1
willpower to cause the damage dealt by Puncture to instead
reduce the target's maximum hit points by an equal amount
Siege Archer
Active: Slag and Burn
As an action the Siege Archer expends 2 willpower and
chooses a tile up to 6 tiles away. They proceed to throw a bag
of flammable slag and ignite it using a flaming arrow. The
target tile and all adjacent tiles are ignited. Each creature in
this area takes 1 point of armor damage and any creature
who ends their turn or moves through an ignited tile takes 1
point of armor damage. The tiles remain ignited for three
rounds.
SkyStriker
Active: Rain of Arrows
As an action the skystriker can choose a tile within the range
of her bow. She expends 2 willpower and launches a volley of
arrows into that fall like rain upon the choose tile and all
adjacent ones causing each creature in this area to take
break damage. Additionally this area is now treated as
difficult terrain for three rounds.
Beastmaster Berserker
Health: 46 Health: 43
Armor: Hide, Warshield Armor: Padded
Initiative Die: 1d10 Initiative Die: 1d6
Stat block: Stat block:
Strength: 11 Strength: 18
Agility: 7 Agility: 15
Influence: 11 Influence: 14
Lore: 1 Lore: 3
Accuracy: 16 Accuracy: 12
Awareness: 5 Awareness: 6
Armor: 19 Armor: 12
Constitution: 10 Constitution: 17
Willpower: 13 Willpower: 14
Break: 1 Break: 4
Exertion: 2 Exertion: 5
Deflection: 4 Deflection: 6
Weapons: Weapons:
Battle Axe: Range: 1 tile, Damage: 1d8 +4 Battle Axe: Range: 1 tile, Damage: 1d8+6
Javelin: Range: 2-6, Damage: 2d6
Abilities
Abilities Passive: Frenzy
Passive: War bear During the Berserkers turn if it takes the attack action it can
You have created a powerful magical bond with a bear make two attacks instead of one.
allowing you to fight side by side. Your bear has the statistics
of the Warbear (Appendix C: Monsters). During combat your
beasts turn is immediately after yours, it follows your
commands, if you don’t give it an order it defends itself to the
best of its ability.
Horde Breaker
Active: Break the Line
As an action the Horde Breaker expends 2 willpower and
commands their companion to bullrush their foes. Choose a
tile up to 8 tiles away from your animal companion. Who then
proceeds to move in a straight line towards that space, each
creature that the bear moves through is knocked prone.
Tamer
Active: Follow Up
When the Tamer makes a successful break attack against a
creature, the tamers animal companion can use its reaction
to expend 1 willpower to make a health attack against the
creature provided that it is adjacent to the target.
Landsman Mason
Health: 27 Health: 23
Armor: Studded Armor: Half Plate
Initiative Die: 1d10 Initiative Die: 1d6
Stat block: Stat block:
Strength: 7 Strength: 10
Agility: 7 Agility: 13
Influence: 18 Influence: 6
Lore: 16 Lore: 18
Accuracy: 12 Accuracy: 17
Awareness: 12 Awareness: 12
Armor: 12 Armor: 19
Constitution: 7 Constitution: 5
Willpower: 5 Willpower: 18
Break: 3 Break: 2
Exertion: 3 Exertion: 3
Deflection: 6 Deflection: 5
Weapons: Weapons:
Longsword: Range: 1 tile, Damage: 1d8 Maul: Range: 1 tile, Damage: 1d12+3
Shortbow: Range: 2-10, Damage: 1d12
Abilities
Abilities Passive Ability: Iron Willpower
Passive: Light Step At the end of each of your turns whilst you are not
The landsman uses their superior dexterity to move around incapacitated you regain one point of armor.
bodies, allowing them to pass through, but not stop on, any
allies spaces. Weapon Smith
Hunter Hridvaldyr
As an action the mason can spend 2 willpower and make a
Active: Hunters Mark single melee health attack against a creature. On a successful
As an action the hunter can expend 2 willpower and make a hit the creature takes an additional 1d8 health damage.
single attack against a creature with their short bow or
longsword. Until the start of the hunters next turn all of its Oracle
allies have advantage on attack rolls made against the
creature struck by the attack. Dengir
When an adjacent ally to the mason is the subject of an attack
Warden roll the mason can spend 1 willpower to cause the roll to be
made with disadvantage.
Active: Concussive Blows
As an action the warden can expend 2 willpower and make a Armor Smith
single break attack with either their longsword or short bow
on a successful hit the creature is concussed for three Hadrborg
rounds. If hit again using this ability the duration is refreshed. As an action the mason slams down into the earth and
expends 2 willpower each adjacent creature takes 3 armor
Tracker damage and is knocked back 3 tiles.
Passive: Agile attacker Blacksmith
Whenever the landsman makes a successful attack as part of
its attack action it can use its reaction to expend 1 willpower Stravhs
to take another movement action. As an action the mason expends 2 willpower and regains up
to their armor maximum.
Mender Raider
Health: 28 Health: 15
Armor: Leather Armor: Studded, Warshield
Initiative Die: 1d8 Initiative Die: 1d8
Stat block: Stat block:
Strength: 9 Strength: 11
Agility: 12 Agility: 7
Influence: 10 Influence: 8
Lore: 10 Lore: 14
Accuracy: 12 Accuracy: 19
Awareness: 8 Awareness: 3
Armor: 6 Armor: 4
Constitution: 4 Constitution: 11
Willpower: 16 Willpower: 10
Break: 1 Break: 3
Exertion: 4 Exertion: 2
Deflection: 4 Deflection: 6
Weapons Weapons:
Staff: Range: 1 tile, Damage: 1d8 Hand axe: Range: 1 tile (Thrown 2-6), Damage: 1d6+3
(Thrown 1d8)
Abilities
Passive Ability: Weave
Abilities
At the end of each of your turns whilst you are not Passive: ShieldWall
incapacitated you regain 1 willpower. When you end your turn adjacent to an ally you increase both
your and their armor value by 1.
Mend
As an action the mender expends 2 willpower and chooses a Backbiter
creature within 6 tiles of it. The creature regains 6 armor.
Active: Run Through
Storm Weaver As an action the raider expends 2 willpower and moves up to
3 tiles making a single melee health attack against each
Lighting Strike creature that it moves through.
As an action the mender expends 3 willpower and choose a
tile up to 6 tiles away and calls down a bolt of lightning. Each Thrasher
creature in the target tile and all adjacent ones takes Health
damage equal to half maximum willpower of the Mender. Active: Bloody Flail
This damage ignores armor. As an action the raider expends 2 willpower to unleash a
rapid flurry of attack, making a total of 3 attacks. Each attack
Rune Mage must be a health attack but they can be made against
different targets.
Runic Gale
As an action the mender expends 2 willpower and chooses a Savage
creature up to 6 tiles away, this creature restores up to their
willpower maximum Active: Guts
As an action the raider expends 2 willpower and makes a
Elementalist single melee break attack against an adjacent foe. On a
successful hit the target takes break damage and is knocked
Breeze prone.
As an action the mender expends 2 willpower and chooses a
creature up to 6 tiles away. For the next 3 rounds this Raidmaster
creatures movement speed is doubled.
Active: Stone Wall
As an action the raider expends 2 willpower and adopts a
defensive stance until the start of his next turn all health and
armor damage he takes is reduced by 5.
ShieldBanger Shieldmaiden
Health: 29 Health: 34
Armor: Breastplate, Tower Shield Armor: Chain Shirt, Warshield
Initiative Die: 1d12 Initiative Die: 1d6
Stat block: Stat block:
Strength: 18 Strength: 15
Agility: 3 Agility: 16
Influence: 8 Influence: 12
Lore: 10 Lore: 1
Accuracy: 14 Accuracy: 7
Awareness: 12 Awareness: 6
Armor: 19 Armor: 18
Constitution: 10 Constitution: 17
Willpower: 13 Willpower: 10
Break: 6 Break: 3
Exertion: 5 Exertion: 2
Deflection: 6 Deflection: 6
Weapons: Weapons:
Warhammer: Range: 1 tile, Damage: 1d8+6 ShortSpear: Range: 2 tiles, Damage: 1d8+5
Abilities Abilities
Passive: Return the Favor Passive: Shield Mastery
Whenever the shieldbanger is wielding a shield and is hit All armor damage you take whilst wielding a shield is halved.
with a melee health or armor attack. The attacking creature
takes 1 point of armor damage. Champion
Provoker Active: Guard
As an action the shield maiden can guard an adjacent ally.
Active: Malice The shield maiden expends 2 willpower and until the start of
As an action the ShieldBanger expends 2 willpower and her next turn any damage her guarded ally receives is halved.
choose a creature up to 3 tiles away. Until the start of the
ShieldBangers next turn that creature is enraged. Balista
Shieldmaster Active: Shield Smash
As an action the shield maiden slams her shield into a
Active: Bring the Pain creature. The shield maiden expends 2 willpower and makes
As an action the ShieldBanger expends 1 willpower and a melee break attack against an adjacent foe. On a successful
makes single melee break attack against an adjacent hit the target takes break damage and the target cannot
creature. Until the start of the ShieldBangers next turn the restore or gain any bonuses to its armor for 3 rounds.
shield bangers passive deals an additional 2 armor damage.
Strongarm
Active: Battering Ram
As an action the ShieldBanger expends 2 willpower and
makes a melee break attack against an adjacent creature.
This creature takes break damage and is then knocked back
6 times, additionally any creature that this creature moves
through takes 1 point of armor damage.
Skald Spearman
Health: 29 Health: 42
Armor: Leather, Buckler Armor: Studded
Initiative Die: 1d12 Initiative Die: 1d12
Stat block: Stat block:
Strength: 7 Strength: 16
Agility: 4 Agility: 4
Influence: 19 Influence: 9
Lore: 18 Lore: 14
Accuracy: 15 Accuracy: 20
Awareness: 18 Awareness: 19
Armor: 11 Armor: 13
Constitution: 9 Constitution: 19
Willpower: 16 Willpower: 20
Break: 4 Break: 5
Exertion: 5 Exertion: 5
Deflection: 6 Deflection: 6
Weapons: Weapons:
Dagger: Range: 1 tile, Damage: 1d6 Long Spear: Range: 2 tiles, Damage: 1d10+5
Abilities Abilities
Passive: Skald’s Song Passive: Embolden
Whenever you are within 2 tiles of an ally when they reduce a Whenever you reduce a hostile creature to 0 hit points all
creature to 0 hit points. You can use your reaction to cause all adjacent allies regain +1 willpower
creatures of your choice, including yourself, within 6 tiles of
you to regain 1 willpower. Spearmaster
Poet Active: Impale
As an action the spearman expends 2 willpower and makes
Active: Tale Worth Telling single health attack against an adjacent creature. On a
As an action the skald expends 2 willpower and chooses an successful hit the creature is pushed back 3 tiles and gains a
ally within 3 tiles of them. The next successful attack this bleeding wound for 3 rounds causing them to lose 1 hit point
creature makes before the start of the skalds next turn is a for each tile they move.
critical hit.
Slaughterer
Hoard Speaker Active: Pig Sticker
Active: Rally As an action the spearman expends 2 willpower and makes a
As an action the skald expends 1 willpower and chooses an single health attack against a creature within its reach. This
ally within 6 tiles of then. This creature regains 2 willpower. attacks scores a critical hit on a roll of 1-8.
Shield Breaker
Active: Lunge
As an action the spearman expends 1 willpower and makes a
single attack. This attack has a reach of up to 4 tiles.
Warrior Valkyrie
Health: 40 Health: 46
Armor: Full Plate Armor: Studded, Warshield
Initiative Die: 1d10 Initiative Die: 1d10
Stat block: Stat block:
Strength: 20 Strength: 12
Agility: 5 Agility: 6
Influence: 9 Influence: 4
Lore: 1 Lore: 13
Accuracy: 18 Accuracy: 19
Awareness: 19 Awareness: 13
Armor: 27 Armor: 14
Constitution: 12 Constitution: 18
Willpower: 8 Willpower: 17
Break: 5 Break: 3
Exertion: 4 Exertion: 4
Deflection: 5 Deflection: 7
Weapons: Weapons:
Greatsword: Range: 1 tiles, Damage: 1d12 +7 Longsword: Range: 1 tiles, Damage: 1d8+3
Abilities Abilities
Passive: Heavy Impact Passive: Honor and Glory
Once per turn when you make a successful attack as part of When a creature within 3 tiles of the Valkyrie is reduced to 0
your attack action you cause all all adjacent creatures (not hit points. The Valkyrie can use its reaction to cause the
including you) to take 1d4 points of health damage which creature to go to 1 hit point instead.
ignores armor. The weapon must be wielding a weapon with
either the two-handed or Adaptable property. Warlord
Warhawk Active: Warriors Blessing
As an action the Valkyrie expends 2 willpower and grants
Active: Tempest herself and all adjacent allies the blessing of the warrior.
As an action the warrior expends 2 willpower and chooses 3 Granting each one of them 1d4 additional damage on all
creatures that are within your threatened reach and roll a health attacks them make for 3 rounds.
single melee health attack roll and apply it to each creature.
Soul of the Huntress
Warmaster Active: Horseborn’s Blessing
Active: Sundering Impact As an action the Valkyrie expends 2 willpower and grants
As an action you make a single melee attack against an herself and all adjacent allies the blessing of the horseborn.
adjacent creature and you expend 2 willpower. If this attack is Granting each one of them +6 to their movement speed for 3
successful you cause Heavy impact to deals 1d6 health and rounds.
armor damage.
Moutain Spirit
Warleaader Active: Heart of Iron
Active: Pommel Strike As an action the Valkyrie expends 2 willpower and grants
As an action you make a single attack against an adjacent herself and all adjacent allies the blessing of the horseborn.
creature. On a successful hit the creature takes a small Granting each one of them +2 to their deflection and armor
amount of armor damage and is stunned until the start of for 3 rounds.
your next turn.
War Bear
Health: 23
Armor: Thick Hide
Initiative Die: 1d10
Size: 2x2 tile
Movement Speed: 6 tiles
Stat block:
Strength: 16
Agility: 6
Influence: 4
Lore: 1
Accuracy: 15
Awareness: 11
Armor: 11
Constitution: 12
Willpower: 10
Break: 3
Exertion: 2
Deflection: 3
Weapons
Claws: Range 1 tile, Damage: 1d8
Abilities
Passive: Maul
When making an attack with its claws if you roll maximum
damage on the weapon attack damage. You can roll an
additional 1d8 and add it to the total damage dealt.
Kragsmen
Venom Hurler Hag Hurler
Health: 26 Health: 31
Armor: Padded Armor: Padded
Initiative Die: 1d6 Initiative Die: 1d6
Size: 1x1 Tile Size: 1x1 Tile
Movement Speed: 8 Tiles Movement Speed: 8 Tiles
Stat block: Stat block:
Strength: 3 Strength: 3
Agility: 15 Agility: 15
Influence: 8 Influence: 8
Lore: 15 Lore: 15
Accuracy: 19 Accuracy: 19
Awareness: 20 Awareness: 20
Armor: 13 Armor: 13
Constitution: 8 Constitution: 8
Willpower: 14 Willpower: 14
Break: 2 Break: 2
Exertion: 2 Exertion:
Deflection: 4 Deflection: 4
Weapons Weapons
Short Bow: Range 2-10 tiles, Damage: 1d12+5 Short Bow: Range 2-10 tiles, Damage: 1d12+5
Abilities Abilities
Passive: Puncture Passive: Puncture
Once per turn If you do not move before making an ranged Once per turn If you do not move before making an ranged
health attack you deal +1 health damage for every 2 points of health attack you deal +1 health damage for every 2 points of
armor the target is missing. armor the target is missing.
Active: Poison Tipped Active: Pin
As an action the Venom Hurler expends 2 willpower and dips As an action the Hag Hurler expends 2 willpower and makes
the tip of her arrow in a poison taken from her swap home. a single ranged attack against a creature within her bows
She then makes a ranged health attack against a creature range. On a successful hit the creatures movement speed is
within her bows range. On a successful hit the creature is reduced by 6 until the start of the Hag Hurlers next turn.
poisoned, for three rounds the creatures maximum hit points
are reduced by 1d4 at the start of each of their turns. Multiple
doses does not stack, but it does refresh the duration.
Bog Runner Savage
Health: 20 Health: 28
Armor: Studded, Warshield Armor: Studded, Warshield
Initiative Die: 1d8 Initiative Die: 1d8
Size: 1x1 Tile Size: 1x1 Tile
Movement Speed: 6 Tiles Movement Speed: 6 Tiles
Stat block: Stat block:
Strength: 11 Strength: 11
Agility: 11 Agility: 11
Influence: 8 Influence: 8
Lore: 14 Lore: 14
Accuracy: 19 Accuracy: 19
Awareness: 3 Awareness: 3
Armor: 4 Armor: 4
Constitution: 11 Constitution: 11
Willpower: 10 Willpower: 10
Break: 3 Break: 3
Exertion: 3 Exertion: 3
Deflection: 6 Deflection: 6
Weapons: Weapons:
Hand axe: Range: 1 tile (Thrown 2-6), Damage: 1d6+3 Hand axe: Range: 1 tile (Thrown 2-6), Damage: 1d6+3
(Thrown 1d8+3) (Thrown 1d8+3)
Abilities Abilities
Passive: ShieldWall Passive: Light Step
When you end your turn adjacent to an ally you increase both The Bog Runner uses their superior dexterity to move around
your and their armor value by 1. bodies, allowing them to pass through, but not stop on, any
allies spaces.
Passive: Light Step
The Bog Runner uses their superior dexterity to move around Passive: Frenzy
bodies, allowing them to pass through, but not stop on, any During the savages turn if it takes the attack action it can
allies spaces. make two attacks instead of one.
Active: Backstab Passive: Savagery
As an action the Bog Runner expends 2 willpower and When the Savage makes a health attack he scores a critical
choose an adjacent creature. He then moves through the hit on a roll of 1-5 on the d20.
targets space making a break attack, dealing break damage
on a success. Once on the other side he makes a health
attack against the same target.
Pole Man Bearlord
Health: 46 Health: 47
Armor: Studded Armor: Hide, Warshield
Initiative Die: 1d12 Initiative Die: 1d10
Size: 1x1 Tile Size: 1x1 Tile
Movement Speed: 6 Tiles Movement Speed: 6 Tiles
Stat block: Stat block:
Strength: 16 Strength: 11
Agility: 4 Agility: 7
Influence: 9 Influence: 11
Lore: 14 Lore: 1
Accuracy: 20 Accuracy: 16
Awareness: 19 Awareness: 5
Armor: 13 Armor: 19
Constitution: 19 Constitution: 10
Willpower: 20 Willpower: 13
Break: 5 Break: 1
Exertion: 5 Exertion: 2
Deflection: 6 Deflection: 4
Weapons: Weapons:
Long Spear: Range: 2 tiles, Damage: 1d10+5 Battle Axe: Range: 1 tile, Damage: 1d8+3
Javelin: Range: 2-6, Damage: 2d6
Abilities
Passive: Embolden
Abilities
Whenever you reduce a hostile creature to 0 hit points all Passive: War Companions
adjacent allies regain +1 willpower The Bearlord has two War Bears as companions. Each one
has the statistics of the Warbear (Appendix C: Monsters).
Passive: Savage Spear During combat each bear roles for its own initiative, and will
When the Pole Man lands a successful critical hit then he follow the bearlords commands if no command is given they
deals one additional weapon damage die. will defend themselves to the best of their ability.
Active: Pig Sticker
As an action the Pole Man expends 2 willpower and makes a
melee attack against a creature. This attack scores a critical
hit on a roll of 1-5 on the d20.
The Dredge
Grunt Scourge
Health: 31 Health: 41
Armor: Splint Armor: Splint
Initiative Die: 1d12 Initiative Die: 1d10
Size: 1x1 Tile Size: 2x2 Tile
Movement Speed: 6 Tiles Movement Speed: 6 Tiles
Stat Block Stat Block
Strength: 15 Strength: 18
Agility: 4 Agility: 6
Influence: 5 Influence: 2
Lore: 2 Lore: 9
Accuracy: 13 Accuracy: 13
Awareness: 8 Awareness: 3
Armor: 22 Armor: 30
Constitution: 15 Constitution: 8
Willpower: 1 Willpower: 9
Break: 4 Break: 2
Exertion: 3 Exertion: 3
Deflection: 2 Deflection: 3
Weapons Weapons
Hammer: Range 1 tile, Damage: 1d8+5 Axe (Two Handed): Range 1 tile, Damage: 1d10+6
Abilities Abilities
Passive Ability: Splinter Passive Ability: Splinter
When the dredge receives armor damage of 3 or higher the When the dredge receives armor damage of 3 or higher the
dredges armor splinters into fragments. Causing all adjacent dredges armor splinters into fragments. Causing all adjacent
creatures to take 1 point of armor damage and reduces their creatures to take 1 point of armor damage and reduces their
maximum armor by 1. maximum armor by 1.
Active Ability: Tremble
Once per encounter as an action the Scourge expends 3
willpower and begins casting. At the start of the Scourge’s
next turn a Dredge Grunt is summoned within 3 tiles of it.
Stoneguard
Health: 39
Armor: Splint, Tower Shield
Initiative Die: 1d10
Size: 2x2 Tile
Movement Speed: 6 Tiles
Stat Block
Strength: 11
Agility: 6
Influence: 4
Lore: 13
Accuracy: 15
Awareness: 5
Armor: 28
Constitution: 14
Willpower: 6
Break: 4
Exertion: 3
Deflection: 8
Weapons
Sword: Range 1 tile, Damage: 1d8+3
Abilities
Passive Ability: Splinter
When the dredge receives armor damage of 3 or higher the
dredges armor splinters into fragments. Causing all adjacent
creatures to take 1 point of armor damage and reduces their
maximum armor by 1.
Active Ability: Kindle
As an action the stone guard expends 2 willpower and slams
his shield into the ground creating a powerful shock wave. All
adjacent creatures take break damage and are pushed back 3
tiles, receive an additional 1 point of armor damage for each
tile they are knocked back.
Slag Slinger Spark Slinger
Health: 18 Health: 25
Armor: Splint Armor: Splint
Initiative Die: 1d6 Initiative Die: 1d6
Size: 1x1 Tile Size: 1x1 Tile
Movement Speed: 8 Tiles Movement Speed: 8 Tiles
Stat Block Stat Block
Strength: 5 Strength: 5
Agility: 16 Agility: 16
Influence: 5 Influence: 5
Lore: 18 Lore: 18
Accuracy: 17 Accuracy: 17
Awareness: 16 Awareness: 16
Armor: 18 Armor: 18
Constitution: 9 Constitution: 9
Willpower: 12 Willpower: 12
Break: 3 Break: 3
Exertion: 3 Exertion: 3
Deflection: 3 Deflection: 3
Weapons Weapons
Sling: Range 2-6 tiles, Damage: 1d6+5 Sling: Range 2-6 tiles, Damage: 1d6+5
Abilities Abilities
Passive Ability: Back-off Passive Ability: Back-off
When a Dredge Slinger is the subject of either a health or When a Dredge Slinger is the subject of either a health or
break damage, it can use its reaction to expend 1 willpower break damage, it can use its reaction to expend 1 willpower
and move up to 8 tiles. and move up to 8 tiles.
Active Ability: Sunstrike
As an action the Spark Slinger expends 2 willpower and
loads a strange glowing stone into its sling and hurls it at a
creature within range. The Spark Slinger makes a health
attack against a creature within its weapon range. On a
successful hit the target takes health damage and is
Staggered until the start of its next turn.
Fire Slinger
Health: 25
Armor: Splint
Initiative Die: 1d6
Size: 1x1 Tile
Movement Speed: 8 Tiles
Stat Block
Strength: 5
Agility: 16
Influence: 5
Lore: 18
Accuracy: 17
Awareness: 16
Armor: 18
Constitution: 9
Willpower: 12
Break: 3
Exertion: 3
Deflection: 3
Weapons
Sling (Two Handed): Range 2-6 tiles, Damage: 1d6+5
Abilities
Passive Ability: Back-off
When a Dredge Slinger is the subject of either a health or
break damage, it can use its reaction to expend 1 willpower
and move up to 8 tiles.
Active Ability: Shatterstone
As an action the Fire Slinger expends 2 willpower and
reaches into its pouch and produces two blue-glowing rocks.
It crushes them together and throws them at two tiles.
Choose 2 tiles within 6 tiles of the Fire Slinger. At the start of
the Fire Slingers next turn these rocks explode causing each
creature in either the target tile or all adjacent ones to take
break damage and health damage equal to half the maximum
willpower of the Fire Slinger.
Stonesinger
Health: 41
Armor: Splint
Initiative Die: 1d12
Size: 1x1 Tile
Movement Speed: 4 Tiles
Stat Block
Strength: 13
Agility: 4
Influence: 11
Lore: 19
Accuracy: 14
Awareness: 9
Armor: 22
Constitution: 14
Willpower: 18
Break: 3
Exertion: 3
Deflection: 3
Weapons
Twin Spears: Range 1 tiles, Damage: 1d8+4
Abilities
Passive Ability: Disease Strike
When the Stonesinger lands a successful attack it transmits a
deadly disease to the target. For the next three rounds the
targets maximum hit points are reduced by 1d4 at the start of
each of its turns. Additionally if a creature that is infected
ends its turn adjacent to another the disease is transmitted to
them, with a fresh duration. Killing the Stone Singer removes
the disease from all affects creatures.
Active Ability: Rupture
As an action the Stonesinger expends 3 willpower and unites
its twin spears and starts casting. At the start of its next turn
the Stonesinger choose a Dredge within 10 tiles of it causing
its armor to shatter. All adjacent creatures takes health
damage equal to the armor value of the dredge which
exploded. The dredge which was shattered has their armor
set to 0.
Active Ability: Umbrage
As an action the Stonesinger expends 3 willpower and unites
its twin spears and starts casting. At the start of its next turn
all dredge take break damage but cause all health attacks that
they make to deal an additional 1d6 damage for the next
three rounds.
Skulker Vile Skulker
Health: 33 Health: 37
Size: 1x1 Tile Size: 2x2 Tile
Initiative Die: 1d6 Initiative Die: 1d6
Movement Speed: 10 Tiles Movement Speed: 10 Tiles
Stat Block Stat Block
Strength: 8 Strength: 12
Agility: 13 Agility: 13
Influence: 1 Influence: 1
Lore: 1 Lore: 1
Accuracy: 16 Accuracy: 18
Awareness: 13 Awareness: 13
Armor: 15 Armor: 16
Constitution: 10 Constitution: 14
Willpower: 12 Willpower: 18
Break: 3 Break: 5
Exertion: 3 Exertion: 3
Deflection: 1 Deflection: 5
Weapons Weapons
Bite: Range 1 tile, Damage: 1d6 Bite: Range 1 tile, Damage: 1d8+3
Abilities Abilities
Passive Ability: Chase Passive Ability: Chase
Skulkers use their superior dexterity to move around bodies, Skulkers use their superior dexterity to move around bodies,
allowing them to pass through, but not stop on, any allies allowing them to pass through, but not stop on, any allies
spaces. spaces.
Active Ability: Skulk Active Ability: Skulk
As an action the Skulker expends 3 willpower and becomes As an action the Skulker expends 3 willpower and becomes
invisible for 3 rounds and moves an additional 6 tiles. This invisible for 3 rounds and moves an additional 10 tiles. This
invisibility ends if the skulker attacks a creature or takes invisibility ends if the skulker attacks a creature or takes
damage. damage.
Active Ability: Howl Active Ability: Howl
Whilst the Skulker is invisible it can use its action to expend Whilst the Skulker is invisible it can use its action to expend
2 willpower to howl and single its pack to attack a creature. 2 willpower to howl and single its pack to attack a creature.
The skulker makes a single health attack against the creature The skulker makes a single health attack against the creature
and any Skulkers within 6 tiles of the hit creature can use and any Skulkers within 10 tiles of the hit creature can use
their reaction to move up to 6 tiles and attack the creature. their reaction to move up to 10 tiles and attack the creature.
Slab Hurler Barb Hurler
Health: 30 Health: 30 Armor: Splint
Armor: Splint Initiative Die: 1d6
Initiative Die: 1d6 Size: 1x1 Tile
Size: 1x1 Tile Movement Speed: 8 Tiles
Movement Speed: 8 Tiles
Stat Block
Stat Block Strength: 14
Strength: 14 Agility: 16
Agility: 16 Influence: 12
Influence: 12 Lore: 14
Lore: 14 Accuracy: 19
Accuracy: 19 Awareness: 11
Awareness: 11 Armor: 25
Armor: 25 Constitution: 7
Constitution: 7 Willpower: 13
Willpower: 13 Break: 3
Break: 3 Exertion: 3
Exertion: 3 Deflection: 4
Deflection: 4
Weapons
Weapons Sling (Two Handed): Range 2-6 tiles, Damage: 2d6+5
Sling (Two Handed): Range 2-6 tiles, Damage: 2d6+5
Abilities
Abilities Passive Ability: Distraught
Passive Ability: Distraught When the Barb Hurler takes health or armor damage it can
When the Slab Hurler takes health or armor damage it can use its reaction to expend 3 willpower and move up to 8 tiles.
use its reaction to expend 3 willpower and move up to 8 tiles. Additionally all other Slab or Barb Hurlers within 6 tiles of
Additionally all other Slab Hurlers within 6 tiles of the the attacker can use their reaction to make either a health or
attacker can use their reaction to make either a health or break attack against them.
break attack against them.
Active Ability: Barb Stones
Active Ability: Concuss As an action the Barb Hurler expends 3 willpower and
As an action the Slab Hurler expends 2 willpower and makes chooses a tile up to 5 tiles away. It throws a strange black
a ranged break attack against a creature up to 6 tiles away. rock at the tile. At the start of the Barb Hurlers next turn the
On a successful hit the creature is pushed up to 5 tiles away rock cracks and a Skulker is spawned from it. Which then
and is Concussed until the start of the Slab Hurlers next turn. rolls for initiative and acts on its own accord. The rocks have
a 6 armor and 6 health. The Barb Hurler can only use this
ability three times per encounter.
Direguard Gloomwarden
Health: 49 Health: 41
Armor: Splint, Tower Shield Armor: Splint
Initiative Die: 1d10 Initiative Die: 1d10
Size: 2x2 Tile Size: 2x2 Tile
Movement Speed: 6 Tiles Movement Speed: 6 Tiles
Stat Block Stat Block
Strength: 11 Strength: 18
Agility: 6 Agility: 6
Influence: 4 Influence: 2
Lore: 13 Lore: 9
Accuracy: 15 Accuracy: 13
Awareness: 5 Awareness: 3
Armor: 28 Armor: 30
Constitution: 14 Constitution: 8
Willpower: 6 Willpower: 9
Break: 4 Break: 2
Exertion: 3 Exertion: 3
Deflection: 8 Deflection: 3
Weapons Weapons
Axe: Range 1 tile, Damage: 1d8+3 Axe (Two Handed): Range 1 tile, Damage: 1d10+6
Abilities Abilities
Passive Ability: Sentinel Passive Ability: Sentinel
Whenever a stonesinger is attacked all dredge focus theirs Whenever a stonesinger is attacked all dredge focus theirs
attack on the offender until the start of the Direguards next attack on the offender until the start of the Direguards next
turn. turn.
Active Ability: Drum Fire Active Ability: Shudder
As an action the Direguard expends 3 willpower smashes his As an action the Gloomwarden expends 3 willpower and
shield into the ground blasting a shockwave and then igniting choose all dredge within 10 tiles of it. At the start of the
a 2x6 area in front of him. The Shockwave deals break Gloomwardens next turn all dredge chosen armor forms
damage to all hostile creatures in the area, and restores 4 volatile spikes that deal 1d4 health damage to all adjacent
points of armor to all dredge in the area. Afterward, each hot enemies whenever the dredge is attacked. These spikes last
ash tile deals 1d4 health damage which ignores armor to any for 3 rounds or until the Gloomwarden is killed.
hostile creature and restores 2 points of armor to any dredge
who moves through or ends their turn on the ignited tile. The
hot ash lasts for 3 rounds.
Warped Stoneguard Warped Scourge
Health: 42 Health: 39
Armor: Splint, Tower Shield Armor: Splint
Initiative Die: 1d10 Initiative Die: 1d10
Size: 2x2 Tile Size: 2x2 Tile
Movement Speed: 6 Tiles Movement Speed: 6 Tiles
Stat Block Stat Block
Strength: 11 Strength: 18
Agility: 6 Agility: 6
Influence: 4 Influence: 2
Lore: 13 Lore: 9
Accuracy: 15 Accuracy: 13
Awareness: 5 Awareness: 3
Armor: 28 Armor: 30
Constitution: 14 Constitution: 8
Willpower: 6 Willpower: 9
Break: 4 Break: 2
Exertion: 3 Exertion: 3
Deflection: 8 Deflection: 3
Weapons Weapons
Hammer: Range 1 tile, Damage: 1d8+3 Axe (Two Handed): Range 1 tile, Damage: 1d10+6
Abilities Abilities
Passive Ability: Depraved Passive Ability: Depraved
When the Warped Stoneguard is reduced to 0 hit points or When the Warped Stoneguard is reduced to 0 hit points or
lower it explodes causing all adjacent enemies to reduce their lower it explodes causing all adjacent enemies to reduce their
maximum willpower by 3. Additionally it leaves a 2x2 area of maximum willpower by 3. Additionally it leaves a 2x2 area of
burning purple ashes, that deals 1d4 health damage which burning purple ashes, that deals 1d4 health damage which
ignores armor and reduces willpower by 2 to each creature ignores armor and reduces willpower by 2 to each creature
who move through or end their turn on a burning tile. who move through or end their turn on a burning tile.
Active Ability: Soul Bond Active Ability: Mind Devour
As an action the Warped Stoneguard choose a creature up to As an action the Warped Scourge expends 3 willpower and
6 tiles away and makes a ranged break attack against it. On a chooses a creature up to 10 tiles away and makes a ranged
successful hit the target reduces their willpower by the health attack against them. On a successful hit the targets
Warped Stonegaurds break value. Additionally until the start maximum willpower is reduced by 5. Additionally the next
of Warped Stoneguards next turn all health damage it successful attack the Warped Scourge makes before the end
receives is transferred to its Soul Bonded target. of its next turn is treated as a critical hit.
Sundr
Bellower Eyeless
Health: 60 Health: 58
Armor: Splint, Tower Shield Armor: Splint
Initiative Die: 1d6 Initiative Die: 1d4
Size: 3x3 Tile Size: 1x1 Tile
Movement Speed: 6 Tiles Movement Speed: 4 Tiles
Stat Block Stat Block
Strength: 20 Strength: 18
Agility: 16 Agility: 20
Influence: 14 Influence: 19
Lore: 20 Lore: 19
Accuracy: 19 Accuracy: 19
Awareness: 15 Awareness: 19
Armor: 32 Armor: 20
Constitution: 20 Constitution: 16
Willpower: 18 Willpower: 20
Break: 5 Break: 4
Exertion: 5 Exertion: 5
Deflection: 5 Deflection: 5
Weapons Weapons
Sword: Range 1 tile, Damage: 1d12+7 Twin Spears: Range 1 tiles, Damage: 1d12+6
Abilities Abilities
Passive Ability: Indomitable Passive Ability: Mastery of the Weave
At the start of each of Bellowers turns he will regenerate 6 hit Eyeless regains 3 willpower at the start of each of her turns.
points, 6 armor and 3 willpower. Bellower will continue to
use this ability until he ends his turn with less that half hit Passive Ability: Disease Strike
maximum hit points at which point he will trigger his enraged When the Stonesinger lands a successful attack it transmits a
passive. This causes his Indomitable passive to be reduced to deadly disease to the target. For the next three rounds the
2 health, 2 armor and 2 willpower regeneration at the start of targets maximum hit points are reduced by 1d4 at the start of
each of his turns. each of its turns. Additionally if a creature that is infected
ends its turn adjacent to another the disease is transmitted to
Passive Ability: Enraged them, with a fresh duration. Killing the Stone Singer removes
Each time that bellower is attacked he can spend 2 willpower the disease from all affects creatures. In addition the creature
to move his initiative immediately after the attackers turn. hit is also Knocked back 5 tiles.
Active Ability: Quake and Despair Active Ability: Possess
As an action bellower choose a creature within 10 miles of it As an action Eyeless expends 2 willpower, causing her to
and unleashes a howl of despair. The target creature is dematerialize and chooses a dead creature either friend or
Stunned until the start of bellowers next turn and all adjacent foe up to 10 tiles away. The creature is reanimated and takes
units to Bellower are pushed back 3 tiles suffering 1d4 health an immediate turn. It knows all the abilities, talents and
damage which ignores armor and 3 points of armor damage. specialisations it new in life. In additional it has Health,
armor and Willpower equal to Eyeless current Willpower.
This creature looks visibly undead and has a small crown of
blue flames floating above its head. When the possessed
creature is killed, Eyeless respawns at an unoccupied tile of
its choice up to 10 tiles away.
Active Ability: Shatter
As an action Eyeless choose a creature up to 10 tiles away
and expends 3 willpower begins to cast a spell. At the start of
her next turn all Dredge explode causing all adjacent
creatures to take armor damage equal to her break value.