you use each time you attack with the Ad-
vancement.
Flurry of Blows (Martial/Devious)
Spend 1 Grip when making an Attack with a
weapon held in one hand to make a second
Against The Odds attack on the same turn.
The Holy Song of War (Holy/Bardic/Commanding)
For 1 Grip and an action, the character can
grant the Song of War to a number of crea-
tures up to their Will. This grants the crea-
ture(s) the Upper Hand to a single Attack
Roll or Stat Check of their choice for a sin-
gle combat or five minutes, whichever is
shorter.
Horde Killer (Martial/Commanding)
When enemies Gang Up on the character,
negate the first two instances of the Upper
Hand.
I See Truth In The Stars (Arcane/Holy/Druidic)
At the end of an Adventuring Day, spend
any amount of Grip to receive cryptic vi-
sions from dreaming, stargazing or bone
throwing. The more Grip spent, the less
cryptic the Doomsayer’s description of the
next Adventuring Day’s events is.
Knife From The Shadows (Devious)
When the character Attacks an enemy who
is unaware of them, they have the Upper
Hand and deal double damage.
Lay On Hands (Holy/Bardic)
For 1 Grip and an action, roll D3 + Will. An-
other character of your choice gains Vigour
equal to the result.
Marksman’s Aim (Martial/Devious/Druidic)
The character can take an action to line up
a shot, examining their target and its
movement. The following turn, they can
make an Attack against their target with
the Upper Hand using a Ranged Weapon,
and ignoring any penalties of cover or ob-
scuration.
The Doomsayer may allow the use of
Marksman’s Aim before combat starts,
provided the character has time to do so,
granting the Upper Hand on their first At-
tack.
Master of Deceit (Devious/Bardic)
The character has the Upper Hand on Wit
Checks when lying to NPCs.
My Shining Armour Gleams (Martial/Commanding)
Non-magical Attacks against the character
are Against The Odds.
Nimble Dodge (Devious/Commanding/Technical)
All Wit Checks made to Escape are Trivial.
Nose of the Dog
All Observation Checks relying on smell
have the Upper Hand.
Otherwordly Perception (Arcane/Druidic)
When taking this Advancement, choose 2
supernatural senses that the character can
activate from the following:
Eyes of Cinder: Peer through non-
supernatural darkness as if there is low
light.
Herald's Gaze: See through less than 6
inches of a natural substance like dirt,
stone or wood. Unnatural or man-made
substances, such as metal, leather or
glass are opaque.
Fargone Taste: Taste a distant object as
if it was in their mouth.
Whispers of the Seer: Be able to hear
distant conversations as if a whisper.
Thermomancy: Know the exact temper-
ature of a distant object without touch-
ing it.
Stain of the Arcane: Tell if Arcane magic
has been cast in an area, and the identity
of the mage if the character has seen
them cast a spell before.
Spend 1 Grip to amplify the character’s
normal senses with one of the supernatural
abilities they possess for 5 minutes.
This may grant them the Upper Hand on
certain Observation Checks, or make Im-
Multiple Instances
Each instance of the Upper Hand cancels
out an instance of Against the Odds, and
vice versa. If a character with a crowbar
(Upper Hand) tries opening a rotten
wooden door (Upper Hand) while waist
deep in water (Against the Odds), the Stat
Check is made with the Upper Hand, as the
two circumstances granting the Upper
Hand outnumber the one Against the Odds.
However, if the door turns out to be blocked
by something on the other side (Against
the Odds), they all cancel each other out
and you roll 2D6 normally.
Having multiple instances of the Upper
Hand or Against the Odds does not grant
extra dice.
A Stat Check with three or more instances
of the Upper Hand after cancelling is
Trivial. It succeeds automatically.
A Stat Check with three or more instances
of Against the Odds after cancelling is
Impossible. It fails automatically.
Exertion
After you roll a Stat Check, Observation
Check or Attack or an opponent rolls an
Attack against you—but before the
Doomsayer narrates the roll’s result—you
may spend any amount of Grip, re-rolling
one die for each Grip you spend.
Regardless of the outcome, the new results
stand. You can never use Exertion to re-roll
a die you have already re-rolled.
Observation Checks
Observation Checks are made to discern an
environment’s unusual features—to see,
smell or hear something that isn’t trivial to
notice.
Following the Doomsayer's general
description of a location, players may ask
for further details, potentially requiring an
Observation Check. Alternatively, the
Doomsayer may request an Observation
Check to notice hidden details or dangers
such as traps or enemies.
Unlike Stat Checks, an Observation Check
has no modifier: simply roll 2D6 against a
target of 9+ to succeed, otherwise the
Check fails.
Grip Checks
Characters make a Grip Check whenever
they’re exposed to a terrifying, mind-
bending or unfathomable event, monster or
Zini 4: Rules
Published by SoulMuppet Publishing (www.soulmuppet.co.uk)
environment. Make a Will Check. If they
Written by Zachary Cox and Nicholas Spence | Art by Ben Brown | Layout by Lone Archivist
pass, they are shaken but remain level- Editing by Vi Huntsman (MRC), Fiona Geist (MRC), and James M Hewitt
headed, gaining a point of Experience;
otherwise they lose 1 Grip. The Upper Hand
Resting The Doomsayer grants the Upper Hand to
At the end of each Adventuring Day, you tasks that are easier than an average Stat
must rest. Depending on the rest and food’s Check—whether due to an Advancement,
training, equipment or environmental
quality, you gain a different quantity of
Vigour and perhaps even some Grip as circumstance. For example, a door is easier
to force open with help, using a crowbar or
determined by the Doomsayer.
if the door’s planks are sodden; this would
Dying grant those attempts the Upper Hand.
When a character is reduced to 0 Grip, they With the Upper Hand, roll 3D6 and discard
die from a heart attack or are otherwise the lowest die before adding the appro-
removed from the player’s control. priate Stat as usual.
When a character is reduced to 0 Vigour, Against The Odds
their situation is dire. Flip a coin:
The Doomsayer grants Against The Odds
Tails: they die. Grab a spare from character to tasks harder than an average Stat
creation or make a new one. Work with the Check—whether due to an Advancement’s
Doomsayer on introducing your character adverse effects, a Consequence, lack of
when narratively appropriate. training or equipment or environmental
Heads: they are knocked Unconscious and circumstances. For example, a door is
can do nothing but slowly bleed. After D6 harder to force open when someone is
hours they return to consciousness with an injured, in waist deep water or if the door is
Injury and an Affliction. They don't receive well constructed or jammed, making those
the Grip they would normally get for taking attempts Against The Odds.
on these Consequences (Zini 5). Nearly
When Against The Odds, roll 3D6 and
dying is brutal. discard the highest die before adding the
When waking from Unconsciousness, they appropriate Stat as usual.
return with 1 Vigour. You may spend up to
6 Grip to grant your character additional
Vigour at a rate of 1:1.
Combat
In combat, time is strictly divided into
Rounds, each counting as about 10 seconds
of in-game time. Each Round, creatures
take Turns in an order determined by their
Initiative. A creature only moves and acts
on their Turn—not during others’.
Initiative
To determine a Round’s Initiative order
each creature rolls a D3 and adds their Wit
and any modifiers from their weapon,
Advancements or Adaptations.
Creatures act in turn from highest to lowest
Initiative.
In the event of a tie, the creature with the
higher Wit acts first—in cases of tied Wit,
characters act before monsters. When two
characters are tied, the players decide who
goes first. When two monsters are tied, the
Doomsayer decides their order.
If a creature is Surprised (not prepared for
combat) they skip their first Turn.
Zones
A combat area is called a Zone which
represents the space traversable in one
turn. It might be a large, open, circular
space about 20 metres across, a heavily
obstructed cramped space slowing
movement or a sheer cliff.
The Doomsayer should map out or describe
each Zone’s details, explaining any barriers
that might impede moving from one Zone
to another.
A normal character can move from one
Zone to any adjacent Zone during their
Turn. Faster creatures may move two (or
more) Zones.
• A creature can attack an enemy in the
same Zone with a melee ranged weapon.
• A creature can attack an enemy in an
adjacent Zone with a short ranged
weapon.
• A creature can attack enemies within 5
Zones with a long ranged weapon.
Some Zones are Impassable, you cannot
move through them without specific
Advancements or Adaptations.
Turns
Each Turn, a character can move one Zone
and use an action to do any of the
following:
Attack Characters can Attack with a
weapon held in their hands or on their belt.
If Attacking with a sheathed weapon, they
swap it for what they’re holding, or drop
what they’re holding if it doesn’t fit in their
belt.
Rush Characters can Rush to pass through
an additional Zone, doubling their travel
distance.
Escape See Escape (page opposite).
Use an Advancement or Adaptation –
Many Advancements and Adaptations
require spending an action to use.
Finish Them! See Dying (back page).
Grappling Attempt to grapple a creature in
melee range.
If a character wants to try something that is
not listed in the normal rules, it might
require an action. During combat a
character cannot use any items in their
backpack, only items from their hands or
belt.
Attacking
The target of an Attack must be in weapon
range and visible—an Observation Check
can be made to locate a hidden target.
1. Determine the enemy’s Armour.
2. Roll 3D6. Choose two of the dice and add
the appropriate Stat for this type of
Attack. If the total meets or exceeds the
Target Number, the attacker success-
fully hits the enemy. If no two of the dice
(with the added Stat) can meet the
Armour Target Number, the attack
misses.
3. On a successful hit, the remaining die
serves as damage. Subtract its value
from the target’s Vigour, plus any
modifiers from the attacker’s weapon.
When attacking with the Upper Hand, roll
4D6 and discard the lowest die.
When attacking Against the Odds, roll 4D6
and discard the highest die.
Trivial attacks hit automatically: roll 2D6
and inflict damage equal to the highest die,
modified as normal.
Impossible attacks have no effect.
Monsters and Ganging Up
Monsters work like characters: moving,
determining Initiative and taking turns.
Identical monsters share Initiative and act
simultaneously even if they take different
actions.
When a monster Attacks, decide its target.
If 2+ identical monsters in the same Zone
attack a single target with the same wea-
pon, Advancement or Adaptation, roll a
single attack with an instance of the Up-
per Hand for each monster beyond the first.
Escape
A character who attempts to leave a Zone
containing a monster must make a Wit
Check. If they fail, they must either remain
in the original Zone, or be Attacked by one
of the monsters in the Zone as they leave.
The character may make the Wit Check
Trivial by forfeiting their action for the
turn.
Status Conditions
Most status conditons persist for a single
turn but some last for a minute or until
combat ends. They might be broken early
with a successful Stat Check.
Blinded: Attacks made by the creature
are Against The Odds and sight based
Observation Checks are Impossible.
Deafened: Sound based Observation
Checks are Impossible for the creature.
Restrained: A Restrained creature can
take an action but cannot move on their
turn.
Stunned: A Stunned creature may move
but cannot take an action on their turn.
Immobilised: An Immobilised creature
can neither act or move on their turn.
Grappling
As an action, a character can grapple a tar-
get in melee range. The grappler makes a
Brawn Check, Restraining the target if they
pass. To escape, removing this condition,
the target must use their action on a Wit or
Brawn Check, breaking the grapple and re-
gaining their movement on a success.
Otherwise, the grapple continues. The tar-
get can take other actions while grappled.
The grappler must use their action each
turn to continue Restraining the target, if
they do not, the grapple is automatically
broken.
Finish Them!
While in combat, an enemy might use Fin-
ish Them! on an Unconscious character,
using their action to kill them. This can on-
ly be prevented by another character using
their next action to make a Heroic Rescue:
moving into the Unconscious character’s
Zone. To prevent their death, the Heroic
Rescuer also skips their next turn.
Only characters in the same or adjacent
Zone can make a Heroic Rescue. A Heroic
Rescuer leaving a monster’s Zone must
make a Wit Check to Escape as usual.
Characters aren’t obligated to perform a
Heroic Rescue on their allies, especially
since it could very well get them killed.