Origin

Basic Rules

Written by
Jonathan Bowers

Special Thanks to Andrew Campbell, Bailey Yarkie, Christopher Bowers, Joshua

Panzer, Mallaz Najmi-Beauchamp, and Zachary Barrett

Contact us at turtlefoxgames@outlook.com

1
 Foreword
For the better part of 30 years I've been a gamer in one form or another. I've played many different
RPGs, enjoyed numerous hours sitting at the table or online with friends and family creating stories,
sharing, laughing, and having fun.

The desire to create my own game has always lurked in the back of my head, and in the later days of
2018 I decided that it was time to take the plunge and start writing. Almost three years later and Origin
finally saw the light of day.

A lot of things kind of bothered me over the years playing other games; static armour classes that were
almost impossible to surmount, player boredom at the table when it wasn't their turn and they had
nothing to do, static spell lists, and hit point mountains were a few things I wanted to try and
overcome, or if not overcome, at least mitigate a bit and put a bit more of a spin on things. Origin isn't
perfect, but it's a labour of love, and one I hope that you enjoy playing.

With that being said, let's roll up our sleeves, sharpen some pencils, and grab our dice.

Game on!

-Jonathan Bowers

For Sebastian and Ellie

May you always roll Crits

Love ,Dad

2
 Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Basic Rules.......................................................5
Rolls..................................................................................................6
Criticals: Range, Success and Failure...................................6
Difficulty Checks..........................................................................7
Push Points....................................................................................7
Narrator and Players...................................................................7
Table: Difficulty Checks.............................................................7
Narrating the Game....................................................................8
Scenes and Encounters............................................................9
Chapter 2: Characters........................................................10
Stats and Stat Modifiers............................................................11
Table: Stat Modifiers...................................................................11
Step 1: Archetype........................................................................11
Man/Woman of Action...............................................................12
Seeker..............................................................................................13
Tough as Nails..............................................................................14
True Grit..........................................................................................15
Keeper of Secrets.........................................................................16
Using Origins.................................................................................17
Step 2: Origins and Skills..........................................................18
Using Origins.................................................................................19
Skills.................................................................................................20
Step 3: Derived Stats..................................................................22
Step 4: Talents and Flaws.........................................................23
Step 5: Signature Items..............................................................24
Step 6: Money...............................................................................24
Earning Experience and Levelling Up.................................24
Table: Experience Table............................................................24
Table: Purchasing Skills............................................................24
Chapter 3: Combat..............................................................25
Overview.........................................................................................26
Rolling Initiative and Initiative Bonus...................................26
Surprise Turns...............................................................................26
Rounds............................................................................................26
Turns and What You Can Do...................................................26
Table: Initiative Bonuses...........................................................26
Attacks.............................................................................................29
Reactions to Attacks...................................................................29
Cover................................................................................................30
Critical Attacks and Reactions................................................30
Critical Effects...............................................................................31
Crippling Blows............................................................................32
Weapons........................................................................................33
Unarmed Combat........................................................................34
Armour.............................................................................................35
Shields.............................................................................................36
Equipping weapons and shields...........................................36
Damage..........................................................................................37
Bleeding Out.................................................................................37
First Aid...........................................................................................37
Coma...............................................................................................37
Death...............................................................................................38
Healing............................................................................................38
Restoring MP after Scenes and Encounters.......................39
Status Effects................................................................................40
Chapter 4: Equipment.......................................................41
Table: Clothing, Hats, & Footwear.........................................42
Table: Field Equipment.............................................................43
Table: Weapons, Tiny................................................................45
Table: Weapons, Small..............................................................45
Table: Weapons, Medium.........................................................45
Table: Weapons, Large..............................................................45
Table: Weapons, Huge..............................................................46
Table: Weapon Accessories....................................................46
Table: Armour, Light...................................................................47
Table: Armour, Medium.............................................................47
Table: Armour, Heavy.................................................................47
Table: Jewellery & Hair Accessories.....................................47
Chapter 5: Magic...................................................................48
Words of Power............................................................................49
Magic...............................................................................................49
Crafting a Spell.............................................................................50
Actum Magic.................................................................................51
Cogitare Magic.............................................................................52
Substantia Magic.........................................................................53
Psyche Magic................................................................................54
Animus Magic...............................................................................55
Casting a Spell..............................................................................56
Failing a Spellcasting roll..........................................................56
Table: Spellcasting DC & MP Cost.........................................56
Chapter 6: Enemies.............................................................58
Creating Enemies........................................................................59
Cores................................................................................................60
Core Effects on Creatures.........................................................61
Core Quality...................................................................................63
Harvesting Cores and Core DC..............................................63
Touching an Active Core..........................................................64
Using an Inert Core.....................................................................64
Enemy Examples.........................................................................65
Character Sheet...........................................................................68
3
 Art Credits
Stéphane "Wootha" Richard <art@wootha.com>
Aaron Lee
David Lewis Johnson
Jeff Brown
Joyce Maureira
Miguel Santos
Tan Ho Sim
Luigi Castelanni
Artwork © 2008 Jeff Freels, used with permission
1manstudio.de
Jeremy Hart
Matt Forsyth

Alpha Play Testers

Andrew Campbell
Bailey Yarkie
Christopher Bowers
Zachary Barrett

Author
Jonathan Bowers, Turtlefox Games, 2021

4
 Chapter 1
Basic Rules

5
Chapter 1: Basic Rules
Rolls
The primary die used in the game
is a single d12. Rolls in the game
are classified as either Action rolls
and Reaction rolls.
Action Rolls and Action Bonuses
An Action Roll occurs whenever
you take a significant Action.
Actions include using a skill or
making an Attack; essentially
whenever you actively DO
something important. Action
rolls, regardless of whether they
are an Attack or not, consist of
rolling a single d12 and adding
their Action Bonus, which
consists of the Action's
associated Stat Modifier plus any
applicable Skill modifiers. If the
Action Roll total Meets or
Exceeds the target DC set by the
Narrator, or by an opposing
Reaction Roll, then the Action
succeeds. If it is lower than the
DC or the Reaction, then the
Action fails.
PCs start play 1 with Action they
can use on their Turn during
combat, and can gain more as
they gain in strength. When
you've used up your Actions on
your Turn, you can no longer act.
Reaction Rolls
A Reaction Roll occurs whenever
someone is attempting to actively
react to an Action. Reaction Rolls
are rolled the same way as Action
Rolls: 1d12+Stat Modifier+Skill
Level (as applicable). If the
Reaction roll Exceeds the Action's
DC then the Action fails.
6
Dodging, Parrying, or Blocking
an attack, casting a defensive
Spell, or using a defensive ability
during combat uses up 1
Reaction.
PCs start play with 1 Reaction per
Round, and can gain more as
they gain in strength. Once a PC
uses up all their available
Reactions in a Round, they can
still react to incoming Actions just
not as effectively. In this case, the
Reaction Roll consists of rolling a
single d12 plus the associated
Stat modifier. This is rolled as
many times as necessary.
Criticals:
Range, Success and Failure
Any roll in the game can result in
a Critical.
•A Critical Success occurs
when a roll is 5 or more over a
target DC.
•A Critical Failure occurs
when a roll is 5 or more under
a target DC.
This results in a 10 point spread
known as the Critical Range.
Usually the Critical Range of any
roll has the target DC right in the
middle, however there are some
Abilities which you can take
which alter the Critical Range of
some rolls.
Critical Successes and Failures
for Attacks, Spells and Defensive
Reactions are specific to the
attack, spell or reaction and are
further detailed in Chapter 2:
Combat.

Difficulty Checks
The Difficulty Check level (DC) of
a roll is determined either by the
Narrator (in the case of skills) or
by an opponent's Reaction Roll. If
the total rolled Meets or Exceeds
the target DC, the Action
succeeds. If the total rolled is
Lower than the target DC, the
Action fails. The target DC must
be announced by the Narrator
prior to the roll being made.
Difficulty Checks increase in
steps of 3 based on how hard the
task would be for an average
individual. Some Abilities as well
as Origins can be used to reduce
the Difficulty Check level when a
Roll is made.
Push Points
Push Points represent your
willpower, your drive and desire
to succeed at all cost, to push
yourself beyond your limitations.
Mechanically, Push Points have
three uses;
1. Push Points can be spent to
increase the result of any
Action roll involving your
Archetype's Primary Stat to
meet a designated DC. Action
Chapter 1: Basic Rules
DIFFICULTY CHECKS
rolls involving other Stats can
be increased by spending 2
Push Points for every +1. Push
Points used this way can only See Chapter 2:
be used to meet a designated Characters for
DC, never push beyond it. more information
on Origins and
2. You can spend 2 Push how to use them.
Points to equal 1 Magic Point
when casting spells.
3. If you are Bleeding Out or
otherwise below 0 HP you
can spend 5 Push Points to
perform 1 Action on your
Turn, up to your normal
Action per Turn limit.
See Chapter 3:
If your Push Points reach 0 your Healing for more
character is rendered information on
Unconscious until they regain at recovering HP,
least 1. Push Points are regained PP, and MP after
by after a Day of Rest, or by Scenes and
Taking a Breather. Encounters.
Narrator and Players
Push Points are a
In Origin one person takes on the key resource in
role of the Narrator. The Narrator Origin, allowing
creates the world, plays the parts you to succeed at
of any NPCs (Non-Player an Action where
Characters) including important you would
individuals the players interact otherwise fail.
with as well as any enemies, Note that Push
narrates the results of the Player's Points cannot be
actions and adventures, and acts used to augment
as an adjudicator of the rules. a Reaction roll.
7
Chapter 1: Basic Rules
Players, on the other hand, roll up
a single character (known as a
PC, or Player Character) as
described in Chapter 2. The PC
becomes a player's avatar in the
world the Narrator creates, and
players describe what their PCs
do; their actions, words,
thoughts, feelings, and reactions
to events and scenarios.
Like any other roleplaying game,
Origin is designed to be a
collaborative effort between the
Narrator and Players to tell a
compelling story in which the
Players are the heroes of the tale.
Narrating the Game
The Narrator has a challenging
role to play; their job is to create
the game world, act as referee to
the players, interpret and enforce
the rules fairly, and generally
keep the game running as
smoothly as possible. There are
many different styles that
8
Narrators can adopt however
Origin was designed with a more
free-form and collaborative
approach in mind.
Encourage the players to fill in
the blanks. When setting a scene
ask what they're doing and who
they're talking to. Get them to
establish why it's important in the
context of the scene.
Whenever possible look for ways
to work a character's backstory
and Origins into play. The PCs are
the heroes of the story, and while
the Narrator may have a grand
epic campaign of love, war and
political intrigue planned out in
minute detail, if the players aren't
invested in the story on a
personal level they'll likely lose
interest quickly.
If someone isn't enjoying the
game, ask them why. Keep
communication going between
yourself and the players and
don't be afraid to be honest, both

with them and with yourself. A
good way to do this is to have a
check-in with all the players
involved after every session or
two; ask your players for
feedback, one note on a positive
aspect of the game, one on a
negative or an area that needs
improvement, or just anything
they'd like to bring up in general.
With all that said, the most
important aspect of both
Narrating and Playing the game
is to be respectful of everyone at
the table.
Scenes and Encounters
During play you will often find
yourself in stretches of story with
a coherent setting or intent
behind them. In Origin these are
known as Scenes and
Encounters.
Keeping track of Scenes and
Encounters during play is
Chapter 1: Basic Rules
important as they are not only
provide good story beats for the
Narrator to pivot on but they are
also intrinsically tied to If something in
recovering HP, PP, and MP. the rules doesn't
work for your
table, change it.
Scenes The rules
presented here
Scenes are generally considered are meant to be a
non-combat stretches of play. framework to
They could be a market run, an build an
extended period of social enjoyable game
interaction with guards or around and aren't
important NPCs, or an extended set in stone by
action sequence like a ball at the any means.
king's palace.
Encounters
Encounters are typically
indicative of short, intense
periods of activity like Combat or
a chase sequence. There can be
multiple Encounters within a
Scene.
9
 Chapter 2
Characters

10

Stats and Stat Modifiers
There are 5 Stats; Body, Mind,
Health, Will, and Spirit. Each Stat
controls one aspect of your
character and what they can do.
Body governs physical action.
The higher your Body score the
stronger and faster you are.
Mind determines how
knowledgeable and skilled you
are. A higher Mind score grants
you more skill points on level up.
Health shows how physically
hardy and resilient you are.
Health dictates how many hits
you can take and how long you
can last once you start Bleeding
Out.
Will influences your strength of
character and force of
personality. Those with a high
Will score can also Push
themselves far longer than
others.
Spirit controls your ability to
interact with spiritual forces and
to use magic, as well as your gut
intuition. A high Spirit score
expands your reserves of magical
energy which you can use during
times of crisis.
Stats can range from 1-6, with 2-3
being the average for an adult
Human. Stats cannot go beyond
6, but may be temporarily
increased using Stat boosts
gained from meals or magic.
Chapter 2:
Characters
Once your Stats have been
assigned, determine your Stat
Modifiers. A Stat Modifier is what
you will add to any roll associated
with the area governed by that
Stat. For instance, any roll
involving a physical action would
require you to roll a d12 and add
your Body Modifier. Stat
Modifiers are equal to your Stat
divided by 2, rounded down to
the nearest whole number.
Stat Modifiers
All stats start at 1.
Step 1: Archetype
Archetypes indicate the general
focus of your character; whether
it be as a no-nonsense Man or
Woman of Action; a skilled
Seeker; a hearty adventurer who
is Tough as Nails; someone with
True Grit, with an unmatched
force of will; or a Keeper of
Secrets and master of magic.
Archetypes affect several things,
chief among those including
your starting stats, the ability
trees you have access to as you
level up, and how easy it is to use
Push Points with rolls associated
with your Archetype.
11
Chapter 2:
Characters

Man/Woman of Action

The veteran warrior, leading the
charge against an imposing foe
and engaging them in one on
one combat. The bare knuckle
brawler, bruised and bloodied,
with naught but her own fists as
weapons. The elusive duelist,
skilled at evading the blows of his
opponent, before finding the
perfect moment and opening to
strike.
Men and Women of Action are
those that prefer to let their deeds
do the talking for them. Skilled
with weaponry, they can mount a
formidable offense against their
opponents and they have the
aptitude and abilities to back it
up. Few can match them in single
combat and they make excellent
front line warriors, shielding their
allies behind a storm of steel.

At level 1:

•Gain +2 Body

•Gain +1 to 3 other stats of your choice.

•Primary Stat - Body: Can use Push Points at a rate of 1:1 for Body rolls.

Abilities

•Heavy Blow: Make a melee attack without any skill bonus. If the attack connects, the attacks
deal double Body modifier damage plus weapon damage.

•Marksman: gain a bonus to any ranged weapon attack and damage equal to your Focus skill.

•Targeted Strike: Spend 1 Action observing a single enemy. On your next Attack, ignore target's
DR by an amount equal to your Awareness skill.

•Elusive: As an Action, double your Dodge skill until the beginning of your next Turn.

12
 Chapter 2:
Characters

Seeker

The skilled huntress, stalking her
prey and prepared with
knowlege gleaned from ancient
texts. The master artisan, crafting
weapons and armour of
unparalled quality to protect
themselves and their
companions. The eccentric
alchemist, creating mysterious
potions by capturing magical
essence in liquid form.
Seekers are those that fight with
their minds just as much as their
bodies. They use their powers of
the mind to craft wondrous items,
prepare alchemical potions, and
research obscure lore which can
aid them in their pursuits. Many
Seekers take up the hunter's life,
using their knowledge to hound
the dark things that crawl from
the shadows to plague civilized
lands.

At level 1:

•Gain +2 Mind

•Gain +1 to 3 other stats of your choice.

•Primary Stat - Mind: Can use Push Points at a rate of 1:1 for Mind rolls.

Abilities

•Scholar: Reduce the difficulty of any Knowledge check by one step

•Medic: Once per day as an incidental, restore a number of points equal to your Medicine skill to
a single target's HP, PP, or MP (Can be taken multiple times)

•Sixth Sense: gain a bonus equal to your Spirit Modifier on Awareness checks against any
supernatural phenomena (including Monsters).

•Gifted: gain an additional +1 skill point when levelling up (can be taken multiple times)

13
Chapter 2:
Characters

Tough as Nails

The armoured knight, standing
tall and fearless before their foe,
their comrades taking cover
behind them. The hearty
explorer, at home in the wilds and
capable of traversing them as
easily as another man crosses a
road. The seemingly undefeated
champion, who shrugs off blow
after blow and then laughs in the
face of death itself.
Those that are Tough as Nails are
the bulwark, the wall that
enemies break upon. They stand
strong in the face of adversity,
taking blows that would fell
someone of lesser stature.
But they are not immobile.
Someone Tough as Nails is a
master of the field, moving with
astounding ease to where they
are needed the most.

At level 1:

•Gain +2 Health

•Gain +1 to 3 other stats of your choice.

•Primary Stat - Health: Can use Push Points at a rate of 1:1 for Health rolls.

Abilities

•Juggernaut: Gain +5 Health (can be taken multiple times)

•Nimble footed: ignore Rough Terrain

•Knight: once per round as an Incidental you can redirect an attack targeting an adjacent ally at
yourself

•Steel Self: Once per Round as a Reaction gain temporary DR equal to your Resistance skill. This
DR lasts until the beginning of your next Turn.

14
 Chapter 2:
Characters

True Grit

The grizzled commander, leading
their troops into the fray and
dispatching enemies as well as
orders. The wily negotiator,
battling wits and words with their
opponent across the table,
hoping to cut a deal in their
favour. The hardened outlaw, on
the run, only moving forward by
sheer willpower as he feels the
life slipping through his fingers
from the wound in his chest.
Those with True Grit are a rare
breed. Their willpower is
legendary, and where lesser men
falter and fail they push through
to the end. They make excellent
commanders or negotiators,
leading men through word and
deed, or inspiring others to acts
they wouldn't dream of. When
the chips are down and the odds
are grim, those with True Grit dig
deep and get the job done.

At level 1:

•Gain +2 Will

•Gain +1 to 3 other stats of your choice.

•Primary Stat - Will: Can use Push Points at a rate of 1:1 for Will rolls.

Abilities

•Inspire: On any Critical Success, you grant a +1 bonus to all allies within sight of you on their
next Action.

•Encourage: As an Action encourage 1 ally, granting them a bonus equal to your Will Modifier to
their next Action.

•Tactical Command: As an Action command 1 ally to immediately take 1 free Action or free
Move up to their total Move.

•Not Done Yet: reduce the amount of PP needed to perform one Action when Bleeding Out from
5 to 3.

15
Chapter 2:
Characters

Keeper of Secrets

The mysterious sorceress, A Keeper of Secrets is a master of

commanding the elements with a
single breath to strike down her
enemies. The benevolent
priestess, healing the sick and
the lame with naught but a
prayer or an uttered blessing. The
holy warrior, reciting an oath and
imbuing their weapon with
righteous fire in order to smite
their foes.
the arcane. They wield the
eldritch Words of Power with an
ease unrivaled by others, delving
into dark mysteries and gaining
power undreamed of. Truly
limited only by their imaginations,
many fear and mistrust them; as a
result, to walk the path of a
Keeper of Secrets is often to walk
apart from mortal man.

At level 1:

•Gain +2 Spirit

•Gain +1 to 3 other stats of your choice.

•Primary Stat - Spirit: Can use Push Points at a rate of 1:1 for Spirit rolls.

Abilities

•Spell Focus: Add +1 to the total of any spellcasting roll you make (can be taken multiple times)

•Spell Shield: Reduce the total of any spellcasting roll made against you by 1 (can be taken
multiple times, can be negated at will for purposes of healing, etc...)

•Sanguimancer: gain the ability to convert 2 HP to 1 MP in order to power spells.

•Spiritual Battery: gain the ability to convert 2 MP to 1 PP in order to Push yourself

16
 Chapter 2:
Characters

Gaining a second Archetype you will need to choose up to 3

At level 3 choose an additional
Archetype for your character.
Archetypes gained in this manner
do not grant you any stat boosts,
however they do allow you to use
Push Points at a rate of 1:1 for any
rolls associated with the
Archetypes stat as well as access
to abilities associated with the
Archetype.
Skills associated with your
Profession and up to 3 associated
with your Hobby. Unlike the first
three, though, you do not gain
additional Stat points for your
Profession or Hobby; as such, the
Skills associated with them are
not tied to any particular Stat, and
you are free to chose any Skills
you wish.

Birthright:
Step 2: Origins and Skills
The circumstances of your birth,
Origins are short phrases or the family you were born into,
statements about aspects of your wealth, status, etc...
character and the life they've
lived which can be invoked Examples:
during play to make certain rolls •Born on the streets
easier. •Loving family
•Broken home
A character's life prior to •Child of priviledge
adventuring is broken up into a •Born under an auspicious
series of steps; Birthright, sign
Childhood, and Coming of Age. •Born under a fell sign
For each step, come up with a •Born to duty
short statement about that
aspect of your character's life. Choose 1 Stat with relevance to
Consider how this statement your Birthright and gain +1 to that
would have affected the Stat.
character during that phase of
their life as you will have to
choose which Stats to increase Childhood:
based upon the Origin you pick
as well as up to 3 Skills How you spent your early/
associated with that Stat when formative years.
directed. You can choose a single
Skill multiple times during this Examples:
process, up to the Skill cap of +3. •Street rat
•Wild child
Once you have detailed your •Put to work
characters life up to this point, •Basic education
you'll need to decide their •Private School
Profession (what they do for a •Slavery
living) as well as their Hobby
(what they do when they want to
relax). Like the first three Origins,

17
Chapter 2:
Characters
Choose 1 Stat associated with
your Childhood and gain +1 to
that stat. Choose Skills
associated with that Stat which
you would have learned during
your childhood; gain +1 to 3
Skills, +2 to 1 Skill and +1 to 1
other, or +3 to a single Skill.
Coming of Age:
How you transitioned from a
child into adulthood.
Examples:
•Went to the Academy
•Joined the military
•Travelled the world
•Working man/woman
•Life of crime
•Joined the Faithful
Choose 1 Stat associated with
your Coming of Age and gain +1
to that stat. Choose Skills
associated with that Stat which
Always keep your you would have learned during
Origins in mind your Coming of Age; gain +1 to 3
and look for ways Skills, +2 to 1 Skill and +1 to 1
they can apply to other, or +3 to a single Skill.
a given situation.
Sometimes a roll
that initially Profession:
seemed daunting
can be made The job you chose once you
trivial if your became an adult.
character has the
right combination Examples:
of background •Carpenter
and experience. •Mason
•Shepherd
•Officer
•Soldier
•Sailor
18
Choose Skills you would have
learned when entering your
Profession; gain +1 to 3 Skills, +2
to 1 Skill and +1 to 1 other, or +3
to a single Skill.
Hobby:
What your character enjoys
doing in their free time.
Examples:
•Reading
•Poetry
•History
•Collecting weapons
•Cooking
•Woodworking
Choose Skills you would have
learned while practicing your
Hobby; gain +1 to 3 Skills, +2 to 1
Skill and +1 to 1 other, or +3 to a
single Skill.
Using Origins
When a non-combat roll is called
for, you can choose to Invoke an
Origin. Look over your Origins
and see if any would apply in
some capacity to the situation at
hand. If so, detail the Origin
you're invoking and how it would
apply to the situation. The
Narrator can chose to accept
your Invocation and can
subsequently reduce the
difficulty of the roll by 1 to 3
depending on how applicable
they feel it is to the situation.
Invoking multiple Origins can
potentially reduce the difficulty of
the roll even further, possibly to
the point that a roll would be
moot in the right circumstances.

Skills
Each Stat has skills associated
with it which can be filled in on
your sheet as you learn them.
Skills provide additional bonuses
to rolls alongside your Stat
bonuses and reflect your
character's training and hard-
won experience.
The skills listed here are not an
exhaustive list, and if you wish to
have a skill in an area not listed
simply consult with your Narrator
and add it into the empty spaces
provided underneath the
appropriate Stat. If more room is
needed, mark it down on the
back of the sheet. Be sure that
both yourself and the Narrator are
clear as to what the Skill allows
you to do before taking it.
Weapon and Shield skills are
Body skills that are unique to
each individual weapon or shield
type. Armour, however, does not
require a unique skill to use but
instead gives a penalty to some
rolls depending on what type it is.
An example of a Weapon skill
would be selecting Short Sword
and writing it in under Body
Skills. Weapons are very different
from one another, and learning
how to use one does not grant
skill with another; styles,
techniques, footwork, even how
you hold the weapon, all these
differ greatly from weapon to
weapon and even between
weapons that are similar to one
another; a short sword is not
used like a long sword, which is
wielded differently than a rapier,
etc...
Chapter 2:
Characters
When wielding a weapon that
you have no training in, you take
a penalty to using it equal to the
weapon's Size rating.
There are still some base
similarities between weapons of
a certain type, though; if you have
training in a weapon similar to
one you're wielding but have no
skill in it (trained in short sword
but wielding a long sword with
no skill in it, for example) you take
no penalty to using it but gain no
bonus either.
Body Skills See Chapter 4:
Equipment for
•Athletics – used for short weapon and
bursts of intense physical armour tables
activity such as Dashing, when deciding
grappling, jumping, climbing which weapon or
a rope or a short swim. shield skills to
Athletics checks are take.
especially useful in Combat
scenarios.
•Crafting – general aptitude
for gathering Materials and
physically crafting an item.
•Dodge – standard defensive
action all PCs can take to
avoid an incoming attack,
whether physical or magical.
•Sleight of Hand – manual
dexterity, used for making
subtle motions/gestures,
physical illusions/magic tricks,
or lockpicking.
•Stealth – hiding in shadows,
making as little noise as
possible, or otherwise
avoiding notice or attention.
19
Chapter 2:
Characters
Mind Skills
•Awareness – spot, listen,
search.
•Knowledge – general level of
academic knowledge.
•Language – linguistics
aptitude, ability to spot
patterns in words/pictograms
and decipher general
meanings in foreign
languages. Each point of skill
allows the PC to know an
additional language.
•Medicine – used for Healing
damage (see Healing).
•Navigation – ability to
navigate using trail markers,
star sign, wind direction,
maps, etc.
Health Skills
•Endurance – used to
determine Encumbrance as
well as for activities which
take place over a long period
of time, such as running,
swimming across a river, or
climbing a rock or cliff face.
Endurance checks are
especially useful in
Exploration scenarios.
•Hold breath – measure of
how long you can hold your
breath in rounds before
needing to make Endurance
rolls, useful for swimming
through underground
passages or for traversing
areas filled with poisonous
gasses.
20
•Flexibility – ability to contort
your body safely in order to fit
through tight spaces or free
yourself from ropes or
shackles.
•Resistance – your ability to
resist the effects of harmful
substances and diseases.
•Balance – used to maintain
balance on loose/slippery
surfaces.
Will Skills
•Focus – your ability to
maintain concentration or
shut out distractions.
•Handle Animal – ability to
train, handle, and ride
animals.
•Influence – your ability to
influence others/change their
way of thinking, usually
through persuasion,
deception, seduction or
intimidation.
•Perform – playing an
instrument, singing a song,
reciting a poem, or speaking
in public/in front of large
crowds. Each point of Perform
allows the PC to use an
additional method of
Performance (dancing,
singing, playing a specific
instrument, etc…).
•Rapport – your ability to
establish favourable
connections with others by
making friends, diplomacy, or
negotiation.

Spirit Skills
•Actum – your ability to
magically manipulate the
forces of Motion.
•Cogitare – your ability to
magically manipulate the
Minds of others.
•Substantia – your ability to
magically alter the Form of a
person or object or to Create
something from nothing.
•Psyche – your ability to
magically create Illusions that
fool the senses.
•Animus – your ability to
magically affect the
underlying fundamentals of
reality and to alter the
insubstantial aspects of a
person or object.
•Vibe – a measure of your
ability to read a situation or
person; can be used to
determine the source of a bad
feeling or if a person is lying
or on the level.
Chapter 2:
Characters
Step 3: Derived Stats
Each character has a number of
Derived Stats which rely directly
upon the primary 5; Body, Mind,
Health, Will, and Spirit.
Additionally, there are several
Derived Stats which rely on some
combination of Stats and Skills,
chief among them being your
Lifting Capacity, your
Encumbrance, your Languages,
and how many Words of Power
you know.
Move
A Character's Move is equal to
their Body Stat and shows how
many hexes they can move
during their Turn.
Health Points (HP)
A PC's Health Points (HP)
determines how much Damage a
PC can take before they are
Bleeding Out. HP is equal to a
PC's Health Stat x5.
Push Points (PP)
Push Points are a measure of your
character's Will to push
themselves beyond their limits.
Push Points are used to augment
the results of individual Action
rolls in order to meet a DC stated
by the Narrator. The can also be
used in place of Magic Points to
fuel Spells, or to force yourself to
keep going even when you're
body is on the verge of failing.
Push Points are equal to your Will
stat x5.
21
Chapter 2:
Characters

Magic Points (MP) Step 4: Talents and Flaws

Magic Points are your capacity to People are complex creatures,

command Primal Energy and are
used to construct and cast Spells.
Magic Points are equal to your
Spirit stat x5.
Lifting Capacity
with Talents and Flaws that you
would often never expect. Talents
and Flaws are latent aspects of
their characters, and much like
the other Origins can be Invoked
during play, with some minor
differences.

Lifting Capacity is equal in lbs. to You can have a total combined

your Health + Endurance skill number of Talents and Flaws
x20. equal to your Will Stat.

Encumbrance
Encumbrance is equal in lbs. to
your Health + Endurance skill
x10. For every 10 pounds over
your Encumbrance, reduce your
Move by 1.
Languages
You know a total number of
Languages equal to your
Language Skill (minimum 1).
Talents
Many people have hidden
Talents, areas where they have
some natural ability beyond their
physical gifts or their hard-earned
skills. Similar to the other Origins
a Talent can be Invoked in order
to reduce the difficulty of a
particular roll. Unlike the other
Origins, though, Invoking a
Talent will only ever reduce the
DC of a roll by a maximum of 1.

Words of Power Flaws

While it might
seem counter- You know a total number of People are also inherently flawed;
intuitive, making a Words of Power equal to your no one is perfect, and often
Flawed character total combined Magic skill levels someone can find a task
can lead to both (Actum, Cogitare, Substantia, remarkably difficult where other
better RP and Psyche, and Animus). would accomplish it with ease.
more
opportunities to Unlike with a Talent, Invoking a
earn EXP and Flaw always increases the DC of a
advance in level. roll by 3. The trade-off is that on a
succes, you gain an additional +1
EXP as you overcome your Flaws
and succeed in spite of yourself.

22

Step 5: Signature Items
Signature Items are items that
have personal meaning to the
character. Usually something
small and simple like a ring,
necklace, or a similar item that
can be easily worn or carried,
although it could also be a
weapon or a piece of armour.
When on the PC's person a
Signature Item provides a +1
bonus to 1 skill decided upon at
the item's creation. This bonus
does not count towards the skill
cap of 3.
You can start play with two small
items as above as Signature
Items, or one Weapon or piece of
Armour. If you choose two small
items they cannot provide a
bonus for the same skill.
Additional Signature items can
be earned through play at pivotal
moments of character
development.
Step 6: Money
Your character's starting gold is
equal to 1d6 x 100 and is used to
purchase their initial equipment.
Chapter 2:
Characters
Earning Experience and See Chapter 1:
Levelling Up Difficulty Checks
for descriptions
Characters increase in power by for the various
earning Experience (EXP) and Difficulty levels
Levelling Up. EXP is earned by when
defeating opponents in combat, determining EXP
overcoming challenges, failing a given for
Skill Check, or succeeding a Skill Overcoming a
Check after Invoking a Flaw. Challenge.
Overcoming Challenges
Challenges can be any objective
set by the Narrator. Trivial or Easy
challenges rarely give EXP.
Medium challenges give 1 EXP,
Hard give 2, Difficult give 3, and
Impossible tasks give 4 or more.
Failing a Skill Check
For every Skill Check a PC fails,
they gain 1 EXP. If they Critically
Fail it, they gain 2. This reflects
that every time you fail it gives
you an opportunity to learn from
your failure. This rule also applies
to Combat rolls.
23
Chapter 2:
Characters

Players do not Levelling up grants the following: •Abilities: Gain 1 Ability at

have to spend all
their Skill Points •Skill Points: You gain an
at once and can amount of Skill Points equal to
carry them over your Mind Stat every level.
from level to level Augmenting a skill requires
if needed. you to spend a number of Skill
Points equal to the skill's
current level +1. Skills max out
at 3.
•Secondary Archetype:
Choose an additional
Archetype at level 3.
levels 1, 4, 7, and 10 from your
Archetype. Gain 1 Ability at
levels 3, 6, 9. and 12 from your
Secondary Archetype.
•Stat boosts: Gain +1 to any
Stat of your choice at levels 2,
5, 8, and 11.
•Actions and Reactions: Start
play with 1 Action and 1
Reaction per Round at level 1.
Gain +1 Action or Reaction at
levels 4, 7, and 10.

EXPERIENCE TABLE

PURCHASING SKILLS

24
Chapter 3
Combat

25
Chapter 3: Combat
Overview
Occasionally during play you'll
encounter situations where
conflict needs to be resolved
through violence. When this
happens it is known as Entering
Combat.
Combat is meant to take place on
a hex battle-map using tokens or
miniatures to represent
combatants, with each hex
representing approximately 5
feet. Theatre-of-the-mind play is
also possible, however, keeping
in mind general ranges between
combatants.
Rolling Initiative and
Initiative Bonus
Each participant in a Combat
starts by rolling their Initiative
(1d12 + Body Modifier + Initiative
Bonus), with the results dictating
the order of Turns flowing from
highest to lowest. Initiative Bonus
is determined by the size of
weapon used.
Keep in mind that For Large and Huge weapons,
when using a the initiative bonus increases to
Large or Huge match the wielder's skill level. For
weapon, the more instance, someone wielding a
skilled you Large weapon with a skill of +3
become at using would see their Initiative increase
it the faster you to +3 to match.
get with it as well.
Initiative Bonuses
26
Surprise Turns
Certain conditions can grant one
or more parties a Surprise Turn,
such as evading an enemy’s
notice using Stealth and
springing an ambush on them.
Any participant that is granted a
Surprise Turn can take a Turn
prior to the established order of
Initiative. If multiple participants
are granted Surprise Turns,
consider it to be a Surprise Round
during which all those with
Surprise Turns proceed within
their normal order of Initiative.
Rounds
Combat is divided into a cycle of
individual Turns within a Round.
In real-world terms, a single
Round takes about 5 seconds.
Turns and What You Can
Do
PCs have 3 things they can do
during their Turn;
•Move
•Action
•Incidental
These can be done in any order
during your Turn, even splitting
your Movement if you so choose
(moving some of your Move,
attacking, and then moving the
rest of your movement, for
instance).
Reactions are used on other
character's Turns when reacting
to an Action targeting your
character.

Move:
PCs can move a number of hexes
per turn equal to their Body Stat.
•You can split your Move
during your Turn by moving
some of your Move,
performing an Action, and
then moving the rest of your
Move.
•If Knocked Down, it takes half
your movement to get up
(rounded up).
•Characters can Climb or
Swim at half their normal
Movement rate (rounded up)
and still act as normal.
•Characters can move over
any area designated as
Rough Terrain at half their
normal Move rate (rounded
up).
•Characters can Jump up to
half their Move Horizontally or
1/4 their Move Vertically.
•The Dash Action adds your
Athletics skill to your Move
score for 1 Turn. You can only
use 1 Dash Action per Turn.
Dash adds a minimum of 1 to
your Move regardless of your
Athletics skill.
Chapter 3: Combat
Action:
Actions involve anything that the
player actively attempts to do
during their turn.
Actions include:
•Attacking
•Using an item
•Using a skill
•Casting a Spell
•Using the Dash Action
•Using the Help Action: The The Help Action
Help Action allows one allows characters
creature to assist another. The to assist one
creature being Helped uses another in certain
the higher of either creature’s situations,
Stat Modifiers and Skills when combining their
rolling. strengths and
negating their
•Hold Actions: Hold your weaknesses.
Actions for later in the Round. While it does burn
Specify a specific set of up an Action on
conditions as a trigger. If the behalf of the
conditions do not occur, your character doing
Actions for this Round are lost. the Helping, the
You cannot split your Actions benefits usually
between your normal Turn outweigh the
and for when you wish to drawback.
Hold your Actions.
Using an Action in combat costs
1 Action. Players can use Push
Points to augment the result of
their roll in order to meet a target
DC.
27
Chapter 3: Combat

Incidental:

Incidentals include things like

talking, drawing or sheathing a
weapon, picking up a small
object, etc... Incidentals are
generally considered free actions
or anything that would not
normally warrant an Action roll.
This is to be done within reason;
as a guideline remember that a
Round is roughly 5 seconds, if it
would take longer than that to do
it once then it can't be realistically
used as an Incidental.

Reaction:

Reactions are special Actions that

are used when your PC is actively
reacting to something like an
attack. They aren't used on your
Turn but rather at any point
during a Round when you're
trying to react to something
someone or something else does.

Reactions cost 1 Reaction to use

and provide bonuses based on
your skills and equipment. Once
all your Reactions are expended
during a Round, you can still
React to incoming Actions; in this
case, simply roll a d12 and add
the associated Stat Modifier for
the Action being Reacted to.

You cannot use Push Points to

augment the results of a Reaction
roll.

28

Attacks
Resolving a physical Attack is
simple; the attacker rolls a d12
and adds their Body Modifier
plus the associated Weapon or
Unarmed skill (if applicable) for a
physical attack. Defenders use
either a Defensive Reaction or a
Standard Reaction Roll. If the
Attack roll is equal to or higher
than the Reaction Roll, the Attack
connects. If the Reaction Roll is
higher than the attack, then the
Attack misses. As Attacks are
Actions, you can use Push Points
to increase your Attack roll in
order to have it succeed.
A Magical Attack is a spell that
uses the Spirit Modifier plus any
bonuses from equipment or skills
but is otherwise functionally
identical to a Physical Attack,
including your ability to use Push
Points to augment the results of
the roll.
Reactions to Attacks
There are a number of Reactions
you can take when Reacting to
an Attack.
•Dodge: Dodging uses the
Dodge skill to physically
move out of the way of an
Attack, causing it to miss.
•Parry: All weapons can use
the Parry Reaction, however a
weapon can only be used to
Parry something of equal size
or lower. Parry uses the
equipped Weapon's skill
when rolling to Parry; if the
Parry Roll is higher than the
Chapter 3: Combat
Attack roll then the attack is
successfully diverted and
causes no damage.
•Block: Equipping a Shield
allows the use of the Block
Reaction. A Block roll uses the
equipped Shield's skill when
rolling to Block; if the Block
roll is higher than the Attack
roll, the Attack is stopped by
the Shield. If the Attack roll is
greater than the Block roll, the
Shield's DR is added to the
defender's DR total; Shield DR
does not otherwise apply.
•Defensive Spell: Casting a See Chapter 5:
Defensive Spell to negate Magic for more
another spell, block an attack information on
or augment physical or using magic to
magical DR counts as a Attack and
Reaction. Such spells are Defend.
crafted and cast as normal.
•Ready: You can also Ready a
Reaction on your Turn in
anticipation of an Attack.
Doing so reduces your
Movement to 0 for that Turn
but doubles the associated
skill for the purposes of that
Defence. You can only Ready
one type of Reaction per Turn.
If you have more than one
Reaction to spend during
your Turn, all skills using the
Readied Reaction are
doubled. If you use a different
Reaction than one you have
Readied for this Turn, then it is
rolled as normal.
29
Chapter 3: Combat
Cover
Sometimes stationary obstacles
come between an Attacker and a
Defender; this is called Cover. If
the Defender's body is at least
50% obscured, they are
considered to be in Half-Cover. If
they are fully behind an obstacle,
they are considered to be in Full-
Cover.
•Half-Cover adds +3 to any
Reaction rolls.
•Full-Cover adds +6 to any
Reaction rolls.
Critical Attacks and
Reactions
A Critical Attack or Reaction
occurs when a roll is 5 or higher
than the opponent's roll. Rolling a
Crit applies an additional effect
noted by either the damage type
(if an Attack), or the Defensive
Reaction used (if a Defensive
Reaction). Standard Reaction
rolls CANNOT crit. If you Crit Fail
on your attack or reaction roll,
your opponent is then
considered to have scored the
Crit.
Remember that some Abilities
can alter the spread of the Critical
Range, making it easier or harder
to score a Critical Attack,
Crippling Blow, or a Critical
Failure.
30
Critical Effects
Physical Damage:
•Piercing: Target a weak point
in opponent's armour and
bypass DR by an amount
equal to your equipped
Weapon Skill.
•Bludgeoning: Push the
opponent back 1 hex or
render them Knocked Down,
Attacker's choice. Melee
Attacks against Knocked
Down creatures are done at
+3. Ranged Attacks against
Knocked Down creatures are
done at -3.
•Slashing: Target takes Bleed
damage equal to weapon
damage every Round for a
number of Rounds equal to
attacker's Weapon skill.
Fire, Ice, or Lightning Damage:
•Fire: Target Burns and takes
Fire damage every Round at
the beginning of their Turn
equal to Fire damage Scale,
requires 1 Action to
extinguish.
•Ice: Target is Frozen and
cannot Move, requires
Athletics check vs DC equal to
Ice damage Scale x3 to break
free.
•Lightning: Target is Shocked,
reducing their MP by an
amount equal to Lightning
damage Scale until the end of
the Encounter.

Reaction:
•Dodge: Roll 2d6 and choose
1 result. Allows the defender
to move up to a number of
squares/hexes equal to their
Dodge skill in the direction
indicated by their die roll (1 is
above them on the map,
progresses clockwise).
Minimum 1 hex Movement.
•Parry: Allows the defender to
immediately counterattack
once; this does not count
towards your Action total per
Round.
•Block: If in melee range the
defender can Shield Bash,
Stunning the Attacker and
reducing their number of
Actions on the next Round by
a number equal to the
defender's Shield skill.
Magic (non-damaging):
•Scale of spell doubled.
Magic (healing):
•Target also regains an
amount of PP or MP, caster's
choice, equal to the amount
of HP restored.
Chapter 3: Combat
Crippling Blows
Whenever a Critical Attack is
rolled and the result is 10 or
higher than the opponent’s roll,
the result is a Crippling Blow.
Crippling Blows are permanent
injuries that cannot be healed
through normal means.
When a character takes a
Crippling Blow, roll a single d6
twice. The first roll indicates the
area that takes the Crippling Blow
as follows:
1 - Feet Some attacks or
2 - Legs spells can inflict
3 - Torso Status Effects,
4 - Hands which also have
5 - Arms Critical Effects
6 - Head and Crippling
Blows. See the
The second roll indicates section on Status
whether the blow hits the left (roll Effects towards
even) or right (roll odd) side. the end of this
chapter for more
A Crippling Blow inflicts the information.
normal effects of the Critical Hit,
as well as a permanent -1 to rolls
associated with using that
particular part of the body. This
can be played at the Narrator’s
discretion as the situation allows.
An example would be a soldier
taking a Crippling Blow to his Left
Arm during a fight with an enemy
knight; the enemy knight cuts
deeply into his arm, permanently
damaging the muscles and
tendons there. From that point
on, any rolls involving the
swordsman using both arms, like
a Climb check, or just the left by
itself, like using the Block
Reaction, would be at a
permanent -1.
31
Chapter 3: Combat

Crippling Blows stack by location a Number. Weapons Sizes are

up to a maximum of -3. Tiny (1), Small (2), Medium (3),
Large (4), or Huge (5).
-1 indicates severe damage or
scarring.
Crippling Blows 1 or 2 Handed: Tiny and Small
represent lasting -2 indicates partial amputation or weapons can be wielded 1
injuries taken by paralysis of the area. Handed. Medium weapons can
a PC over the be wielded either 1 or 2 Handed.
course of their -3 indicates full amputation of the Large and Huge weapons are
adventuring limb or complete paralysis. always 2 Handed.
career.
Going to -3 in a single area in
The grizzled many cases can result in Body Requirement: You require a
warrior with a permanent character death or Body score equal to or greater
scarred face and disability. -3 Head could than the weapon's Size number
an eye patch; the effectively mean that the in order to wield. If your Body Stat
veteran guard character’s head was removed, or is less than the weapon's Size,
that walks with a it could suggest some form of you take a penalty to using it
limp; the wizened permanent coma or catatonia. equal to the difference between
wizard with burn the two numbers. This stacks
scars covering with any other penalties for using
their hands. Weapons weapons you are not trained to
These are all use.
examples of Weapons have a number of
Crippling Blows. characteristics associated with
them; Size, 1 or 2 Handed, Body Type: Melee or Ranged
Requirement, Range, and
Damage. Melee Tiny, Small, and Medium
weapons have a reach of 1 hex.
Melee Large and Huge weapons
Size: Most of a weapon's have a reach of 2 hexes.
subsequent characteristics are
governed by their Size, which is
indicated by both a Category and

32

Ranged weapons only deal
Weapon Damage without adding
your Body Modifier. They have a
Range of their Size x5 hexes for
short range and Size x10 hexes
for long range. Long range
Attacks are rolled at a -3 penalty.
Handheld Tiny weapons can be
Thrown. Short range is equal to
your Body Stat, Long range is
equal to your Body Stat x2.
Bows are loaded and fired with a
single Action, however they only
deal Weapon Damage.
Crossbows require a separate
Action to reload, regardless of
their size, however they deal
double their Size category's
Weapon Damage.
Weapon Damage: Weapons do
either Bludgeoning, Slashing, or
Piercing damage equal to their
Size; Tiny weapons do 1 point,
Small weapons do 2, Medium
weapons do 3, Large weapons
do 4, and Huge weapons do 5.
Weapon Damage is considered
Physical Damage, and is blocked
or reduced by Physical DR.
For Tiny and Small weapons,
Weapon Damage increases to
match your skill level with that
weapon when your weapon skill
is greater than the weapon's
listed damage.
Skill: You must be trained in the
use of a weapon in order to wield
it effectively. Fighting with a short
sword is very different than
fighting with a long sword, or an
axe, or a hammer; each uses
Chapter 3: Combat
different forms and techniques in
order to be wielded effectively.
Untrained use of a weapon While Tiny and
results in a penalty to the Attack Small weapons
roll equal to the weapon's Size initally do less
(Tiny weapons attack at a -1 if damage than
untrained, Small at -2, etc...). This larger ones,
penalty is ignored if you are using remember that
a weapon similar to one in which increasing your
you have training. skill increases
their damage to
match. Someone
Weight: A weapon's weight is wielding a Tiny
equal to its Weapon Damage in Dagger with a skill
lbs. (Tiny = 1 lb, Small = 2 lbs., of Dagger 3
etc...) would do 3 points
of Weapon
Damage vs the
Weapon examples normal 1.
•Tiny weapons (1 damage):
daggers, handaxes, light
hammers, light crossbows
and light clubs.
•Small weapons (2 damage):
short swords, battle axes,
maces, hammers, full clubs,
crossbows, or short bows.
•Medium weapons (3
damage): long swords, war
axes, war hammers, long
staves, short spears, long
bows, or heavy crossbows.
•Large weapons (4 damage):
great swords, war mauls, long
spears and halberds.
•Huge weapons (5 damage):
larger and heavier versions of
Large weapons. Extremely
rare and difficult to use.
33
Chapter 3: Combat
Unarmed Combat
PCs can choose to fight
barehanded, becoming
proficient in several martial styles
and turning their bodies into
deadly weapons in their own
right. Fists and Feet count as Tiny
Bludgeoning weapons that do
damage equal to your Body
Modifier.
Untrained hand to hand
combatants do an equivalent
amount of damage to their Push
Points that they inflict upon their
opponents.
Using a weapon
you're not trained Trained unarmed combatants do
in isn't always a not damage their Push Points on
bad idea. If you a successful attack and instead
have training with do additional damage as they
something similar gain in skill as they would with a
(like being trained Tiny weapon.
with a Short
sword but you're
using a Long Armour
sword) the
penalty for using Armour reduces incoming
a weapon Physical Damage (Bludgeoning,
untrained is Piercing, or Slashing). This is
negated. You known as Damage Reduction
don't get a bonus (DR).
to using it but you
at least know the Subtract your DR from the
basics. damage done by any Attack that
connects with you. Armour can
be equipped to a number of
areas across the body, however
for a normal attack the DR of the
armour equipped to your Torso is
the one used.
Armour pieces are divided into
Torso, Left or Right Shoulder,
Left or Right Hand, Left or Right
Leg, Left or Right Foot, and Helm.
34
Armour Type
Armour comes in three types;
Light, Medium, and Heavy.
•Light Armour has 1 DR
•Medum Armour has 2 DR
•Heavy Armour has 3 DR
Armour Penalties
Wearing Torso armour incurs a
penalty to Stealth, Dodge and
Standard Body/Health Reaction
rolls based on the armour's Type
called the Armour Penalty. The
Armour Penalty is equal to the
Armour's DR.
•Light Armour has an Armour
Penatly of -1
•Medium Armour has an
Armour Penalty of -2
•Heavy Armour has an Armour
Penalty of -3
The heaviest single piece of
armour you have currently
equipped dictates your overall
Armour Penalty, regardless of
where you have it equipped.
Armour and Crippling Blows
Every time a piece of armour
takes a Crippling Blow, reduce its
DR by 1; when a piece of
armour's DR reaches 0, it is
destroyed.

Shields
Shields, similar to Weapons,
require a separate skill to use
effectively. Shield DR is based on
their size, and similar to Armour
they can also absorb or negate
the effects of a number of
Crippling Blows equal to their DR
rating before being destroyed.
Anyone using a Shield which
they do not have a Skill in takes a
penalty to any Block rolls equal to
the Shield's DR rating.
•Small shields have Physical
DR 1 and weigh 3 lbs.
•Medium shields have
Physical DR 2 and weigh 6
lbs.
•Large shields have Physical
DR 3 and weigh 9 lbs.
•Shield DR only stacks with
Armour DR when a Shield is
actively used in an
unsuccessful Block Reaction.
A successful Block Reaction
stops the attack completely.
Chapter 3: Combat
Equipping weapons and
shields
Single weapon:
Wield one weapon in your
dominant hand of Medium size or
smaller with no Shield. Gain a +2
bonus to your Parry Reaction While wearing
rolls. armour can slow
you down, its
ability to absorb
Single weapon and Shield: Crippling Blows
more than makes
Wield one weapon in your up for it. Even a
dominant hand of Medium size or piece of Light
smaller and one shield in your off- Armour can
hand. Gain the Block Defence prevent a
Manoeuvre. permanent
lasting injury.
Dual Wielding:
Wield one weapon in each hand.
The off-hand weapon cannot be
larger than Small. Initiative bonus
is determined by the larger
weapon. Once per turn you can
make an Attack Action with the
off-hand weapon, however it only
deals Weapon damage with no
Body Modifier bonus.
35
Chapter 3: Combat
Two-handed weapons:
Medium weapons can be
wielded two-handed so that it
strikes as a Large weapon (4
damage instead of 3). Large and
Huge weapons always require
two hands to wield.
Bows and Crossbows:
Bows and Crossbows require two
hands to operate properly. In the
case of light crossbows two can
be wielded and fired at once, one
in each hand, however it still
takes a separate Action each to
reload them.
Damage
When an Attack connects,
damage is dealt to the defender's
HP equal to the Attacker's Body
Modifier plus their Weapon
Damage, minus any DR the
defender might have. When a
creature's HP reaches 0 or below,
they are considered to be
Bleeding Out.
Ex: Kate has a Body Modifier of +2
and is using a Short Sword (Small
Weapon; 2 Piercing Damage).
She swings at a wolf and the
attack connects. She does 4
points of Piercing damage (2
Body Modifier +2 for her Short
Sword). If her Short Sword skill
was 3 her Short Sword's Weapon
Damage would increase to match,
allowing her to do more damage
with it when attacking.
36
Non-lethal Damage
You can choose to do non-lethal
damage with an Attack. In this
case damage is done to the
opponent's PP instead of HP.
Bleeding Out
When a creature's HP reaches 0
or below they are Bleeding Out.
While Bleeding Out, they remain
alive for a number of Turns equal
to their Health Stat before
succumbing to their injuries and
dying.
Regaining even a single HP or
receiving First Aid to Staunch the
Bleeding (either applying it
themselves or receiving it from
someone else) removes the
Bleeding Out status. Turns spent
Bleeding Out stack until the
creature Bleeding Out is restored
to a minimum of 1 HP. Taking
additional damage while
Bleeding Out automatically
triggers a Crippling Blow.
While Bleeding Out, a PC is
unable to perform any Actions
unless they use Push Points at a
rate of 5:1 to grant themselves a
single Action on their Turn, up to
the normal Action per Turn limit.
First Aid
Applying First Aid to someone
who is Bleeding Out requires a
Medicine check with DC equal to
the amount of negative HP they
have. On a success, you have
Staunched the Bleeding and the
character is no longer in danger
of immediately dying. Taking

additional damage after receiving
a successful treatment of First Aid
causes the Bleeding Out status to
be reapplied.
Coma
If a creature's HP reaches or falls
below a negative number equal
to half their HP max, and they are
still alive, they fall into a Coma. At
this point they are effectively
unconscious. In this state PC's
can no longer use Push Points to
force their body to act.
Creatures in a Coma regain
consciousness when their HP
reaches 0 or above.
Death
Death occurs in one of two ways.
•Bleeding Out: a number of
Rounds pass equal to your
Health Stat while you are
afflicted with the Bleeding
Out status and you do not
receive healing or successful
First Aid.
•Massive Damage: you reach
a number of negative HP
equal to your normal HP Max.
At this point your body ceases
to function completely.
Chapter 3: Combat
Healing
Days of Rest
A Day of Rest requires a full,
uninterrupted 24 hour period
with no more than light to
moderate activity. Engaging in
combat or using Push Points in
any way negates the effects of a
Day of Rest.
Remember that
Without access to a healer you hitting 0 HP isn't
regain a number of HP and PP the end of the
equal to your Body and Will Stats road for your PC;
respectively after a Day of Rest. things may have
just gotten dire
but there's still a
Continuous Care way to survive a
brush with death
Healers are invaluable in if you're smart
restoring an adventuring party to and clever
prime fighting condition. A Healer enough.
equipped with a Healer's Kit can
provide Continuous Care to a
number of individuals per Day of
Rest equal to their Medicine skill.
On a successful DC 12 Medicine
check, anyone receiving the
benefits of Continuous Care
regain double the normal amount
of HP and PP. You cannot use
Push Points for this roll.
A Healer actively providing
Continuous Care cannot receive
the benefits of Continuous Care
themselves.
37
Chapter 3: Combat

Treat Poison Once a Scene has ended and the

next Scene begins, any MP
A Healer equipped with a expended during the course of
Healer's Kit can remove the the Scene are regenerated in full.
effects of Poison on an individual
with a successful Medicine check
with DC equal to the Poison's
Quality Level x3. Some Poisons Encounters and Recovering MP
may require specific antidotes to
properly counter at the Narrator's Encounters are typically
discretion. indicative of short, intense
periods of activity like Combat or
a chase sequence. There can be
Taking a Breather and multiple Encounters within a
Recovering PP Scene, meaning that it is
important for PCs to track and
A Breather is a minimum 10 spend their MP wisely.
minute rest break which occurs
during a Scene. When Taking a After the Narrator has called the
Breather an individual recovers a end of an Encounter, PCs can
number of PP equal to their Will make a Focus skill check to
Stat. For each subsequent recover some of their spent MP.
Breather during the Scene, the The DC of this check increases
individual recovers 1 less PP. along with the number of
Encounters in the Scene. For
every Encounter in a Scene,
increase the DC of the Focus
Restoring MP after Scenes check by one step.
and Encounters
On a Success, the PC recovers an
During play you will often find amount of MP equal to their Spirit
yourself in stretches of story with stat.
Never a coherent setting or intention
underestimate behind them. In Origin these are
the value of a known as Scenes and
short Breather; Encounters.
taking a beat to
catch your breath
just might give Scenes
you the edge you
need in your next Scenes are generally considered
Encounter! non-combat stretches of play.
They could be a market run, an
extended period of social
interaction with guards or
important NPCs, or an extended
action sequence like a ball at the
king's palace or a dungeon run.

38

Status Effects
Certain conditions or spells can
inflict a Status Effect. Status
Effects are ongoing conditions
which reoccur every Round until
their Duration is expired or a
condition is met to end them.
Status Effects can be caused
through mundane or magical
means; regardless of the source
the effect's rules are the same.
Fear
A target inflicted by Fear cannot
take any Actions against the
source of their Fear. On a Critical
Success, the target cowers in
place, unable to Move at all.
On a Crippling Blow, the target
Panics and must run directly
away from the source of their
Fear, regardless of what lies in
that direction even if it is
dangerous to them.
Anger
A target inflicted with Anger sees
their Action Bonuses reduced by
an amount equal to the Scale of
the Anger effect; this penalty
cannot take the target's Action
Bonus total below 0. On a Critical
Success, the target's Action
Bonus can be reduced below 0
into the negatives.
On a Crippling Blow, the target is
inflicted with Rage and must
mindlessly attack the source of its
Anger to the exclusion of all other
threats present, even those that
are directly attacking it.
Chapter 3: Combat
Charm
A target inflicted by Charm takes
a penalty to resist any Influence
or Rapport checks equal to the
Scale of the Charm effect. On a
Critical Success, the target will do
minor tasks for the source of the
Charm effect so long as its not
immediately detrimental to the
target's health and wellbeing or
that of their allies.
On a Crippling Blow, a target is
under the complete dominance
of the source of the Charm effect
for its duration and will do
whatever is asked of it by the
source. While MP
regenerates
between Scenes,
Stun some Scenes can
stretch on for
A target inflicted with Stun sees multiple
its Actions per Turn reduced by Encounters
the Scale of the Stun effect. On a which will tax
Critical Success, both Actions your reserves.
and Reactions are reduced by the When this
Scale of the Stun effect. happens,
focussing to
On a Crippling Blow, the target is regain a bit of
paralyzed and unable to Move or magical power for
Act in any way for the duration of the challenges
the effect. ahead can make a
world of
difference.
Knocked Down
A target that has been Knocked
Down must spend half its Move
to Stand Up.
Blind
A target that has been Blinded
takes -6 penalty to any Action that
requires sight.
39
Chapter 3: Combat
Grappled
Grappling is the act of physically
grabbing or holding a target,
usually in order to hold them in
place, to preven them for
attacking or swinging a weapon,
or to pick them up and move
them physically.
As an Action a target can be
Grappled. Roll opposed Athletics
checks; on a success the target is
Grappled.
A target that has been
successfully Grappled sees their
Move reduced to 0 and the
Grappler can Move them up to
their normal Movement. The
Grappled target must succeed on
a further opposed Athletics
check to perform any Action. The
target breaks free of the Grapple
if they roll a Critical Success on
the opposed roll, and reverses
the Grapple completely on a
Crippling Blow if so desired.
A target that has been
successfully Grappled is
Knocked Down if they get a
Critical Failure on the opposed
roll. If the one that initiated the
Grapple rolls a Crippling Blow,
the target is both Knocked Down
and takes an amount of
Bludgeoning Damage equal to
the initiator's Body Stat.
40
Poisoned
A poison is a substance that
targets a specific individual Stat,
reducing it by an amount equal to
the poison's Quality Level along
with its associated Derived Stats.
A Poison can be resisted with a
successful Resistance check with
DC equal to the Poison's Quality
Level x3.
On a failure the Poison remains in
the target's system until they can
complete a Day of Rest, at which
point they can attempt the check
again, or until a Healer with a
Healer's Kit can succeed on a
Treat Poison check with equal
DC. A Critical Failure with either
method doubles the effects of the
poison, while a Crippling Blow
will instantly drop the target into
a coma. Note that some poisons
may require specific antidotes
required by the Narrator in order
to treat.
Chapter 4
Equipment

41
Chapter 4:
Crafting & Equipment

Clothing, Hats, & Footwear

42
 Chapter 4:
Crafting & Equipment

Field Equipment

43
Chapter 4:
Crafting & Equipment

Field, Camping, Climbing and Lighting Equipment, Cont'd

44
 Chapter 4:
Crafting & Equipment

Weapons, Tiny Weapons, Small

Weapons, Medium Weapons, Large

45
Chapter 4:
Crafting & Equipment

Weapons, Huge Weapon Accessories

46
 Chapter 4:
Crafting & Equipment

Armour, Light Armour, Medium

Armour, Heavy Jewellery & Hair Accessories

47
 Chapter 5
Magic

48

Words of Power
Spell casters command the
forces of Magic by learning
Words of Power. Many theories
exist as to what the Words of
Power actually are; remnants of
the language of the god or gods
which created the universe;
nonsense sounds and syllables
which somehow resonate with
the frequencies of matter and
reality; or, given their mutable
nature and susceptibility to the
intent of the spell caster,
something in between.
Regardless, Words of Power form
the basis of Magic. A single Word
of Power can potentially be used
to achieve multiple effects based
on the intent put behind them.
Ignite, for example, could be
used to light a target on fire in
order to damage them, or it could
be used to create a wall of flame.
The importance is the intent put
behind the Word used.
For each skill point in a type of
magic that the magician knows,
they can pick one Word of Power
that somehow associates with
the core concepts of the type of
magic being invoked. Players
choose their own Words but can
ask their Narrators for direction if
they're having trouble deciding
on a Word they'd like to learn.
Chapter 5: Magic
Magic
There are five types of magic;
Actum, Cogitare, Substantia,
Psyche, and Animus.
Actum magic governs motion
and movement, the interplay of
attraction and repulsion between
objects. Using Actum a magician
can move objects at a distance,
use inertia to slow or completely
stop an opponent, or conjure
blasts of force itself to pummel,
slash, or pierce opponents in
their way.
Cogitare magic is the magic of
the mind. It teaches its users how
to read and alter a targets
emotions, hear their thoughts,
communicate wordlessly, and, in
extreme cases, tamper with
memories themselves.
Substantia magic focuses on the
mutable nature of reality itself, the
bonds between elements, and
the many forms those bonds can
take. Substantia practitioners can
create temporary or permanent
changes in the physical
appearance of a person or object,
physically strengthen themselves
or an ally or weaken an
opponent, repair damage done to
a body, or tamper with the
elements themselves to create
gouts of flame, sheets of ice, or
blasts of electricity.
Psyche magic is the magic of the
senses. Using Psyche a magician
can create illusions, altering what
those that perceive them believe
to be real so completely that it
becomes almost impossible to
discern the truth.
49
Chapter 5: Magic
Animus magic governs the
underlying principles of reality
itself. Using Animus a practitioner
can glean information of a person
or object's past using
Psychometry, determine when
and how the warp and weft of
reality has been altered, enforce
the proper order of reality by
negating the effects created by
those that tamper with it, and
strengthen the powers of the
mind, will and spirit of themselves
or their allies, or weaken those of
their enemies.
Crafting a Spell
First, the spellcaster needs to
determine what exactly they are
attempting to achieve and if the
effect falls into one of the five
listed forms of magic. If the
spellcaster is unsure, work with
the Narrator to determine which
is the best fit based on the
descriptions given.
Next, they need to determine
which of their known Words of
Power they wish to invoke in
order to create the effect they
want. This is open to
interpretation and largely relies
on the creativity of the spellcaster
in question. The Narrator is also
free to rule if a chosen Word of
Power is not applicable to the
spell's intended effect.
Next, the spellcaster needs to
determine the Size of the spell as
well as the Scale of the spell.
50
Size
A spell's Size determines how
large an area or how many
individual targets a spell can
affect. Spells that have an area of
effect need to be cast adjacent to
the spellcaster, while spells that
can be cast at range are
effectively limited by what your
senses can directly perceive such
as line of sight. Cases may be
made for hearing or smell,
however each would likely
require increased difficulty
imposed by the Narrator to
function properly.
•Tiny: A single, small effect no
larger than the palm of your
hand, or a spell targeting
yourself.
•Small: A small effect no larger
than a square foot or a single
target you can touch
•Medium: An effect of up to
the size of a single individual
or a single target at range.
•Large: An effect of up to the
size of a 10x10 room, or up to
3 targets at range.
•Huge: An effect of up to the
size of a small building, or up
to 6 targets at range.
•Enormous: An effect of up to
the size of a large building, or
up to 9 targets at range.
 Chapter 5: Magic

Scale Medium:
•Move an object that weighs
A spell's Scale determines how up to 25 lbs.
powerful the spell is. Depending •Create a damaging The effects listed
on the type of spell attempted it bludgeoning, slashing, or on these pages
could be as simple as lighting a piercing effect for 9 points of are intended as a
small fire to burning down an damage. guideline for the
entire building; creating a •Reduce a target's Move by 3 spellcaster and
convincing illusion of a monster points. the Narrator to
to foil a pursuer, or learning a work together to
target's deepest, darkest secrets. Large: determine the
•Move an object that weighs proper Scale and
up to 125 lbs. effects of the spell
Actum Magic •Create a damaging the spellcaster is
bludgeoning, slashing, or attempting to
Actum's governing principles are piercing effect for 12 points of create.
Action, Motion, and Movement in damage.
all its forms. Actum magic Scales •Reduce a target's Move by 4
as follows; points.

Tiny: Huge:
•Move an object that weighs •Move an object that weighs
up to 1 lb. up to 625 lbs.
•Create a damaging •Create a damaging
bludgeoning, slashing, or bludgeoning, slashing, or
piercing effect for 3 points of piercing effect for 15 points of
damage. damage. Feel like hurling
•Reduce a target's Move by 1 •Reduce a target's Move by 5 objects at your
point. points. opponents? How
about stopping
Small: Enormous: them in their
•Move an object that weighs •Move an object that weighs tracks? Actum
up to 5 lbs. up to 3125 lbs. magic is what
•Create a damaging •Create a damaging you're looking for!
bludgeoning, slashing, or bludgeoning, slashing, or
piercing effect for 6 points of piercing effect for 18 points of
damage. damage.
•Reduce a target's Move by 2 •Reduce a target's Move by 6
points. points.

51
Chapter 5: Magic

Cogitare Magic Large:

•Create a major change in the
Cogitare's governing principles emotional state of a target
are the Mind, Thought, and (such as going from happy to
When it comes to Emotion. Cogitare magic Scales disgruntled).
controlling and as follows; •Resist a similar scale Cogitare
manipulating the spell.
thoughts and Tiny: •Learn a single secret a Target
feelings of your •Detect the emotional state of is hiding.
opponents, a target.
nothing beats •Resist a similar scale Cogitare Huge:
Cogitare magic. spell. •Create a polar opposite
•Sense a target's general change in the emotional state
motivations. of a target (such as going from
happy to angry).
Small: •Resist a similar scale Cogitare
•Create a minor change in the spell.
emotional state of a target •Read a target's memories.
(such as going from happy to
simply content). Enormous:
•Resist a similar scale Cogitare •Control a target's emotional
spell. state completely.
•Hear a target's surface •Resist a similar scale Cogitare
thoughts. spell.
•Alter a target's specific
Medium: memory as you wish.
•Create a moderate change in
the emotional state of a target
(such as going from happy to
neutral).
•Resist a similar scale Cogitare
spell.
•Create a telepathic bond that
lasts for an hour.

52

Substantia Magic
Substantia's governing principles
are Form, Subtance, and
Creation. Substantia magic
Scales as follows;
Tiny:
•Make a single minor,
temporary alteration to a
target, such as changing the
colour of a person's eyes or
hair, or the general shape of a
handheld object.
•Suppress or Enhance 1 of a
target's physical stats by 1 for
1 round.
•Heal 3 points of HP.
•Create a damaging effect
with fire, ice or lightning for 3
points of damage.
Small:
•Make a single minor,
permanent alteration to a
target.
•Suppress or Enhance 1 of a
target's physical stats by 2 for
1 round.
•Heal 6 points of HP.
•Create a damaging effect
with fire, ice or lightning for 6
points of damage.
Medium:
•Make a single moderate,
temporary alteration to a
target, such as changing the
shape of a person or object's
features.
•Suppress or Enhance 1 of a
target's physical stats by 3 for
Chapter 5: Magic
1 round.
•Heal 9 points of HP.
•Create a damaging effect
with fire, ice or lightning for 9
points of damage.
Conjuring the
Large: elements out of
•Make a single moderate, thin air is right up
permanent alteration to a Substantia's alley.
target. That being said it
•Suppress or Enhance 1 of a also has some
target's physical stats by 4 for more beneficial
1 round. and subtler
•Heal 12 points of HP. aspects, such as
•Create a damaging effect restoring damage
with fire, ice or lightning for 12 or altering
points of damage. something's
appearance for
Huge: those looking for
•Make a single major, a sneakier
temporary alteration to a approach.
target, such as changing the
shape of a person or object.
•Suppress or Enhance 1 of a
target's physical stats by 5 for
1 round.
•Heal 15 points of HP.
•Create a damaging effect
with fire, ice or lightning for 15
points of damage.
Enormous:
•Make a single major,
permanent alteration to a
target.
•Suppress or Enhance 1 of a
target's physical stats by 6 for
1 round.
•Heal 18 points of HP.
•Create a damaging effect
with fire, ice or lightning for 18
points of damage.
53
Chapter 5: Magic
Psyche Magic
Psyche's governing principles are
the senses themselves; Sight,
Hearing, Smell, Taste, and Touch.
Psyche magic Scales as follows;
Tiny:
•Create an illusion based on
one of the senses. Anyone
can discern it is an illusion
with a successful DC 3
Awareness check.
Small:
•Create an illusion based on
two of the senses. Anyone
can discern it is an illusion
with a successful DC 6
Awareness check.
Confusing
opponents and
altering their Medium:
perceptions of •Create an illusion based on
reality is what three of the senses. Anyone
Psyche does can discern it is an illusion
best. with a successful DC 9
Awareness check.
54
Large:
•Create an illusion based on
four of the senses. Anyone
can discern it is an illusion
with a successful DC 12
Awareness check.
Huge:
•Create an illusion based on
five of the senses. Anyone can
discern it is an illusion with a
successful DC 15 Awareness
check.
Enormous:
•Create an illusion that, for all
intents and purposes, is
completely undetectable as
false for the duration of the
spell.

Animus Magic
Animus's governing principles
are Time, Reality, and the
Intangible. Animus magic Scales
as follows;
Tiny:
•Glean a single fact from an
object using psychometry.
•Sense if a Word of Power has
been used in the last 6 hours
on something you can touch.
•Suppress or Enhance 1 of a
target's non-physical stats by
1 for 1 round.
Small;
•Glean two facts from an
object using psychometry.
•Sense if a Word of Power has
been used in the last 6 hours
in visual range.
•Suppress or Enhance 1 of a
target's non-physical stats by
2 for 1 round.
Medium:
•Glean three facts from an
object using psychometry.
•Sense if a Word of Power has
been used in the last 12 hours
in visual range.
•Suppress or Enhance 1 of a
target's non-physical stats by
3 for 1 round.
Chapter 5: Magic
Large:
•Glean four facts from an While at first
object using psychometry. glance Animus
•Sense if a Word of Power has magic can be
been used in the last 12 hours quite subtle, with
in visual range and learn its dominion over
which type of spell was used. the foundations
•Suppress or Enhance 1 of a of reality and
target's non-physical stats by used creatively it
4 for 1 round. can prove
extremely
Huge: powerful.
•Glean five facts from an
object using psychometry.
•Sense if a Word of Power has
been used in the last 12 hours
in visual range and learn
which type of spell was used
and which effect was
invoked.
•Suppress or Enhance 1 of a
target's non-physical stats by
5 for 1 round.
Enormous:
•Glean six facts from an object
using psychometry.
•Sense if a Word of Power has
been used in the last 12 hours
in visual range and learn
which type of spell was used,
which effect was invoked, and
the Word of Power used. On top of what's
•Suppress or Enhance 1 of a mentioned here,
target's non-physical stats by Animus magic
6 for 1 round. can also be used
to negate another
spell. An Animus
spell used this
way must be the
same Size and
Scale of the spell
being negated.
55
Chapter 5: Magic
Spellcasting DC & MP Cost
Casting a Spell
Once you have determined a
spell's Size and Scale consult the
Calculating Spellcasting DC &
MP Cost chart. The number listed
for the combined Size and Scale
of the spell is both the DC you
need to meet or exceed when
rolling to cast the spell as well as
the spell's MP cost.
Roll a D12 and add your Spirit
Modifier as well as the associated
skill bonus for the spell you are
casting. If the total meets or
exceeds the spell's DC, the spell
works and activates; use the
resulting number rolled for any
Attack or Reaction rolls as
applicable, and subtract the
spell's MP cost from your MP
pool.
Using multiple Words of Power
can reduce the final DC of a spell;
for each additional Word of
Power used on top of the first that
has an application towards the
effect the spell is attempting to
achieve, reduce the total DC by 3.
The Narrator is free to rule if a
Word used in a spell is applicable
towards the intended effect or
not.
56
Failing a Spellcasting roll
If the rolled number is lower than
the spell’s DC, the spell fails but
you do not lose any MP.
A Critical Failure (rolling 5 or more
under the spell's DC) results spell
failure and you losing the spell's
MP cost.
A Catastrophic Failure (rolling 10
or more under the spell's DC)
results in both losing the spell's
MP cost as well as being afflicted
with the Muted status. Take the
total number you failed the roll by
and divide by 5, rounding up.
This is the numer of Rounds you
are Muted for. While Muted you
are unable to cast spells.
You can use Push Points as
applicable to meet the DC of a
spell if you fail, or if you are out of
MP to cast a spell you can
substitute Push Points at a rate of
2 PP to 1 MP.

Ex: A caster with a Spirit Modifier
of 2 and Substantia magic skill of
2 attempts a Substantia spell with
a Size of Small and a Scale of
Large. He invokes the Word of
Power Ignite to burn a target he
touches for 12 points of damage.
The spellcasting DC and MP cost
of the spell is 8. He rolls a d12 and
gets a 7, for a combined roll of 11.
His spell succeeds as the number
rolled is greater than 8, and the 11
will be his Action roll versus the
defender's Reaction roll.
Ex 2: The same caster attempts a
Substantia spell with Size of Small
and a Scale of Enormous,
invoking the same Word of Power
for 18 points of damage. The
spellcasting DC and MP cost is
now 12. He rolls a 3, giving him a
total of 7 on his roll, a Critical
Failure.
If they are a Keeper of Secrets they
can use 5 PP, or 10 PP if not, so
that the spell succeeds. In this
case, the defender rolls their
Reaction roll vs DC 12 and play
continues as normal.
If he has no PP remaining, or
chooses not to spend them, then
Chapter 5: Magic
the spell fails and he loses 12 MP Once you know
from his SP pool, gaining 1 Exp what you're trying
from failing the roll in the process. to do with magic
and what the DC
of the spell will
Ex 3: Finally, the same caster be, adding
attempts a Substantia spell with additional Words
Word of Power: Ignite with a Size of Power if you
and Scale of Large to blast three think they apply
targets at range for 12 points of can mean the
damage each. The spellcasting difference
DC and MP cost is 16. He rolls a 2, between success
for a total of 6, a Catastrophic and failure!
Failure.
He can spend 10 PP if he is a
Keeper of Secrets or 20 PP if not to
have the spell succeed, with 16
being the target DC the defenders
would need to beat in order to
avoid the spell. If, however, he
chooses not to or cannot spend
any PP then he loses 16 MP and is
afflicted with the Muted status for
2 Rounds (failed by 10/5 = 2
Rounds).
Alternately, before casting the
spell he can attempt to add
additional Words of Power in
order to lower the DC; he also
knows the Words Burn and Light,
both of which are applicable to
the spell's intended effect. The DC
for the spell is subsequently
reduced to 6.
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 Chapter 6
Enemies

58

Creating Enemies
Rank and Power Level
Enemies are divided into 4 Ranks
based on how much of a
challenge they present; Minion,
Skilled, Boss, or Overlord.
Enemies are also assigned a
Power Level which represents
their relative power, ranging from
1 to 10.
Type
Enemy types include Intelligent,
Animal, and Monster.
•Intelligent enemies have
thinking minds and access to
Skills.
•Animals are unintelligent
creatures that do not have
Skills.
•Monsters are creatures,
Intelligent or Animal, that
have been infected with a
Core.
Stats
A creature has a number of Stat
points equal to its Power Level x
5 to be divided among its Stats.
The minimum a creature can
have in a Stat is 1 with no limit to
how high they can go.
Stat Modifiers
A creature's Stat Modifiers are
calculated the same as a PCs;
Stat ÷ 2, rounded down.
Chapter 7:
Enemies
Skills
An Intelligent enemy has base
Skill Points equal to their Rank x
their Mind Stat. These points are
spent as normal.
Animals do not possess Skills.
Move
A creature's Move is equal to its
Body Stat. Movement can also
show whether the creature Flies
(Move x4 in the air), Swims (Move
x2 in water), Burrows (Move
underground) or Wall-crawls
(Move on walls or ceilings).
HP
A creature's HP is equal to its
Rank x Power Level x Health Stat.
PP
A creature's PP is equal to its
Rank x Power Level x Will Stat.
MP
An enemy that can cast spells has
base MP equal to their Rank x
Power Level x Spirit Stat.
Damage Resistance
The amount of DR a creature
possesses, either naturally or
through equipment.
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Chapter 7: Enemies
Actions and Reactions
Rank 1 (Minion) enemies get 1
Action and 1 Reaction per Turn.
For every additional Rank the
enemy gains either 1 Action or 1
Reaction.
Abilities
On an enemy Stat Enemy Abilities can be drawn
Block, their Action from the PC ability list or
Bonus for a given designed specifically for the
Attack or Spell- creature.
like Ability will be
denoted by the Some creatures have natural
abbreviation AB. Spell-like abilities like a dragon's
Fire Breath. Spell-like abilities are
built like spells. When creating a
Spell-like ability, total the
creature's Spirit Stat plus any
applicable Skill bonus and
double the result; this is the Spell-
like Ability's Max MP cost when
creating it. In combat use the
creature's Spirit Stat Modifier as
its Action Bonus for using the
Ability and subtract MP as normal
when used.
Spell-like abilities have a
Recharge value denoting the roll
needed or higher on a single d6
at the beginning of the creature's
Turn in order to use it again.
Default Recharge is 6. Increasing
a creature's Recharge range by 1
counts as an additional Ability for
determining Exp.
Experience (EXP)
When defeated, creatures give
out base EXP equal to its Rank x
its Power Level; for creatures of
Rank 6+, the formula is Rank x
60
(Power Level x 2). Additionally a
creature also gives out additional
EXP equal to its total Skill Points +
2 EXP for every Ability.
Cores
Cores are condensed nodes of
crystallized magical energy that
form and grow like tumours
inside certain creatures and
people. No one knows what
initially causes a Core however
the effects of one are universally
devastating if left unchecked.
A Core makes a Monster out of an
otherwise normal creature. The
intense magical energy
contained in one causes rapid
growth and mutations within a
living creature, turning the body
of whatever contains one into a
living engine of destruction.
Cores vary in type and associated
effects by colour, and come in
Red, Yellow, Grey, Blue, and
Green. The powers wielded by a
Monster are generally a good
indicator of the Monster's Core
type; physically powerful
monsters contain Yellow Cores,
while those that have vast mental
capabilities contain Grey. A
monster that regenerates itself or
can shift its shape fluidly contains
a Blue Core, while one that flies
unnaturally or has unusual
abilities to charm or captivate an
opponent might contain a Green
Core. Red Cores are generally
considered the most dangerous,
both for their direct association
with magical power itself as well
as the volatility of Red's
associated Element, Fire.

Core Effects on Creatures
Yellow Cores
Creatures afflicted with a Yellow
Core see their body mass
increase by x1.5 for every Quality
Level of the Core. These
creatures are called Flayed Ones
due to the massive rents and
tears that form in their skin as
their body increases in mass
uncontrollably.
Flayed Ones must make a Will
Check vs the Core's DC when
attempting any Action or go
Berserk, mindlessly Attacking the
nearest living creature.
Grey Cores
Creatures afflicted with a Grey
Core are referred to as
Mindshards and are cunning,
manipulative, and dangerous in
the extreme. A Mindshard's brain
mass increases by x1.5 for every
Quality Level of their Core. If the
creature was an Animal, its Type
changes to Intelligent Monster
and it gains the ability to use Skill
Points.
Mindshards have an intense thirst
for knowledge and new
information, and gain the ability
Chapter 7:
Enemies
to consume the brains of other
creatures in order to acquire it if
necessary. When confronted with
new information a Mindshard
must make a Spirit Check vs their
Core's DC or be forced to
tirelessly pursue it, using any
means necessary to acquire it.
Blue Cores
Creatures afflicted with a Blue
Core begin to lose cohesion and
becoming increasingly
amorphous. Known as Oozes,
they are able regenerate their HP
by an amount equal to the
Quality Level of their Core per
Round during combat. They can
also extend pseudopods from
their mass up to a number of
hexes equal to the Core's Quality
Level to attack with reach.
Oozes contantly seek to consume
any living matter nearby to fuel
their growth. An Ooze must
succeed on a Body Check vs
their Core's DC when in the
presence of a living creature; on a
failure they lose control of their
appetites and seek to mindlessly
consume whatever lifeform has
caught their attention, only
stopping when the creature has
either successfully fled from them
or been caught and consumed.
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Chapter 7: Enemies
Green Cores
Creatures afflicted with a Green
Core see their physical mass drop
by half for every Quality Level of
the Core, eventually floating
about on the wind or gaining the
ability to actively fly when their
Cores reach Rare or Legendary
Quality. Known as Whispers, they
possess an unearthly beauty or
attractive quality to them and
seek to constantly interact with
and manipulate other creatures
to suit their whims, which
become increasingly selfish,
erratic and mercurial the stronger
the Core becomes.
Whispers are responsible for
some of the worst conflicts and
atrocities committed in the
known lands. When a Whisper is
confronted with someone that
disagrees with them they must
succeed on a Mind Check vs the
Core's DC or be forced to fixate
on that individual, using
whatever means necessary to
finally manipulate them to their
own selfish ends. Most Whispers
are intelligent humanoids,
however occasionally an
unfortunate animal is afflicted
with a Green Core; in this case,
the Whisper reacts as an infant
would when attempting to
manipulate its target.
62
Red Cores
Creatures afflicted with a Red
Core appear to become lit from
within by a faint light which
grows increasingly stronger the
more powerful the Core is.
Known as Lanterns, at their peak
level of potency they take on the
appearance of a walking skeleton
lit from within by a raging,
ethereal flame.
Lanterns seek to drain the
magical essence of any living
creature around them to fuel the
fires burning inside their bodies.
In the presence of a living
creature a Lantern must succeed
on a Health Check vs the Core's
DC; failure means the hunger for
magical essence has
overwhelmed them and they
become relentless hunters. Some
Lanterns use trickery to lure their
prey into a false sense of security
before springing their trap on
them, feasting upon the terror
generated as the prey realizes
their doom. Others cause
widespread chaos with their
intense magical powers and soak
in the ambient emotional energy
generated. As the energy is
quickly burned away this leaves
the Lantern only temporarily
sated; once any power they have
siphoned is gone they resume
the hunt, often draining any
victims they have captured
completely dry and leaving them
lifeless husks discarded in the
dust.

Core Quality
All Cores start out at Poor Quality,
gradually increasing in Quality
the longer it is attached to a
creature. When a number of
weeks has passed equal to the
Core's current Quality Level, it
increases in potency to the next
Level.
Ex: A creature is afflicted with a
Poor Quality Yellow Core. After
one week passes, the Quality of its
Core increases to Common. After
two more weeks pass, it then
increases to Uncommon. A further
three weeks increases it to Rare,
and finally a full four weeks must
pass to increase its Quality to
Legendary.
It is exceedingly rare for a
monster's Core to progress in
potency beyond the Common or
Uncommon stages, as typically in
civilized lands or settlements a
monster's presence will be
noticed and acted upon by this
point. The power offered by
Cores proves to be a tempting
prize to adventurers and
monsters are relentlessly hunted
by those that wish to claim the
treasure for themselves.
If an enemy creature is afflicted
with a Core, add the Core's
Quality Level to the appropriate
Stat and increase the amount of
EXP given by defeating it by an
equal amount.
Chapter 7:
Enemies
Harvesting Cores and Core
DC
Once a monster has been
defeated, it requires a Spellcaster
capable of negating the Core's
energy to safely extract it. Cores
come in 5 Qualities
corresponding to the Quality
Levels of other Materials: Poor (1),
Common (2), Uncommon (3),
Rare (4), and Legendary (5).
The spell caster must cast an
Animus spell with DC equal to the
Core's Quality x3 in order to
render a Core Inert. This value is
referred to as the Core's DC.
•Poor: DC 3
•Common: DC 6
•Uncommon: DC 9
•Rare: DC 12
•Legendary: DC 15
Once the Core has been negated
it is considered Inert and can be
safely extracted from the body
with little difficulty. Touching an
Active Core that has not been
rendered Inert first can have
devastating effects as the Core
seeks to fuse with a living host,
potentially creating yet another
Monster that must be destroyed.
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Chapter 7: Enemies
Touching an Active Core
Touching an Active Core causes
the node to attempt to fuse
directly with the creature's body.
Anyone touching an Active Core
must make an associated Stat
Check against the Core's DC; on
a success they resist the Core's
attempt to fuse with them and
can safely wield it from that point
on, however anyone else
attempting to touch the Core
must also make an associated
Stat Check to resist fusing with it.
If they fail the check the Core
burrows itself into the body and
begins pouring magical energy
directly into it, causing rampant
mutations. This permanently
increasing the victim's associated
Stat by an amount equal to the
Core's Quality.
Cores affect the following Stats
based on their colour:
•Yellow: Body
•Grey: Mind
•Blue: Health
•Green: Will
•Red: Spirit
64
Using an Inert Core
Once a monster has been
defeated and their Core has been
harvested and rendered Inert it
can be put to a number of uses.
When properly wielded by an
individual the power of a Core
can be used as a temporary
battery, boosting their
capabilities beyond their normal
limits. In this case the wielder of
an Inert Core can draw 5 Push
Points from a Core per Quality
Level for use with rolls associated
with the Core's Stat.
Ex: A wielder of a Common Yellow
Core can draw 10 Push Points
from it for use with Body Rolls.
Cores regain power at a rate of 5
Push Points per day. You can only
wield 1 of each type of Core at a
time but can carry multiples; it
requires 1 Action to swap out
Cores in combat.
Cores are also what allow
weapons and armour to be
enchanted with a permanent
effect. See the section on
Enchanting in Chapter 3 for more
information.
 Chapter 7:
Enemies

Soldier
Rank: Minion Power Level: 3
Type: Intelligent EXP Given: 7

Body: 4 (+2) Mind: 2 (+1)

Health: 4 (+2) Will: 4 (+2)
Spirit: 1 (+1)

Move: 4 Initiative: +4

HP: 12/12 PP: 12/12 MP: 3/3

DR: 1 (3 w/Block Reaction)
Abilities:
Actions: 1 Reactions: 1 •Knight - once per Round as
Reaction take an attack
Skills: targeting an adjacent ally.
•Short Sword +1 (+3)
•Heater Shield +1 (+3)
Equipment/Resources:
Attacks: •Padded Jack (Light/Torso)
•Short Sword: +3 AB, 4 •Heater Shield (Medium/
Piercing Shield)
•Short Sword (Small/Piercing)

Hunter
Rank: Minion Power Level: 3
Type: Intelligent EXP Given: 8

Body: 4 (+2) Mind: 3 (+1)

Health: 3 (+1) Will: 4 (+2)
Spirit: 1 (+0)

Move: 4 Initiative: +3

HP: 9/9 PP: 12/12 MP: 3/3

DR: -
Abilities:
Actions: 1 Reactions: 1 •Marksman - gain bonus to
ranged weapon attacks and
Skills: damage equal to your Focus
•Heavy Crossbow +1 (+3) skill.
•Focus +1 (+3)
•Rapier +1 (+3) Equipment/Resources:
•Heavy Crossbow (Medium/
Attacks: Piercing, Short 15/Long 30)
•H. Xbow: +4 AB, 7 Piercing •Rapier (Medium/Piercing)
•Rapier: +3 AB, 5 Piercing

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Chapter 7: Enemies

Merrow
Rank: Minion Power Level: 2
Type: Intelligent EXP Given: 7

Body: 3 (+1) Mind: 1 (+0)

Health: 3 (+1) Will: 2 (+1)
Spirit: 1 (+0)

Move: 3 (Swim 6) Initiative: +6

HP: 6/6 PP: 4/4 MP: 2/2

DR: 1 (Scaly Hide)
Abilities:
Actions: 1 Reactions: 1 •Breathe Underwater
•Heavy Blow - Make an Attack
Skills: roll with no skill bonus. On a
•Unarmed +1 (+2) hit, deal double body damage
plus weapon damage.
Attacks:
•Claws: +2 AB, 2 Slashing Equipment/Resources:
•Claws (Natural, Tiny/
Slashing, RP 1 Bone)
•Scaly Hide (Light, full body,
RP 2 Hide)

Flayed One
Rank: Minion Power Level: 4
Type: Intelligent Monster
EXP Given: 12

Body: 8 (+4) Mind: 2 (+1)

Health: 5 (+2) Will: 5 (+2)
Spirit: 2 (+1)

Move: 8 Initiative: +6

HP: 20/20 PP: 20/20 MP: 8/8

DR: 1 w/Steel Self Reaction Abilities:
•Steel Self - As a Reaction,
Actions: 1 Reactions: 1 gain temporary DR equal to
your Resistance skill until the
Skills: start of your next Turn.
•Unarmed +1 (+5) •Heavy Blow - Make an Attack
•Resistance +1 (+3) roll with no skill bonus. On a
hit, deal double body damage
Attacks: plus weapon damage.
•Unarmed Strike: +5 AB, 4
Bludgeoning (8 w/ H. Blow) Equipment/Resources:
•Yellow Core (Common)

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 Chapter 7:
Enemies

Gremlin
Rank: Minion Power Level: 2
Type: Intelligent EXP Given: 6

Body: 3 (+1) Mind: 2 (+1)

Health: 3 (+1) Will: 1 (+0)
Spirit: 1 (+0)

Move: 3 Initiative: +5

HP: 6/6 PP: 2/2 MP: 2/2

DR: -
Abilities:
Actions: 1 Reactions: 1 •Darkvision - can see with
perfect clarity in areas of low
Skills: light to near total darkness.
•Stealth +1 (+2)
•Dagger +1 (+2) Equipment/Resources:
•Daggers x2 (Tiny/Piercing)
Attacks:
•Daggers: +2 AB, 2 Piercing (1
w/off-hand incidental)

Warcaster
Rank: Minion Power Level: 4
Type: Intelligent EXP Given: 12

Body: 3 (+1) Mind: 6 (+3)

Health: 2 (+1) Will: 2 (+1)
Spirit: 7 (+3)

Move: 3 Initiative: +3

HP: 12/12 PP: 8/8 MP: 28/28

DR: -
Abilities:
Actions: 1 Reactions: 1 •Spell Focus - Gain +1 to
spellcasting rolls.
Skills:
•Actum +2 (+6) Words of Power: Throw, Stop,
•Substantia +2 (+6) Ignite, Frost

Attacks: Equipment/Resources:
•Staff: -2 AB, 5 Bludgeoning •Staff (Medium/Bludgeoning)

67