Runaway

Princesses
A GLOG HACK BY HUDDY

SCOUNDRELS AND HEROES ADVENTURE IN LANDS OF DARKNESS AND WHISMY

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#FEB21
Table of Contents
ADVICE FOR PLAYERS 4

CHARACTERS
ATTRIBUTES 8

PROFICIENCY 9

CHARACTER CREATION 10

SPECIES & CULTURES 12

BACKGROUNDS 16

MORE RANDOM CHARACTER TABLES 18

BERSERKER 22

FIGHTER 24

DRUID 26

RANGER 30

ROGUE 32

WIZARD 34

HOW TO PLAY
ROLLING THE DICE 38

INVENTORY 40

COMBAT 42

DAMAGE & DEATH 46

RESTING & FATIGUE 48

GAINING XP 50

LEVEL UP! 51

CREDITS 52

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 How to Play
The game is a CONVERSATION.

The GM describes the SITUATION.

The Players tell the GM what they WANT TO DO, usually after having
asked questions about the situation

If what they want to do is risky, the GM might ask them to ROLL THE
DICE.

The GM describes the IMPACT of their actions.

Rules are Tools for your Game

RULINGS OVER RULES: These rules don’t cover every eventuality in the game, nor are
they designed to. They are a toolbox that (primarily) the GM uses to resolve situations
in the game; when sparse, make your own ruling.

HACK AND MOD: If it’s your vibe, please - tear the rules apart and hack them into
something you prefer. Ignore rules, modify rules, make new ones when you have better
ideas. After all, this book is the result of hacking the better ideas of smarter people into
a shape I like the look of.

Weird Terms
PC: Player character. A fictional character
created, controlled and inhabited in role-
play by a player.
GM: Game Master (very silly name). The
GM is just another player, who plays with
different toys. They play the world, and
everyone in it, as well as making
judgements on rulings.
The GM is not solely responsible for out of
game issues, such as difficult players, or
conflict between people at the table. This is
everyone’s responsiblity. Love each other.
NPC: A fictional character created,
controlled and inhabited in role-play by
the GM.
DX: Denotes a die type. X is the highest
number on the die. For example, a d6 is a
standard six-sided die.
ROLL D66/D100: Roll two d6/d10’s. The
first die is the tens, and the second is the
units. For example, if you rolled d66 and
got a 2 and a 3, that would be a 23. For
d10’s, the 0 on the d10 equals 0, not 10.
DIE SIZE CHAIN: d4 < d6 < d8 < d10 < d12

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Advice for Players
BE PROACTIVE
• Find something to impact, and impact
it.
• Have a goal, and devise schemes as a
team to achieve it.
• Be cautious and clever, but don’t stop
seeking danger and adventure.
ASK QUESTIONS
• Ask the GM questions about the
situation.
• Ask NPC’s questions about the
situation.
• Ask other players questions about their
characters.
INTERACT WITH THE WORLD
• Bring a notebook to each session. Take
notes and make maps.
• Interact with the world - the people -
the situations - as if real. Bring your
character to life - this doesn’t mean you
need to do a silly voice, just make them
someone we can care about.
• Don’t engage via your character sheet.
Tell the GM what you want to do,
they’ll let you know if you need to roll.
THE WORLD IS DANGEROUS
• Fight dirty and know when to run.
• You can always recruit allies if you need
them.
• Expect death. Learn to laugh at the
terrible misfortunes of your characters,
and learn from your mistakes. The GM
will get you back into the game as soon
as you’ve made a new character. Make a
backup character at the start, try to
always have one handy.
4
SCHEME & PLOT
• Devise schemes, craft plots, plan
solutions.
• Think outside the box.
• When you make a clever plan, you
usually don’t need to roll the dice.
DON’T PLAN STORIES
• Play to find out what happens. The best,
most memorable stories are the ones
formed naturally by playing the game.
• If you want to write a backstory, restrict
it to 1d6 bullet points, and don’t have
expectations from it.
• GM: Prepare situations, not stories.
Playgrounds, not plots.
EACH SESSION IS A PARTY
• Grab snacks, pizza, drinks. Embrace the
party spirit, the chaos.
• Consider leaving your phone for breaks.
We’re here to hang out with our friends.
• Set boundaries at the start and respect
them.
DON’T FORGET TO LOVE EACH
OTHER
• It’s a team game. Work together.
• Respect the GM if they respect you.
They’re doing their best to make the
game as fun for you as possible. Trust
their rulings, respect their prep, tell
them when you had a good time.
• Don’t forget to love each other.
5
6
Characters
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Attributes
A character has six core Attributes,
represented in Scores and Modifiers.
Modifiers are added to rolls, while Scores are
used to determine the power of other
aspects of a character, usually in a more
passive manner.
PHYSICAL
STRENGTH (STR): Brawn, muscle, and
physical power. Added to most melee
attacks.
DEXTERITY (DEX): Agility, reflexes,
speed, balance, and physical finesse.
CONSTITUTION (CON): Health, stamina,
and endurance.
Determining Ability Scores
Roll 3d6 for each Attribute to get your
Scores. Consult the Score to Modifier Table
below to determine your Modifiers.
SCORE TO MODIFIER TABLE
SCORE 3 4-5
MODIFIER -3 -2
SCORE OR MODIFIER? When referring to
abilities, the long-hand, e.g. Charisma,
refers to the score, while the short-hand, e.g.
CHA, refers to the modifier.
MENTAL
INTELLIGENCE (INT): Learning,
memory, and reasoning.
WISDOM (WIS): Perception, intuition,
mental strength, and empathy.
CHARISMA (CHA): Force of personality,
persuasiveness, social magnetism,
leadership, and luck. Lady luck doesn’t
favour the bold… she favours the
protagonist.
For PC’s, Attributes can range from 3 (-3) to
18 (+3) - anything beyond belongs to the
realms of the supernatural.
6-8 9-12 13-15 16-17 18
-1 +0 +1 +2 +3
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Proficiency
A character’s Proficiencies represent your
character’s specific skills, experience or
other areas of expertise. They manifest in
the following ways.
PROFICIENCY BONUS
When you roll, and one of your Proficiencies
is relevant to the task, you add your PB to
the roll.
For example, if you try to sneak past someone,
and are proficient in Stealth, you would add
your PB to the roll. Or, if you’re trying to
influence someone, but have to roll with
Charisma because what you’re saying will only
sway them if they find you sufficiently
charming, you could add your PB to the roll if
you have Persuasion. In combat, if you’re
proficient with swords, and attack with a sword,
you add your PB to the attack roll.
SAVES
When you make a Save that you’re
Proficient with, add your PB to the roll. This
is the only use for Save Proficiencies.
KNOWLEDGE
Your character will know information
relevant to the Proficiency. For more esoteric
knowledge, this depends on their Passive
Score with that Proficiency.
For example, someone with Nature will know
about terrain, plants, animals, and the weather.
Meanwhile, a former Actor will know all about
various plays, practitioners, and theatres.
Someone with the Rat Catcher background will
know pretty much everything about rats, while
more specific details about rats would depend on
their Passive Nature.
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SPECIALISM
Some tasks will demand more specific
expertise, and as such, characters with a
Proficiency that is especially well-suited
would gain a bonus or will require specific
Proficencies to even attempt them.
• Backgrounds let you take actions you’d
be experienced in from that background
without rolling. In actions you’d be
familiar with from that Background
they give you +1d6.
• Tools let you perform specific actions
that would only be possible if you knew
how to use that Tool. If you have to roll
when using the Tool, you add your PB.
For example, A Barber-Surgeon shouldn’t have
to roll to perform an amputation, but if they
need to perform that amputation in the next
minute or the character will die, they would
have to roll (albeit with +1d6 and PB).
Meanwhile, someone with Medicine would have
to roll, and only add their PB, because their
Proficiency is more general. Or, anyone can try
to pick a pocket, but proficiency in Sleight of
Hand would increase the chance of success.
However, only someone proficient in the use of
an Alchemy Kit could brew a potion.
PASSIVE PROFICIENCY SCORES
If a Proficiency is passively relevant, for
example to determine whether a character
would know something especially esoteric,
use their Passive Score with that Proficiency.
A character’s Passive Proficiency is equal to
10 + Attribute Modifier + Proficiency
Bonus. For example, if Tamlin has +1 INT, a
PB of +2, and Proficiency in History, his Passive
History would be 10 + 1 (INT) + 2 (PB) = 13.
Character Creation
1: START
Your character starts at Level 1 with a
Proficiency Bonus (PB) of +2 and a Speed of
30ft.
2: ROLL ATTRIBUTES
Your Attributes are the characteristics which
rank your ability to perform as an
adventurer in different areas.
• Strength (STR)
• Dexterity (DEX)
• Constitution (CON)
• Intelligence (INT)
• Wisdom (WIS)
• Charisma (CHA)
Roll 3d6 to determine each attribute’s Score.
Use your Scores to determine your
(Modifiers): 3 (-3) | 4-5 (-2) | 6-8 (-1) | 9-12
(+0) | 13-15 (+1) |16-17 (+2) | 18 (+3).
RE-ROLL: You may re-roll all your scores if
the total of your modifiers would equal less
than 0. But take heed - weak characters can
lead to some of the most fun characters and
stories.
3: ANCESTRY
Your Ancestry is made up of your Species
and Culture. Roll, choose, or invent (subject
to GM approval) it now.
DETAIL: To detail your Ancestry, you could
detail the specific culture you belong to, or
ancestral home you come from.
4: BACKGROUND
Your character’s Background is what they
did before they became an adventurer. Roll,
choose, or invent it now.
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Your Background is your first Proficiency
and also grants you additional items (if a
Tool, gain Proficiency in it).
DETAIL: Give your Background an adjective
(a ‘Disgraced Minstrel’ is already much more
interesting) or no more than:
• Did X, then Y, also involving person or
place Z.
• Accomplished X by doing Y, involving
person or place Z.
5: CLASS
Roll or choose your Class, a set of
thematically linked abilities. From it, note:
• Hit Die (HD)
• Starting Proficencies
• Starting Items
• Level 1 Abilities
6: MAXIMUM HIT POINTS (HP)
Your Hit Points determine how many hits
you can take before you are seriously injured
or killed. Roll your Hit Die + CON to get
your max HP.
• You may re-roll 1s and 2s.
• Heroic: For characters who are meant
to be innately special, max HP is equal
to the max value of your Hit Die + CON.
7: BASIC EQUIPMENT
You also start with 3 rations, 3 torches, a
bedroll, and a coin pouch with [Charisma]
silver pieces (sp).
For each Attribute Modifier you have below
0, roll on the adventuring items table, and
choose one to start with.
Character Creation
8: COMBAT STATS
ARMOUR CLASS (AC): Your AC is
determined by the armour you’re wearing.
WEAPONS: Fill in stats for your weapons.
• Attack Bonus: The weapon’s modifier
(usually STR for melee, DEX for
ranged). If you’re proficient with the
weapon, add your PB too.
• Damage: The damage die + the
weapon attribute modifier.
• Range: The weapon’s range is in feet,
and two numbers, e.g. 80/160. The first
is the Range, in feet, and the second is
the Long Range.
9: LANGUAGES
You start knowing Common and the
historical language of your Ancestry. You
know +INT more languages (minimum 0).
You may decide languages retroactively.
10: DRIVE & MYSTERY
DRIVE: A goal, motivation, or belief that
drives their actions. If in doubt, consider
these questions or use the table on page 18.
• “Why did I start adventuring?”
• “What am I willing to risk my life for?”
MYSTERY: A dramatic unanswered
question you’re curious about. Don’t expect
a certain answer. You can embed a Mystery
into your Drive.
CHARACTER CREATION TIP
Think of a distinctive voice, appearance,
habit, mannerism, or personality trait for
your character. This will go a long way to
making them memorable.
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11: APPEARANCE
Roll, choose or invent the following aspects
of your character’s appearance:
• Physique
• Face
• Hair
• Clothing
12: NAME
Give your character a name.
13: BONDS
Roll, choose or invent how you know the
character to your left, or the dynamic of the
relationship. Both players must agree to the
Bond.
Bonds are usually only done when everyone
is making new characters together.
QUICK CHARACTER CREATION
• Whenever possible, roll instead of
choosing or inventing.
• Only do the steps on page 10, and
steps 11 and 12 on this page.
• Do the remaining steps later, or
only when you need them (such as
not doing combat stats until you get
into combat).
• Don’t detail your Ancestry or
Background yet - do that later.
• Skip Bonds.
Species and Cultures:
The Ancestries of the Realm
Mercutio Valentine, Troubadour

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 Humans
Like the other species, Humans appear in a dazzling array of
different body types, skin colours, and physical features - there
are handsome Humans, and there are just as many less fortunate
than myself. However, I have been told by friends of other
species that we are considered to have special potential for
variation because despite our short lives (compared to them),
and how we ‘breed like rabbits’ (not my words) they’d expect to
see a few doubles, but we are all completely unique. They
mentioned that I, Mercutio Valentine, was particularly unique…
but I couldn’t tell whether it was a compliment or a mockery.

Like all species, Humans cannot be considered to have a

particular set of personality traits, but different cultures do
indeed manifest in trends among individuals from those
cultures. For example, in my many travels to the South, I am no
longer surprised if my week is full up with invites to feasts and
parties, where people talk and laugh until the early hours of the
morning. Meanwhile, those in the North seem to begin every
conversation with a complaint about the weather… and I have
been told that I should learn from their grounded self-
awareness. No idea why.

Elves
Elves resemble humans if they were designed by a strikingly
expressive portrait artist… larger eyes, pointed ears… lithe
bodies which move in graceful, dynamic shapes. Although
sword or disease can fell them, otherwise, they live so long that
as far as Humans can tell, they are immortal.

Elves are raised to be auteurs, artists, acolytes for aesthetics.

Their life is a pursuit of beauty in all its forms; Ugliness is
heresy. As a result of worship of High Art, Elven culture cannot
possibly do anything practical or functional. Everything must
be Art.

Unfortunately, therefore, an Elf can appear cold and aloof,

especially in moments of great tragedy or passion. However, it
is likely they are merely a step removed from the moment,
admiring it for its artistic merit, considering its poignancy, its
perception, its pathos. That, or they are just cold and aloof.

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 Dwarves
Dwarves appear very similar to Humans, except that, even
fully-grown, Dwarves are invariably shorter than us Humans - I
have yet to see a Dwarf over 5 feet tall. However, I have seen
many Dwarves, particularly those who have history
underground, weigh as much as much taller folk, for they seem
to develop physiques of pure muscle and bulk.

I have heard Dwarves be described as simple, but only by

simpletons. They mistake ‘simple’ for directness, extreme
focus, and efficiency. As a master practitioner of the dilly-dally,
I would struggle in a Dwarven culture. Many Dwarven cultures
are characterised by an intense sense of community, “two picks
work faster than one”, is a phrase my Dwarven friends have
taught me.

This phrase comes from a long heritage spent underground.

Owed to this heritage, most Dwarves develop exceedingly
literal minds – rocks are hard, darkness is dark - one doesn’t
mess around with metaphors in the mine, where
misunderstanding is costly. This can lead them to be baffled by
metaphors, similes and some jokes made by ‘surface dwellers’.
But Dwarven culture is not humourless, rather, in my
experience, those who work the hardest, certainly know how to
play the hardest too.

Gnomes
Gnomes appear like Elves, but have an average height of just
over 3 feet. Gnomes have gained a reputation for an insatiable
curiosity, reflected in their expressive features - with bright
eyes that widen impossibly with wonder and large, pointy ears
that seem to want to extend to pick up every frequency of my
dulcet tones. Indeed, it seems that compared to most Humans,
Gnomes are hyper-sensitivite to all the sights, sounds, smells,
and ideas in front of them at any given moment.

Gnomish culture teaches to live in the present moment always,

which some have turned into a unique appreciation for even the
mundanities of life, while others have interpreted as
philosophies of act, speak, do first - you can think and worry

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about secondary things like consequences later. Fortunately, I
have found Gnomish audiences to be most receptive to my
more comedic pieces, demonstrating a teriffic sense of humour,
and when someone is quick to see the funny side, a willingness
to make mistakes and takes risks follows. Perhaps it is these
traits that have led to their reputation as some of the finest
artisans, tinkers, and inventors. Further, I have known many a
Gnome to be as obsessive as they are fickle, capable of
becoming utterly fixated on one idea, and then suddenly,
become completely obsessed with something else entirely,
often mid-conversation… come to think of it, something I have
been accused of repeatedly when it comes to the opposite sex.

Lizardfolk
Lizardfolk, or ‘Lizards’ are reptilian humanoids which stand
distinctively tall, usually at between 6 and nearly 7 feet in
height, and strong, defined physiques that are the result of
rigid sport and nutrition regimes.

These regimes reflect a central tenet of Lizard culture, that of

self-improvement. See, Lizardfolk are taught that they are the
descendants of Dragons; when the most glorious Lizards die,
they are believed to be reincaranated in their ‘true form’, as
Dragons. Those Lizards that have this instilled in them are
known for posessing formidable pride (some would say
arrogance) and ambition for excellence and glory. Competition
is encouraged and failure is highly embarassing, especially in
front of other species, who are implied to be inferior by some
of the more extreme Lizard cultures.

I once had the pleasure of spending several weeks immersed in

Lizard culture, despite my, well, Bohemian lifestyle rather
incompatible with a culture which revolves around waking up at
6am at the latest, and having acoomplished more by lunchtime
than I have by the end of the month. Much of the pleasure, for
me, came from observing how each Family, whether noble or
not, lived their life like the games of Crusaders and Kings:
marriages were delicate games of strategy and leverage, where
suitors were ruthlessly judged for their position, fitness,
actractiveness, and personal abilities, and members were
constantly competing and plotting for their Families honour.
Twas of much inspiration for my historical epics.

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Backgrounds
D88 BACKGROUND START WITH
11 Actor Disguise Kit, Wooden Sword
12 Alchemist Alchemy Kit, Random Potion
13 Blacksmith Smith’s Tools, Iron Ingot
14 Banker Set of Scales, Paper, Ink and Quill
15 Brewer Brewing Kit, Tiny Barrel of Beer
16 Burglar Thieves Tools, Grappling Hook
17 Charlatan Forgery Kit, Loaded Die
18 Cleric Religious Insignia (of the God you follow), Holy Water
21 Cook Cook Utensils, 1d4 Scrumptious Rations (roll to heal at rests with A*)
22 Engineer 3 Flasks of Grease
23 Gambler Gaming Set, Loaded Die, Debt of 1d10 x 1d6sp
24 Guard Manacles, Lantern
25 Herbalist Herbalism Kit, Healing Herbs (heal 1d4 HP, medicine)
26 Hunter Animal Bait, Bear Trap
27 Jester Silly Hat, Juggling Balls
28 Librarian Paper, Ink and Quill, Forbidden Book
31 Fisher Net, Fishing Set
32 Merchant Small Lockbox, 2d6sp
33 Miner Pick, Lantern
34 Bard Musical Instrument, Book of Poetry, Ostentatious Outfit
35 Noble Scion Fine Clothes, Fancy Signet Ring (1d10 x 1d6sp)
36 Shipwright Carpenter’s Tools, 50ft Rope
37 Painter Painting Supplies, Sketch Book
38 Scribe Calligraphy Kit, Extra Language
41 Urchin Small Knife (1d4 damage, easy to hide), Wooden Bowl
42 Rat Catcher Small, Vicious Dog (name them)
43 Sculptor Chisel, Stone Bust of Someone
44 Smuggler Coat (1d6 Hidden Pockets), Fence Contact
45 Stable-Person Saddle, Horse Feed
46 Scholar Paper, Ink and Quill, Very Specific Field of Expertise
47 Tailor Needle, Thread, Cloth
48 Gardener Shovel, Bag of Soil
51 Barber-Surgeon Barber-Surgeon’s Tools, Jar of Leeches
52 Courtesan/Companion Eye-Catching Outfit, Makeup Kit (Disguise Kit)

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Backgrounds
D88 BACKGROUND START WITH
53 Woodcutter Lumber Axe, Bundle of Wood

54 Carpenter Carpenter’s Tools, Small Wooden Box

55 Cartographer Cartographer’s Tools, Map-Sized Parchment

56 Messenger All-Weather Cloak, Sealed Letter

57 Cobbler Cobbler’s Tools, Jar of Shoe Polish

58 Glassblower Glassblower’s Tools, 3 Glass Bottles (empty)

61 Jeweller Jeweller’s Tools, Fake Gem

62 Sailor 50ft of Rope, Spyglass

63 Pirate 50ft of Rope, Treasure Map, Bounty (on your head)

64 Leatherworker Leatherworker’s Tools, Waterproof Bag

65 Mason Mason’s Tools, Bag of Mortar

66 Potter Potter’s Tools, Clay

67 Locksmith Lockpick Set, Quality Padlock

68 Soldier Extra Weapon, Shield (bears crest and colours of former army)
Slave Iron Shackles, Reminder of Past (e.g. brand, scar, tooth ripped out of
71
your slaver’s mouth)
72 Squire Shield, Saddle

73 Woodcarver Woodcarver’s Tools, Devotional Statue to Someone

74 Cartwright Carpenter’s Tools, Handcart

75 Physician Medicine Kit, Book of Medicine, Healing Potion (2d4 + Level HP)

76 Gongfarmer Wheelbarrow, Bag of Excrement, Bad Smell

77 Drunkard Bottle of Whiskey, Empty Bottle

78 Servant Cook Utensils, Stolen Locket (10sp)

81 Baker Bag of Flour, Bag of Cookies

82 Administrator Paper, Ink and Quill

Farmer Bag of Produce (e.g. mushrooms, cabbages), Small Farm Animal (e.g.
83
hen, piglet - name it)
84 Grave-Digger Shovel, Bag of Dirt

85 Plague Doctor Crow-Beaked Mask, Healing Herbs

86 Cooper Carpenter’s Tools, Barrel

87 Student Paper, Ink and Quill, Debt of 1d10 x 1d6sp

88 Fletcher Woodcarver’s Tools, 1d6 Fire Arrows

17
Random Ancestry, Appearance & Drive
ANCESTRY (D20) DRIVE (D12)
1-12. Human | 13-14. Dwarf | 15-16. Elf | 17- 1. Triumph of…
18. Gnome | 19-20. Lizardfolk 2. Defeat of…

PHYSIQUE (D20) 3. Known for…

1. Athletic | 2. Brawny | 3. Corpulent | 4. 4. Revenge on…
Delicate | 5. Gaunt | 6. Hulking | 7. Lanky | 8. 5. Prove…
Ripped | 9. Rugged | 10. Scrawny | 11. Short |
6. Remain…
12. Sinewy | 13. Slender | 14. Flabby | 15.
Statuesque | 16. Stout | 17. Tiny | 18. 7. Obtain…
Towering | 19. Willowy | 20. Wiry 8. Discover…
9. Create…
FACE (D20)
1. Bloated | 2. Blunt | 3. Bony | 4. Chiseled | 10. Become…
5. Delicate | 6. Elongated | 7. Patrician | 8. 11. Travel to…
Pinched | 9. Hawkish 10. Broken | 11. Impish 12. Meet…
| 12. Narrow | 13. Ratlike | 14. Round | 15.
Sunken | 16. Sharp | 17. Soft | 18. Square | 19. QUIRK (D12)
Wide | 20. Wolfish
Optional.
HAIR (D20) 1. Greets strangers by…
1. Bald | 2. Braided | 3. Bristly | 4. Cropped |
2. Unusually fond of…
5. Curly | 6. Dishevelled | 7. Dreadlocks | 8.
Filthy | 9. Frizzy | 10. Greased | 11. Limp | 12. 3. Superstitious about…
Long | 13. Luxurious | 14. Mohawk | 15. Oily | 4. Has delusions about…
16. Ponytail | 17. Silky | 18. Topknot | 19.
5. Suspicious of…
Wavy | 20. Wispy
6. Won’t shut up about…
CLOTHING (D20) 7. Obsessively collects…
1. Antique | 2. Bloody | 3. Ceremonial | 4. 8. Best friend is a(n)…
Decorated | 5. Eccentric | 6. Elegant | 7.
9. Role model is…
Fashionable | 8. Filthy | 9. Flamboyant | 10.
Stained | 11. Foreign 12. Frayed | 13. Frumpy | 10. Shows affection by…
14. Livery 15. Oversized | 16. Patched | 17. 11. Curious about…
Perfumed | 18. Rancid | 19. Torn | 20.
12. Has crippling fear of…
Undersized

18
Bonus Items & Bonds
BONUS ITEM (D66)
11. Bandages
12. Buckler
13. Caltrops in bag
14. Carrier pigeon and cage
15. Crowbar
16. Flint and steel
21. Grapple and rope, 50'
22. Hammer, bag of nails
23. Holy water in vial
24. Lantern, 3 flasks of oil
25. Lockpick set
26. Pole, 10'
31. Shovel
32. Torches, 3
33. Rations, 3
34. Acid, vial
35. Bear trap
36. Book (blank), ink, quill
41. Cheese, large wheel
42. Clothing (fancy)
43. Gold coins (fake), 10
44. Hand mirror
45. Holy symbol
46. Key to inn room
51. Leeches in jar
52. Liquor, bottle
53. Locket, shiny
54. Lodestone
55. Musical instrument
56. Perfume (pungent)
61. Poison, vial
62. Sleeping draught in vial
63. Spice bags, 3
64. Spyglass
65. Tobacco, pipe
66. Football, leather
BONDS (D50) 26. Looking for same rare item
1. Admired by 27. Lost friends in same
2. Admires mysterious circumstances
3. Adoptive cousins 28. Member of the same
4. Apprentices under church
same master 29. Named in same
5. Both bad at same inheritance
mundane activity 30. Owed something by
6. Both skilled at same 31. Owes something to
mundane activity 32. Pen pals
7. Both think the other is 33. Ran away from home
someone else they know together
8. Can't place where you 34. Received same mysterious
saw each other, but letter
have major deja vu 35. Roommates
9. Cell buddies 36. Same embarrassing
nickname
10. Childhood friends
37. Same political agitation
11. Collaborators on
group
project
38. Saved their life
12. Contracted by
39. Scammed in same con
13. Drinking buddies
40. Scarred in same event
14. Former classmates
41. Study same obscure
15. Former coworkers
subject
16. Frequented same
42. Suffering from same
establishment
disease
17. Friendly rivals
43. Sworn to protect
18. From the same town
44. Their mentor
19. Have a business plan
for when you retire from 45. Their student
adventuring 46. Traveling companions
20. Have same ex 47. Unrequited crush
21. Same guild 48. Used to date, mutually
membership broke it off
22. Idolize same famous 49. War buddies
figure 50. Wear same unfashionable
23. Introduced by article of clothing
mutual friend, hit it off
24. Know each other’s
embarrassing secrets
25. Life saved by
19
20
Classes
21
Berserker
Hit Dice: 1d12
Weapon Proficiency: Simple weapons,
Melee weapons.
Tool Proficiency: None.
Saving Throw Proficiency: Strength,
Constitution.
Skill Proficencies: Choose three from: (1)
Animal Handling, (2) Athletics, (3)
Leadership, (4) Nature, (5) Perception, and
(6) Survival
Starting Equipment: Greataxe, two
handaxes.
CLASS ABILITIES
Level 1: Rage, Iron Hide
Level 2: Reckless Attack, +1 Critical Hit Range
(19-20)
Level 3: Brutal Critical, Feat of Strength
Level 4: Rage for the Ages
RAGE: Berserker Level + CON (minimum 1)
times per Long Rest, as a bonus action at the
start of your turn, or as a reaction to taking
damage, you can enter a savage frenzy known
as a Rage:
• You have an extra attack.
• You roll +1d6 on STR and CON checks.
• You have resistance (halve damage
taken)s against physical damage.
• You can’t do anything defensive, curative,
or tactical – all you can and want to do is
attempt to kill things.
• You are immune to feeling pain and fear.
• Anyone who injures you during a rage
becomes an enemy.
Rage Die: Track how much damage you’ve
dealt while in your Rage on a d20, max 20.
Calm Down: Your Rage lasts until you kill,
subdue or drive off all enemies, but you or an
22
ally can spend an action to try to end your
Rage prematurely with a CHA check, where the
DC is equal to the Rage Die’s current value.
IRON HIDE: When you wear no armour, you
can add your Berserker level to your AC and
your speed is increased by +10ft. You can use a
shield and still gain this benefit.
RECKLESS ATTACK: You can throw aside all
concern for defense to attack with fierce
desperation. When you make your first melee
attack using STR on your turn, you can decide
to attack recklessly.
• Reckless attacks gain +1d6 on the attack.
• Keep the d6 in front of you, or place it next
to your miniature/token. Attacks
targeting you get the same bonus till the
end of round.
BRUTAL CRITICAL: When you kill an
opponent with a critical hit, the kill is so
savagely brutal that the victim’s allies that can
see you must immediately make a morale
check. You reroll 1s when rolling damage on a
critical hit.
FEAT OF STRENGTH: Once per long rest, you
can treat your Strength as 24 (STR +5) to
accomplish one mighty feat of strength, or
make a single attack with +1d6 that does
double damage if it hits.
RAGE FOR THE AGES: While Raging:
• When you kill a creature or roll a Critical
Hit, choose one:
A. Immediately make another attack.
B. Heal a number of HP equal to your
Berserker Level.
• Your extra attack may be Reckless too.
• You are immune to mind-control.
23
Fighter
Hit Dice: d10
Weapon Proficiency: All.
Tool Proficiency: None.
Saving Throw Proficiency: Strength,
Constitution.
Skill Proficencies: Choose three from: (1)
Acrobatics, (2) Animal Handling, (3)
Athletics, (4) History, (5) Medicine, (6)
Leadership, (7) Perception, and (8) Survival
Starting Equipment: Chain mail, melee
weapon, shield, any weapon.
CLASS ABILITIES
Level 1: Weapon Techniques, Parry
Level 2: Extra Attack, +1 Weapon Technique
Level 3: Threat Assessment, +1 Weapon
Technique
Level 4: +2 Weapon Techniques
WEAPON TECHNIQUES: You start with 1
Weapon Technique. While wielding a
weapon, if you have any relevant Weapon
Techniques in it, you gain the bonuses
granted by those Weapon Techniques.
PARRY: Once per long rest, you can use your
reaction to reduce the incoming damage of a
melee attack by 1d6 + Fighter Level points.
With a shield equipped, you can parry
ranged attacks and may sunder it to parry 12
+ Fighter Level damage instead.
EXTRA ATTACK: When you attack, you may
attack twice. When you attack with D*, you
may exchange your second attack to cancel
the D*.
THREAT ASSESSMENT: After 10 minutes
studying a creature or 1 round fighting it,
you can ask the GM how many HD they
have, and they will answer truthfully.
24
WEAPON TECHNIQUES (D10)
1. Cleave (slashing weapons): If you kill a
creature, you can immediately make a
single free attack on a creature within
melee reach.
2. Crush (bludgeoning weapon): If you
miss, you still deal 1 or STR damage
(whichever is highest) from the sheer
impact of the strike.
3. Dual Wielding (two weapons): If you
roll doubles on damage, both dice deal
damage.
4. Haft Attack (polearm): After attacking,
you may immediately make another
attack with the other end of the weapon,
as a bonus action with D*. If it hits, it
deals 1d6 damage.
5. Heavy Attack (heavy weapons): You
can choose to roll initiative with D* to
deal +1d6 damage on your turn.
6. Riposte (one-handed sword): When
you Parry the incoming damage to 0, and
your off-hand is free, you may use your
reaction to make a free melee attack
against the opponent.
7. Shield Bash (shields): When you hit an
opponent in melee with a shield, you can
bash them, granting A* on attacks
against until they use an action to
recover.
8. Swift Reload (missile weapons with
reload): You can reload as a bonus
action.
9. Swift Shot (missile weapons without
reload): After attacking, you may
immediately make an attack with the
same weapon, as a bonus action with D*.
10. Throwing (throwing weapons): As a
bonus action, you may throw a throwing
weapon with D* if you have a free hand.
25
Druid
Hit Dice: d6
Weapon Proficiency: None.
Tool Proficiency: Herbalism Kit.
Saving Throw Proficiency: Intelligence,
Wisdom.
Skill Proficencies: Choose three from: (1)
Arcana, (2) Animal Handling, (3) Insight,
(4) Medicine, (5) Nature, (6) Perception, (7)
Religion, and (8) Survival
Starting Equipment: Quarterstaff, dagger,
leather armour, druidic focus.
CLASS ABILITIES
Level 1: Wild Shape, Spellcasting, +1 MD, +2
Spells (1-6)
Level 2: Wildspeak, +2 Spells (1-8)
Level 3: +2 Spells (1-10)
Level 4: Wild Shape Mastery, +2 Spells (1-12)
WILD SHAPE: You may shapeshift into a
mundane animal you’ve seen before up to
[Druid Level] times per Long Rest. The
animal cannot have more HD than your
Druid Level. While in your Wild Shape:
• You can’t cast spells.
• You communicate as the animal.
• You must turn back into your normal
form before shapeshifting again.
• Attributes: You use the animal’s
physical attributes but keep your
mental attributes.
• HP: You adopt the animal’s HP,
determined by rolling a number of d8’s
equal to its Level as a separate HP pool.
When your Wild Shape HP pool hits 0
HP, you revert to your normal form; any
excess damage is carried over into your
normal HP pool.
After up to [Druid Level] hours, you revert.
26
SPELLCASTING: You start with 1 Magic Die
(MD), and 1 Focus.
Starting Spells: You know all the Cantrips,
minor spells which can be cast freely. Roll a
d6 twice on the spell-list to determine
which spells you know.
Spell Save DC: When a target of your spell is
allowed a save against the effects, the save
DC is equal to 12 + Druid Level.
WILDSPEAK: You can speak to mundane
animals and plants.
WILD SHAPE MASTERY: While in your
Wild Shape:
• You can cast spells.
• You can communicate as yourself.
• You don’t have to return to normal form
before shapeshifting again.
DRUID SPELLCASTING
You use MD to cast spells.
1. When you cast a spell, spend and roll
any number of your MD, up to your
Focus, to see how effective the spell is:
Dice is the number of MD rolled, sum is
their total value.
2. Return spent dice that roll 1-3 to your
pool.
3. If you roll doubles while casting, a
random Mishap occurs. If you roll
triples, you suffer your Doom.
4. Regain all spent MD after a Long Rest.
If the rest was interrupted, you can
make a CHA check for each MD to have
them return to your pool anyway.
Druid

27
Druid Spells
DRUID MISHAPS
Roll 1d6 on the table below when you roll
doubles on a spell.
1. You lose 1 MD until you take a Long
Rest.
2. You take 1d6 damage in a dramatic way
that’s related to the spell you cast or
something nature-flavoured.
3. Your MD are exhausted on a 1-2 until
you take a Long Rest.
4. You sprout antlers for 1d6 hours.
5. The spell doesn’t go off until 1d4 rounds
from now.
6. Gain a fish mouth for 1d6 hours. You
cannot speak properly or cast spells.
DRUID DOOM
You drop to 0 HP and lose your Druidic
powers until you destroy something
civilized that is more important than the
last thing you destroyed.
CANTRIPS
MINOR GROWTH: You instantly make a
flower blossom, a seed open, or a leaf bud
bloom.
DRUIDIC PRESTIDIGITATION: You create
an instantaneous, harmless sensory effect
(falling leaves, puff of wind, sound of a
small animal, faint odour of manure...) or
create a tiny, harmless sensory effect that
predicts what the weather will tomorrow at
your current location. The effect lasts for
about a minute, and might manifest as a
golden orb for clear skies, a cloud of rain,
falling snowflakes for snow…
LOCATE ANIMAL: You know exactly where
the nearest example of a common animal
you specify is, unless there are none within
[Druid Level] miles.
28
SPELL LIST
1. BARKSKIN: You touch a target’s skin,
granting it an extra layer of super tough bark
for up to 1 minute: their AC cannot be lower
than 15 + dice. However, their movement
speed also takes a 10ft penalty, and they are
extremely flammable.
2. CHARM ANIMAL: Up to dice animals
must make a CHA save or treat you like they
would a trusted friend for up to 1 hour. They
have A* if they are being attacked by you or
your allies.
3. HEALING SPIRIT: You conjure a
stationary spirit somewhere within 30ft for
up to sum rounds. It heals allies within
melee range for 1d6 HP.
4. THORN WHIP: You conjure a thorny vine
whip for sum rounds. It has a range of 20ft,
deals 1d6 + dice damage, and if a target who
takes damage is Large or smaller, you can
pull them 10ft closer to you.
5. FOG CLOUD: You breathe out an
obscuring fog cloud in a 30ft radius sphere.
Sunlight, wind, or heat dissipates the fog in
10 minutes. At 3+ dice other casters cannot
cast spells within the fog.
6. WOODBEND: Wood (door, weapon
hafts, trees) that you touch bends or
unbends. After up to dice hours, the wood
bends back.
7. WEAVE: You weave plants within 60ft
into an animated rope dice x 30ft long or
animate an existing mundane rope. When
the spell ends after sum x 10 minutes, the
plants return as best they can to their
previous state.
Druid Spells
8. ENTANGLE: Grasping vines sprout from
a point in the ground within 60ft in a dice x
10ft square for up to 10 minutes. The area
becomes difficult terrain, and anyone in the
area or passing through it must make a STR
save or be caught and restrained by the
vines. At the start of their turn, they can use
their action to make a Strength check to
break free.
9. WILD ASPECT: Up to dice creatures you
touch gain one aspect of an animal (a frog’s
tongue, an eagle’s eyes, a fish’s gills) for up
to 1 hour.
29
10. CALL OF THE WILD: You can summon
up to sum HD of animals from the area to
your vicinity. You may specify the type of
animal.
11. SMOKE STEP: You teleport to some
place within 100ft that you can see, leaving
behind a puff of wood smoke. For each dice
above 1, you can take someone with you.
12. UPROOT: You touch dice trees or sum
smaller plants. For up to 1 minute, you can
have them uproot and march to a new
location. Trees have a speed of 5ft, smaller
plants have a speed of 10ft.
Ranger
Hit Dice: d8
Weapon Proficiency: Simple, One-Handed
Melee, Bows, Crossbows.
Tool Proficiency: Herbalism Kit.
Saving Throw Proficiency: Strength,
Dexterity.
Skill Proficencies: Choose three from: (1)
Animal Handling, (2) Athletics, (3) Insight,
(4) Medicine, (5) Nature, (6) Perception, (7)
Stealth, and (8) Survival.
Starting Equipment: Two shortswords,
longbow, quiver with arrows, leather
armour
CLASS ABILITIES
Level 1: Wildling, Ranger Abilities
Level 2: +2 Ranger Abilities
Level 3: +2 Ranger Abilities
Level 4: +1 Ranger Ability, Deadeye
RANGER ARCHETYPE: You are at home in
the wilderness:
• When a random encounter occurs
outside, you can draw or modify the
terrain map and choose starting
positions (GM discretion).
• When you forage, you find double the
amount of rations.
• You can predict season-appropriate
weather for the next day, with a
successful WIS check. If you succeed,
you tell the GM what the weather will
be. The DC increases by +2 for each
successful prediction. You can detect
but not choose natural disasters.
30
RANGER ABILITIES: You start knowing 1
Ranger Ability.
• When you take Animal Companion,
you gain the Level 1 ability.
• Next time you gain a Ranger Ability, you
may instead take the next Level of
Animal Companion.
RANGER ABILITIES (D8)
1. Ambush: You roll initiative with +1d6 and
have +1d6 on attack rolls against creatures
who haven’t taken their turn yet.
2. Expertise: Choose two of your Skill
Proficiencies, or one of your Skill
Proficencies and one of your Tool
proficiencies. Your PB is doubled for any
check you make that uses either of the
chosen proficiencies.
3. Quarry: Once per long rest, you can mark
one creature you can see as your Quarry. You
can only have one Quarry at a time.
• Your rolls to track your Quarry have
+1d6.
• Your attack rolls targeting your Quarry
have +1d6.
• You step up the damage die when you
hit your Quarry (1d6 > 1d8 > 1d10 >
1d12).
4. Ranger Sense: When you’re in the party,
the range at which you get Omens (clues of a
nearby creature) increases by +1. If you come
across any tracks, you can ask the GM
questions based on them that they will
answer truthfully, as long as the answer
could reasonably be discerned from the
tracks.
5. Speak with Animals: You can speak
fluently with all mundane animals.
Ranger
6. Traps: You gain proficiency with the
Trapper’s Kit. It takes 10 minutes to craft a
trap in natural terrain. When you craft a
trap, choose up to 3 effects from the list
below. Mark one X on your trapping kit for
each effect you choose.
• Damage: Victims take 1d6 damage.
• Halt: Victims are immobilized.
• Alert: Victims set off a loud racket.
• With other items (poisons, flammable
oils), you can create more trap types.
7. Trophies: You can spend 10 minutes to
harvest a Trophy from your prey. You gain +1
bonus Ready Slot that can only hold a
Trophy. The rare ones fetch a pretty penny
to the right collector. Sales grant 1 XP per
silver piece gained to everyone in the party
who helped kill the creature. Each readied
Trophy gives you:
• +1 AC and +1 damage against that type
of creature (maximum +4).
• +1d6 on checks to avoid or negate their
special effects (minimum roll = readied
trophies).
8. Animal Companion: You can only ever
have one Animal Companion at a time.
Changing Animal Companion takes a week
of downtime spent bonding.
• Level 1: : Choose any mundane animal
with HD equal/lower than your Ranger
Level. Name and detail them. Compared
to regular pets:
• Your Companion can follow more
complex commands.
• Your Companion acts on your
initiative.
31
• Directing them in combat takes an
Action, but you can spend an
Action before or during combat to
set up an Action, e.g. “attack when
I attack”.
• You learn the language your
companion speaks (e.g. Dogs speak
Canine, Cats speak Infernal).
• Level 2: Your bond with your animal
companion has improved:
• You can direct your animal
companion with your bonus
action.
• Your animal companion can try
and stabilize you. They add your
Ranger Level to checks to stabilize
you.
• If you have a bonus to attack an
opponent, your animal companion
has the same bonus when they
attack them.
DEADEYE: Until the end of your turn, you
can spend a Bonus Action to enter a state of
extreme focus where time seems to slow
down. While in Deadeye:
• When you attack, you attack twice.
• On a hit, you can exchange damage to
target a specific area on the target, such
as the leg to halve movement speed, or
shoot their weapon out of their grip. On
a critical hit, you may also deal normal
damage. The specific usage of this
ability is at the GM’s discretion.
• When the turn ends, Deadeye is
exhausted until you take a Long Rest.
Rogue
Hit Dice: d8
Weapon Proficiency: Simple
weapons, hand crossbows, light
weapons, finesse weapons.
Tool Proficiency: Thieves tools.
Saving Throw Proficiency: Dexterity,
Charisma
Skill Proficencies: Choose five from: (1)
Acrobatics, (2) Athletics, (3) Deception,
(4) Insight, (5) Perception, (6)
Persuasion, (7) Sleight of Hand, and (8)
Stealth.
Starting Equipment: Shortsword,
leather armour, three daggers, thieves
tools.
ROGUE FEATURES
Level 1: Rogue Talents, Sneak Attack (+1d6),
Expertise
Level 2: +2 Rogue Talents
Level 3: +2 Rogue Talents
Level 4: +2 Rogue Talents, Sneak Attack
(+2d6), Expertise
SNEAK ATTACK: Once per turn, if you have
A* on an attack roll with a light or ranged
weapon, you deal an additional +1d6
damage. At 4th level, the damage bonus
increases to an additional +2d6 damage.
EXPERTISE: Choose two of your Skill
Proficiencies, or one of your Skill
Proficencies and one of your Tool
proficiencies. Your PB is doubled for any
check you make that uses either of the
chosen proficiencies.
ROGUE TALENTS: You start knowing 1
Rogue Talent. If this Talent mentions a Tool,
add it to your inventory and gain Proficiency
in that Tool.
32
ROGUE TALENTS (D12)
1. Actor: As long as you look the part, you
can act the part, and people will always
assume that you are who you appear to be
unless and until you give them a strong
reason not to.
2. Alternate Identity: As long as you have a
Disguise Kit and a Forgery Kit, you have the
disguise materials and documentation for
an alternate identity of your choice - flesh it
out. You don’t mark usage on your kits. You
can change your alternate identity by
spending a week of downtime and 10 gp to
change it.
3. Assassinate: Hits on helpless or unaware
enemies are always critical hits, and
enemies which aren’t significiant/GM-
named are killed instantly.
4. Connected: If you’ve spent at least 1 week
in a town, you’ll have built a web of useful
contacts. If you want something (items,
information, invites to parties, etc) which
could reasonably be obtained in your
location for the right price, then you know
someone who can get it for you.
5. Fast Talk: So long as no one can verify
something vaguely plausible you’re saying is
wrong, you can lie and they’ll believe you for
at least d6 minutes.
6. Hardcore Parkour: If you could parkour
through difficult terrain, it isn’t considered
difficult terrain for you. Treat every fall and
leap as half the distance. Your speed
increases by +15ft.
Rogue
7. Shadow Dash: You can dash between 10. Uncanny Evasion: When you make a
shadows within x, where x is your speed DEX save to take only half damage, you
(e.g. within 30ft if your speed is 30ft). You instead take no damage if you succeed, and
flit so seamlessly that it functions like only half damage if you fail. You can re-roll
teleportation. failed attempts to escape a situation..
8. Tricky: You can give yourself +1d6 on 11. Unlabelled Package: In town, you may
your combat manoeuvre roll or forgo it to be buy an Unlabelled Package (1 slot, 1gp). You
immune to counter-attacks if you fail. Also, may produce a mundane item from it,
if you still haven’t used your reaction this replacing the Package. Larger items can be
turn, you can’t be targeted with opportunity produced by buying larger packages, or
attacks. using multiple Packages.
9. Poisoner: When you forage in a verdant 12. Wall Crawler: If a climb needs climbing
wild with poisonous plants, for each ration gear, you can perform the climb without it.
you find, you can instead extract a dose of With it, you succeed automatically. You
poison (50sp on the black market), which climb as fast as you run.
replenishes your Poison Kit. You can mark
usage on the Poison Kit to spend 30 minutes
crafting a basic poison from the options
below.
• Nightshade: Bitter taste must be
disguised with strong flavours.
Upon ingestion, the creature makes
a CON save. The poison deals 1d8
damage per round for 1 round
(successful save) or 3 rounds
(failed save). Creatures which
aren’t significant/GM-named are
killed instantly on a failed save.
• Cockatrice Tears: Applied to light
weapon. On a hit, the target makes
a CON save. On a failed save, for
1d3 rounds: paralysis, and AC isn’t
modified by DEX.
• Sandman Dust: Upon inhalation
or ingestion, fall into a light sleep.
• By harvesting or buying other
ingredients, you can craft different
types of poisons.

33
Wizard
Wizard School Ability: When you reach
Hit Dice: 1d6
Level 4 in a Wizard School, you gain the
Weapon Proficiency: None. Level 4 Ability.
Tool Proficiency: None.
Saving Throw Proficiency: Intelligence, Eclectic Educations: When you learn spells
Wisdom. from advancing to the next Wizard Level,
Skill Proficencies: Choose three from: (1) you may choose to learn new Spells from a
Arcana, (2) History, (3) Insight, (4) different School. However, taking this
Medicine, (5) Nature, and (6) Religion option ‘locks’ the Level 4 Ability of your
Starting Equipment: Quarterstaff, original School for you (this doesn’t apply to
spellbook, ink and quill. learning new spells from spellbooks or other
Wizards). If you take this option, it’s
expected that this is always to reflect the
CLASS FEATURES narrative, and never for game mechanical
Level 1: Wizard School, Spellcasting, Book (non-diegetic) reasons.
Casting
Level 2: +1 MD, +1 Focus, +1 Spell Slot, +2
Spells (1-8)
Level 3:+1 MD, +1 Focus, +1 Spell Slot, +2
Spells (1-10)
Level 4: Wizard School Ability, +1 MD, +1
Focus, +2 Spell Slots, +4 Spells (1-12)

WIZARD SCHOOL: Roll or choose a Wizard

School. Your School determines your spell-
list and Cantrips, but if you find a spell you
don’t know in another spellbook, you can
spend 30 minutes transcribing it into yours.
When you gain new Spells from advancing
to the next Level, these Spells come from
your School’s spell-list.
1. Orthodox School: The greatest hits
album of spell lists: full of classics, but
lacking a unified theme.
2. Elemental School: Elementalists speak
to elemental spirits to evoke powerful
elemental effects.
3. Illusion School: Illusionists study light,
mirrors, and the nature of truth to
create illusions. Tend to be radical
postmodernists.

34
Wizard
SPELLCASTING: You start with 1 Magic • Spell Save DC: When a target of your
Die (MD), 1 Focus, and 2 Spell Slots. spell is allowed a save against the
effects, the save DC is equal to 12 +
• Starting Spells: You know all the Wizard Level.
Cantrips, minor spells which can be
cast freely. Roll a d6 four times on BOOK CASTING: You can cast a spell you
your spell-list to determine which haven’t prepared by casting from your
spells you know. spellbook, but casting a spell in this way
takes 10 minutes.
• Spell Slots: You can prepare a number
of spells equal to the number of Spell
Slots you have. You can change your
prepared set of spells when you Rest,
but doing so during a Short Rest
requires a successful INT check equal
to DC 12 + the number of spells you
are exchanging.

WIZARD SPELLCASTING
You use MD to cast spells.
1. When you cast a spell, spend and roll
any number of your MD, up to your
Focus, to see how effective the spell is:
Dice is the number of MD rolled, sum
is their total value.

2. Return spent dice that roll 1-3 to your

pool.

3. If you roll doubles while casting, a

random Mishap occurs. If you roll
triples, you suffer your next Doom.

4. Regain all spent MD after a Long Rest.

If the rest was interrupted, you can
make a CHA check for each MD to
have them return to your pool
anyway.

Casting Time: Casting a spell takes 1

action, unless noted otherwise.

35
36
How to Play
37
Rolling the Dice
Whenever you want to do something risky,
roll a Check to avoid the consequences of
failure:
• Roll a d20 + attribute modifier, using
the most relevant attribute, as specified
by the GM.
• Proficiency: If your character has a
relevant Proficiency to the check, you
also add your PB.
• Success: If your roll meets or beats the
Difficulty Class (DC) of 12, you succeed
in your goal.
• Failure: If you fail to meet or beat the
DC, things go wrong - the situation
changes for the worse.
• Critical Success: If you roll a 20 on the
d20 (a ‘natural 20’), you always
succeed. Depending on the situation,
you succeed with even greater effect.
• Critical Failure: If you roll a 1 on the
d20 (a ‘natural 1’), you always fail.
Depending on the situation, you incur
further complications.
ADJUSTING THE DC: In special cases, the
GM will adjust the DC higher or lower to
more accurately reflect the situation. As a
guideline, Easy checks are DC 8 and
Difficult checks are DC 16.
ADVANTAGE (A*): If any situational factors
put you at an advantage, roll 2d20 and take
the best.
DISADVANTAGE (D*): If any situational
factors put you at a disadvantage, roll 2d20
and take the worst.
38
OPPOSED CHECKS
When an action is actively opposed or by an
opponent, you each roll a check. Whoever
succeeds and rolls highest wins.
• Critical hits beat regular successes.
• Critical fails automatically lose.
• If you both succeeded and draw, roll
again.
• If you both failed and draw, the
situation gets worse for both parties.
GROUP CHECKS
When a group of character's attempt the
same action at the same time, the GM
determines whether the task requires:
• A single character to succeed
(discerning a lie). The character with
the highest modifier rolls.
• Every character to succeed (sneaking
past a guard). The character with the
lowest modifier rolls.
Apply any other modifiers after the GM has
determined which character will roll.
INVESTIGATION CHECKS
You don’t roll to see if you find something
through investigation. Tell the GM how your
character investigates, what they do, and
they’ll tell you what they find.
KNOWLEDGE CHECKS
When you ask the GM if your character
knows something, whether you know it or
not depends on the nature of the knowledge
you’re seeking.
Rolling the Dice
• Common Knowledge: Your character
knows it, unless there’s a compelling
reason why they shouldn’t.

• Proficient Knowledge: If you have a

relevant Proficiency, the GM will
simply give you any relevant
information based on your expertise.

• Specialist Knowledge: The GM

assigns it a DC, and uses the character’s
Passive Proficiency Score. For example,
the GM ranks the knowledge at [Nature
16]. Only a PC with a Passive Nature of 16
or higher will know the information (see
Passive Proficiency Scores, page 9).

If you don’t know something, try visiting

the local library or sage (you know, like real
life).

Saves
Checks are to try something, Saves are to
survive something.

When you have to Save, the GM or the effect

will tell you which type of Save you’re
making. Each type corresponds to an
Attribute. To make a Save, roll a d20 +
attribute modifier, like a check. For
example, to make a Dexterity save, you’d roll
d20 + DEX.

• Your Class grants you Proficiency in two

Save types. When you have to make a
Save that you’re Proficient with, add
your PB to the roll. This is the only use for
Save Proficiencies.

• The DC to pass is determined by the

danger that triggered the Save.
Otherwise, the default is 15.

39
Inventory
Inventory Slots
A PC’s inventory is comprised of inventory
slots, split into Ready items and Stowed
items.
• Most significant items take up 1 Slot.
• Heavier, bulkier items which require
both hands to haul may take up 2 Slots,
or even more.
• Multiple identical, smaller items that fit
in the hand may share a Slot. As a
general rule, 3 of these items fit in 1 slot.
READY ITEMS
Readied items are held, sheathed within
easy reach, or in an easily accessed pouch.
Equipped armour (including a shield) must
be readied.
• A PC has a number of Ready Slots equal
to half their Strength (round down).
• A readied item can be retrieved quickly,
without the use of an Action.
STOWED ITEMS
Stowed items are tucked away carefully in
the backpack, bound up securely in a pouch
or otherwise packed to be secure and
difficult to draw out.
• A PC also has a number of stowed slots
equal to their Strength or 5, whichever
is higher.
• Retrieving items in stressful situations
is difficult, taking up an Action.
40
Armour
Anyone can wear any armour, as long as
they have enough Slots. You can use the
following baselines for quick armour stats:
CLOTHING: AC 10 + DEX, 0 Slots.
LIGHT: Leather, Hide. AC 12, 0 Slots.
MEDIUM: Mail, Scale. AC 14, 2 Slots.
HEAVY: Plate. AC 16, 4 Slots.
SHIELD: +1 AC, 1 Slot. You can choose to
sunder your shield to reduce incoming
damage by 1d12.
Weapons
Anyone can use any weapon, but only those
who are proficient in a weapon get to add
their PB to attack rolls with it. You can use
these baselines for quick weapon stats:
LIGHT: Dagger, Handaxe, Hand Crossbow.
STR/DEX modifier. D6 damage. 3 per Slot.
MEDIUM: Sword, Spear, Bow. STR modifier.
1d8 damage when held in one hand, 1d10
damage when held in two. 3 per Slot.
HEAVY: Warhammer, Zweihander, Heavy
Crossbow. Must be held with both hands.
STR modifier. d12 damage. 2 Slots.
RANGE
Range is measured in feet. The first number
is their Range, followed by their Long Range
(D* on attack rolls).
Thrown: 20/40 | Light: 30/60 |
Medium: 80/160 | Heavy: 150/300
Inventory
STEALTH PENALTY
Worn armour applies a penalty equal to the
number of Slots it takes up to checks to
perform stealthy actions.
Usage
Most items have three Usage. Draw a
number of usage dots or checkboxes next to
the item on your character sheet.
Each time the item is used or its duration
tested, mark one Usage. The item is
destroyed, spent or otherwise exhausted
when it reaches its maximum Usage.
DUNGEON ESSENTIALS
BUNDLE OF RATIONS: A bundle of rations
takes up 1 slot. When you eat 1 ration, mark
Usage.
BUNDLE OF TORCHES: A bundle of torches
takes up 1 slot. Every 30 minutes, or 3 turns,
roll a d6. On a 1-3, mark Usage.
LANTERN: 3 Usage. After 1 hour of use,
mark Usage. Replenish with lantern oil.
AMMUNITION
When a container is full of ammo, none of
the usage dots are marked.
• After each fight in which the missile
weapon was used, roll 1d6.
• On a 1-2, mark usage.
• Buy more ammo to clear usage.
SPECIAL AMMUNITION: When using
special ammunition (e.g. silver or magic),
track each single arrow, bolt, or bullet on its
own.
41
WEAPONS & ARMOUR
As a general rule, common weapons and
armour have 3 Usage. The higher the quality
of the weapon’s craftsmanship, the more
dots it will have.
• When you attack and roll a critical
failure, mark Usage on the weapon
used.
• When you suffer a critical hit, mark
Usage on your worn armour.
repairs: Clearing 1 Usage usually costs
10% of the item’s original cost.
Tools
Tools are bundles of gear or equipment.
Each Tool is a Proficiency (see page 9) and
help you do something you might otherwise
not be able to do, such as pick a lock with
thieves tools, forge an item with a forgery kit
or repair a damaged object with tinker’s
tools.
USAGE: By default, Tools have three Usage.
When you use one, mark Usage.
• Lockpicking: When you use lockpicks
from Thieves Tools to pick a lock, you
only mark Usage if you fail a roll to do
so. This isn’t the only consequence
though, if someone’s nearby, they
might hear the sound of the lockpick
break and come to investigate…
Combat
Combat Structure & Time
When a fight breaks out, time is abstracted
and structured into Rounds of about 6
seconds. During a Round, each character
gets a Turn to take Actions.
Roll Initiative!
At the start of combat and each Round, to
determine who goes first, roll initiative:
1. The PC’s roll d20 + DEX.
2. The GM makes the same roll once for
each opponent with a different DEX.
If the GM only rolled once (every opponent
had the same DEX):
• The PC’s who meet or beat the
opponent’s initiative roll take their
turns before their opponents.
• The PC’s who lose tot he opponent’s
initiative roll take their turns after their
opponents.
If the GM rolled multiple times, the same as
above applies, except the PC’s compare their
roll to each opponent roll.
INITIATIVE EXAMPLE
For example, if the initiative rolls were:
• Tryst (PC): 12, Bacta (PC): 11, Leenik
(PC): 2, Lyn (PC): 5
• Amber Road Bandits: 10, Aava: 13
The order of initative would be: Aava > Tryst
and Bacta > Amber Road Bandits > Leenik
and Lyn.
42
Your Turn
When it’s your turn, tell the GM what you
want to do. They will tell you if you can get
it all done in one Turn.
ACTIONS: Generally, you can take two
significant Actions on your turn. Examples
of significant Actions include, (but are not
limited to):
• Move somewhere within your
character’s Speed. You move at half
speed through difficult terrain.
Generally, you can split up movement
• Attack an opponent you can see - can’t
take twice.
• Cast a spell - can’t take twice.
• Disengage safely from a melee before
moving, to ensure your movement
doesn’t provoke Opportunity Attacks.
• Stabilise a Dying ally.
• Drag incapacitated ally somewhere at
half your speed.
• Use an Ability - can’t use the same one
twice in the same turn.
• Attempt a Combat Manoeuvre such as
a trip, shove, or throwing sand in an
opponent’s face.
• Retrieve a stowed item.
• Hold a specific Action until a certain
trigger is met, for example, “when the
Goblin charges towards me, I’ll pull the
lever for the pit-trap.”
Combat
BONUS ACTION: Some special Abilities let
you use them as a Bonus Action, on top of
the two Actions you can normally take in a
single Turn.
REACTION: A response granted from a
special ability, that doesn’t have to be used
on your Turn. Character's may only perform
one Reaction per round.
Attacking
When you attack an opponent, make an
Attack Roll:
1. Roll a d20 + the attribute modifier
used by the weapon. Generally, melee
weapons use STR and ranged weapons
use DEX.
2. If you’re proficient with the weapon,
add your PB too.
3. If the roll meets or beats the target’s
Armour Class (AC), the attack hits.
DAMAGE ROLL: If you hit, roll damage as
determined by the weapon you used. The
target subtracts damage taken from their
current HP.
For example, your STR is +1. You hit with a
sword, which deals 1d8 + STR/DEX damage.
You use your STR modifier because it’s higher.
You roll damage: the d8 rolls a 7, and you add
your +1 STR. The target takes 8 damage.
CRITICAL HIT: If you roll a natural 20, you
always hit and roll double damage or roll
normal damage, but then immediately
attempt a combat manouevre on the target.
If you suffer a critical hit, your armour takes
one Notch.
43
CRITICAL MISS: If you roll a natural 1, you
always miss and your weapon takes a
Notch.
At the GM’s discretion, future complications
may arise if the situation is risky, such as
tripping over if fighting on loose flagstones.
MELEE ATTACKS
To make a melee attack, the target must be
within melee range (5ft).
UNARMED ATTACKS: Deal 1d2 + STR
damage.
DUAL WIELDING: You can wield two light
weapons at once, but you have D* on attack
rolls unless you have 13+ Dexterity. When
you deal damage, roll once for each weapon
and take the highest.
RANGED ATTACKS
Target must be beyond 5ft, and within the
range of the weapon.
LONG RANGE: If the target is within the
Long Range of the attacker’s weapon, the
attack roll is made at D*.
ENGAGED: If you have an opponent within
melee range, your character can’t shoot, but
they can throw at D*.
COVER: If you hide behind cover that
conceals at least half of your body:
• Ranged attacks targeting you have D*.
• You have A* on DEX saves against
ranged and area of effect attacks.
SHOOTING INTO A MELEE: If you roll a
critical miss, you hit a random ally.
Combat
OPPORTUNITY ATTACKS Morale
When an opponent that your character can
see moves out of your melee reach, you can The GM tests an NPC side’s morale by
make an opportunity attack: rolling 2d6 against the morale score of their
leader when:
• To make the opportunity attack, you
use your reaction to make one melee • Upon the first death.
attack against the provoking creature.
• 50% of a side has been defeated. If the
• The attack occurs right before the side only has a sole combatant, when
creature leaves your character’s melee they lose 50% of their HP.
range.
• NPC's lose their leader.
• You can take the disengage action to
avoid provoking an opportunity attack • The situation is looking obviously dire.
when you move out of a character’s
If they fail, they must surrender or attempt
melee reach.
to flee.
HELPLESS TARGETS
When you attack a defenceless target, such
as one that is unconscious, mortally
wounded, paralyzed or bound, you deal
damage with A*.

• Melee attacks automatically hit.

• Ranged attacks have A*.

Combat Manouevres
A dirty trick, aggressive stunt or other
attacking manoeuvre which doesn't seek to
directly deal damage.

• Make an opposed check using the most

relevant attribute modifier (usually
STR/DEX).

• If you win, you perform the manoeuvre.

If you fail, the opponent gets a free
counter-attack.

44
45
Damage & Death
Lethal Damage
If you take damage that would take you to
below 0 HP, the excess damage becomes
Lethal Damage. Track your Lethal Damage
on a d12.
DEATH: When you hit 10 + CON Lethal
Damage.
Character Death
Death is always around the corner for
adventurers. Learn to laugh at their terrible
misfortunes. Those who make it through
will be the true heroes. If your character
does die, however:
1. Utter your last words.

When you take Lethal Damage, roll 2d6 + 2. Create a new Level 1 PC right there at
CON on the Lethal Damage Table. the table.

STABILISE A DYING ALLY 3. The GM should introduce the new PC

To try and stop the bleeding and stabilise a
Dying ally, roll an INT (Medicine) check
against the DC of your ally’s Death Save.
• When you use a medicinal item, mark
one X. Without medicine, you have D*.
into the fiction as soon as possible, even
if it seems ridiculous in the narrative.
Your priority is to get your friend
involved as soon as you can.

• If you succeed, the Dying character is

stabilised at 0 HP. After 10 minutes,
they wake up with 1 HP and +1 Fatigue.

Healing
If restored to 1 HP or more, you stop Dying
and return to the action with +1 Fatigue.
Magical healing doesn’t impose Fatigue.

Attribute Score Damage

Attribute Scores can suffer temporary or
permanent damage from various effects.
Don’t forget to update modifiers. If Strength
or Constitution ever reach 0, the character
dies. If Dexterity ever reaches 0, they are
paralyzed. If any of the mental scores ever
reach 0, they become catatonic.

46
Lethal Damage Table
2D6 + CON RESULT

2 Dead: Utter your last words - make them count.

Maimed: Choose or roll d6 for limb and severity. Make a DC 15 CON save
against Bleeding Out.
1. Lose arm at wrist.
2. Lose arm at elbow.
3. Lose arm at shoulder.
3
4. Lose leg at ankle. Your speed is halved, and you must use a cane or crutch
to move. You fall prone after dashing (move twice in a row). D* on DEX
rolls to maintain balance.
5. Lose leg at knee. As above.
6. Lose leg at hip. As above.

Dramatic Scar: Roll d6 for location and then start Bleeding Out.
Permanent until healed. Describe the dramatic scar, it has become a
feature of your character. When healed, it remains, albeit with a more
subtle appearance, usually.
4-5 1. Arm: -1d6 Strength/Dexterity
2. Leg: -1d6 Strength/Dexterity
3. Stomach: -1d6 Constitution
4-5. Head: -1d6 Intelligence/Wisdom
6. Face: -1d6 Charisma.

Bleeding Out: You are bleeding out and will die unless you are stabilised
or healed. You are incapacitated, unable to do anything but scream,
moan in a pile of blood, or play dead. At the end of each round, roll a
CON save against DC 15 + Lethal Damage:
6-8 • Critical Failure: Instant death.
• Failure: Gain +1 Lethal Damage.
• Success: No change.
• Critical Success: You jump up miraculously with 1 HP.

9-10 Unconscious: You fall unconsious for 10 minutes.

11 Out Cold: You fall unconscious for 1d6 rounds.

Still Standing: Your current HP is 1. If you beat 12 on the roll, add the
12
excess to your current HP.

47
Resting & Fatigue
Fatigue
Sprinting repeatedly, outdoor travel without
rest, or excessively tiring activities inflicts
Fatigue.
• Each point of Fatigue takes up 1 Slot.
• Remove all Fatigue after a Long Rest.
• If you take Fatigue but don’t have any
Slots left for it to fill, you must drop
items until you can. If all your Slots are
Fatigue, you die of exhaustion.
NO SLEEP: Gain +1d4 Fatigue for each day
that goes by without you taking a Long Rest.
SHORT REST
You can take a Short Rest once per day.
When you do, you must spend 30 minutes
and eat 1 ration, and then heal 1HD + CON
HP (minimum 1).
LONG REST
You can take a Long Rest once per day. You
must sleep for 8 hours in a safe, warm place
and eat 1 ration. After a Long Rest:
• Roll all your HD + CON. You heal that
much HP and reset Lethal Damage to 0.
• Recharge all Magic Dice.
• Lose all Fatigue.
• If you have enough XP, Level Up.
48
DOWNTIME
You spend 1 week in a settlement chilling,
not adventuring. You need to spend a week
in Downtime to level up. After 1 week of
Downtime:
• Heal back to full HP, remove all Lethal
Damage, regain all spent MD and lose
all Fatigue.
• Gain CHA rumours (minimum 1).
LIFESTYLE (OPTIONAL): If you don’t own
a home, you must pay 10 coins of upkeep
for lodging and meals. The tier of currency
you pay depends on your lifestyle.
Your lifestyle has a significant effect on how
you are perceived by others and possibly the
types of rumours you receive - the beggars
hear different things to the nobles.
• Poor Lifestyle: Copper coins
• Modest Lifestyle: Silver coins
• Luxury Lifestyle: Gold coins
DOWNTIME ACTIONS (OPTIONAL): Tell
the GM what you’re up to during your
Downtime. You can usually undertake 1-2
significant Actions in 1 week, such as:
• Parties, masquerade balls, networking
in the room where it happens.
• Work on a personal project.
• Research something or find
information on something or someone
interesting.
• Start, explore or develop a relationship.
49
Gaining XP
Party for XP
When the party return to a settlement after
a successful adventure, they gain XP by
throwing a party to celebrate together in a
tavern or similar (like their stronghold).
Roleplaying the party as much as you feel
comfortable, but you want to make sure you
review Treasure and recount Tales.
TALES
Each player goes around the circle, calling
out the favourite thing that the player to
their left did during the adventure. Then,
they raise a toast to that character, who
receives 100 XP. Each player can only
receive XP once per adventure for this.
50
TREASURE
There is treasure, and there are Treasures.
Treasures (a keyword) are rare, fancy,
significant items that usually have “The”
before the name. They shouldn't always be
useful for the players, and they don't have to
be magical.
• A Treasure takes up one Slot and
usually sells for 100 gold pieces.
• For each Treasure you recovered in the
adventure you're celebrating, the party
gains 100 XP.
• Divide the XP equally among you or
give it to the player with the least XP.
Level Up!
When you take a Long Rest and have enough XP to advance to the next level, you level up!
When you level up, follow the procedure outlined below.

ADVANCEMENT TABLE
LEVEL XP MAX HP UPGRADE

1 0 1HD + CON +1 Class Level

2 200 2HD + CON +1 Class Level

3 500 3HD + CON +1 Class Level

4 1,000 4HD + CON +1 Class Level

+1 +1,000 +2 +1 PB (Level 5 & 9)

1: ROLL ALL YOUR HD + CON 3: UPGRADE

If the total is greater than your current
max HP, the total becomes your new max
HP.
If the total is less than or equal to your
current max HP, your max HP increases by
+1.
2: ATTRIBUTE IMPROVEMENT
Choose one of your Attributes you want to
test for improvement. Roll 3d6 + INT, you
succeed if you roll over your Score in that
Attribute. On a success, improve your
Score in the tested Attribute by +1.
+1 CLASS LEVEL: Gain the next Level in a
Class you already have a Level in, or gain
Level 1 in a different Class. Advancing to
the next Class Level grants its HD and the
features the Class grants at that Class
Level.
+1 PB: Your Proficiency Bonus is increased
by +1. When your PB increases, don’t
forget to update any related stats on your
character sheet. If you go beyond Level 4:
• Level 5: PB increases to +3
• Level 9: PB increases to +3

51
Credits
I have stolen mercilessly and been
constantly inspired by the following people
(and so many more). When they make
something new, I am like a kid at Christmas.

ARNOLD KEMP: https://

goblinpunch.blogspot.com/
KEVIN CRAWFORD: https://
www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/3482/
Sine-Nomine-
Publishing?term=sine+nomine++
SKERPLES: https://
coinsandscrolls.blogspot.com/
LEXI: https://crateredland.blogspot.com/
ZEOLOGY: https://princesses-and-
pioneers.tumblr.com/
BEN MILTON: http://questingblog.com/
5E DESIGN TEAM: They designed 5e. Some
of it is actually cool, and thus, was stolen.
ISAAC WILLIAMS: https://losing-
games.itch.io/mausritter?download
DREAMING DRAGONSLAYER: https://
dreamingdragonslayer.wordpress.com/
2020/02/16/red-ink-adventures-
knowledge-and-perception/
THE SCREECHING GRETCHLINGS: All the
wonderful people delightful GLOG channel
on the OSR Discord.
THE CREW OF THE BLACK MEDALLION:
Thanks for playtesting, but above all, thanks
for giving me some of my fondest memories.
I love you lot.
If I’ve forgotten you, let me know so I can
include you here!

The title is named after my sister. Get

better soon, Miriam.

52