9.

The Sage
Every group needs a person to shape the story, to
present the challenges, and to reward the players
when they complete their quest. In Shadow of the
Weird Wizard, this person gains the title of Sage. I
would argue that the Sage has the most fun.
There’s something to be said for putting one’s
creativity on display, to throw open the vault of
imagination let all the weirdness out. As a Sage,
you’re the one who shapes the story. You direct the
action. You decide what happens and, more
importantly, what could happen. And you’re the
one who hands out the rewards when the players
finish their quest. You’re the most popular person
in the room and you hold everyone’s attention. For
you know what happens next.
I’m under no illusions about your experience
with other roleplaying games. No doubt, if you’re
reading this chapter, you have come here with at
least some experience at playing or running games
like this one, games that title the referee, narrator,
using the words “dungeon” and “master.” So,
rather than waste your time and mine presenting
this chapter as a how to guide, I’m going to give a
light overview of my style and the elements of
game mastery I think are most important, and
then dive into tools you can use for building and
running adventures. If I’m wrong about your
familiarity, there’s an ocean of advice for this sort
of thing in the hundreds, if not thousands, of
tabletop roleplaying games, to say nothing of all
the well-intentioned folks on social media who
will bend themselves backwards to put you on the
right track.
Shadow of the Weird Wizard has its own naming
conventions to reflect the spirit of the game. For
starts, we use Sage instead of game master or
referee. The name reinforces that the player has all
the answers. Next, rather than adventure or
mission, the game uses quest. A quest has a
purpose, an objective, and its completion marks
the end of that particular story. Finally, the bad
guys, whether evil or not, are the enemies since
monsters represent just one kind of enemy. That’s
all you need to know, so let’s dive in.

1
Mood and Tone
damage done and present a future of better
possibilities. Unlike Shadow of the Demon Lord,
which revels in the mud, blood, and excrement,
Shadow of the Weird Wizard presents a world in Shadow of the Weird Wizard’s quest and larger
crisis, one in which war has swallowed the old stories produce good outcomes and have a lighter
nations and turned them against each other in a tone, all to broaden the game system’s appeal.
death struggle. Refugees flee across the Weird Wizard has darkness aplenty for those who
borderlands, drawn by the promise of a future in want it, but such elements can be set aside and
the new lands, recently abandoned by a ignored as you choose.
mysterious, eccentric, and, some might call, mad
wizard who denied entry into this magic-warped
realm for centuries. People fleeing the collapse of
their homeland see his absence as an invitation to
Sage Advice
In the introduction, I made it pretty clear that I
settle, and make neighbors of the many strange
expect you to have some experience at “running”
peoples who cannot remember a time without the
tabletop RPGs, but I would be remiss if I didn’t
Weird Wizard.
share at least some of my thoughts about running
Where in the Old Country, civilization has driven
games. This will be quick. Promise.
back all the bogeymen of old into the shadows,
Knowledge: This game doesn’t demand a lot
here, in the New Lands, monsters of myth and
from you. Design choices make it easy to migrate
legend roam, and here live people touched by
to this game from others, so if you know the big
magic, from the centaur herds running the plains
one, you’ll be fine with this one. Also, the New
in the north to the shapeshifting wargs who have
Lands are so open and malleable, you don’t have to
fought against the Weird Wizard’s dominion for
sweat bullets absorbing thousands of years before
centuries. This realm defies both reason and
you start the first session. As easy as it is, I do
expectation, as the laws governing nature seem
expect you to have some sense of how the game
somewhat relaxed here. One can find islands
works and the ideas underpinning the game
drifting in the skies, rivers made of tumbling
before you start. Players look to you for answers,
stones thundering down from the mountains so
so you can prepare for them by making a character
tall that they climb above the blue dome of the
on your own, playing through a combat or two,
world, their peaks touching the infinite dark.
and familiarizing yourself with this rulebook.
Entire forests uproot themselves and migrate with
Encouragement: Too often, people interpret
the seasons, coastlines redraw themselves daily,
their role as Sage as one antagonistic to the
and the seasons might change without warning.
players. Here’s the thing: you will always win. No
Surely, the oddities of the New Lands source from
matter what kinds of options the players have
the Weird Wizard’s magic and many expect that
chosen, in the end, the tools at your disposal give
the longer this figure stays away, the more normal
you total control of what happens in play. Rather
this region will become, but for now the New
than “test” the players or make their characters’
Lands offer anything but predictability.
lives more difficult and thus unfun, you should
Against this backdrop are the characters, people
always be the players’ advocate. You should want
of exceptional capabilities who have come to the
them to finish the quest, to succeed against the
New Lands to find their fortunes, win fame and
challenges, to “win the game.” This shouldn’t be
acclaim, and chisel their names into the history as
easy for the players, but it shouldn’t be hopeless
great heroes, bold adventurers, or champions of
either. Make the players feel challenged, but
noble causes. And though these characters have
always with an eye toward keeping the story
great, epic destinies, their stories must have a
moving and keeping the heroes alive until the end.
beginning and so you and your friends come
Adaptability: Nothing ever goes as you plan.
together to make up the characters, shape their
Rare is the player who does exactly what you
stories, and see where they will go.
expect them to do. Players might chase red
For all the danger and strangeness this game
herrings, become embroiled in minutia, or even
presents to the characters, Shadow of the Weird
miss out on major clues. You might have a
Wizard offers a play experience for all kinds of
magnificent plot in mind, only to discover that the
gamers, whether they are newcomers to the hobby
players have gone a different direction. This is just
or grizzled veterans of many campaigns. The
the nature of roleplaying games. Rather than be
quests offer opportunities for the players to make
heavy-handed and push the characters back into
the world a better, safer place, to undo much of the

2
the plot, let them explore and see where the story good play by encouraging the players to engage
takes them. Doing so makes the players feel like with the imaginary environment.
they have agency over the plot rather than be Agency: Players should always control their
mere spectators to what you decide unfolds and characters. They decide what their characters look
when. If you’re running a prepared quest, you can like and, think, how they act and react. Some
always plunder parts from it to serve as challenges effects in the game can take away a player’s
and obstacles. Using the pieces from other quests agency, for a brief time, but such things are rare.
can let you create an entirely new quest based on Unless you have good reason, avoid telling the
the decisions the players make. players what their characters feel, think, or do.
Story Over Rules: This game has plenty of Protagonists: The whole point of this game is to
rules. You’ll find rules for attacking with weapons, tell fun stories involving a diverse cast of
casting spells, using magic, and more. No matter characters played by your friends. These
how exhaustive the game strives to be in covering characters become the story’s protagonists. They
the range of possible activities, it cannot address might not be the most powerful people in the
them all. Rather than bend the story to conform to world or the most important in the grand scheme,
the rules as written, when you find yourself in a but for the purpose of telling the story, they are
situation that’s not covered by the rules, just use the most important in the game. Avoid stealing the
common sense. As the Sage, you can ignore, spotlight from the players and never saddle the
enforce, change, or add any rule you like to the group with powerful characters under your
game provided that doing so makes the game control that can steal away all their thunder.
more fun for everyone involved. Keep it Fun: You come together to have a good
Simple is Better: The players depend on you time and you’re the one in the position to make
for information about what their characters see, sure everyone does. For starts, you should always
hear, and experience in the world around them. recognize the players’ individual boundaries and
The players need enough information to make never cross them. There’s no point in testing a
decisions in the game, so it’s crucial for you to not player’s limits. Making the game edgy or overly
leave out obvious details that could have a bearing dark could drive a player off or, worse, ruin a
on the situation. Similarly, don’t obscure that friendship. Similarly, make sure the players
information behind excessive description. Keep it themselves don’t cross lines of good taste. It’s
simple. Keep it short. Give the players enough to everyone’s responsibility to keep the game fun,
know where they are and what’s happening. If exciting, and interesting.
they want more information, they can ask. Some players engage in behaviors that can
Make It Up: Sometimes you just have to make jeopardize the game. Excessive arguing, tantrums,
stuff up. The players might fail to find a piece of spotlight hogging, and the like can spoil the fun.
crucial evidence, head off along a different line or When this happens, you should pull the player
inquiry, or simply do something you never aside and explain how and why their behavior is
expected. It’s tricky, of course, but in these affecting the game. Often, disruptive players don’t
situations, make up the details as you go. No realize they are causing trouble and can be saved
amount of preparation can account for the full with a friendly conversation. But, players who
range of possible actions players might take. can’t or won’t rein in their problematic behaviors
Build on Good Ideas: Players come up with should be shown the door for the greater good of
ideas about what’s going on all on their own all.
without you having to do anything. You might
disabuse them of their conclusions, but you can
also steal them to make them your own. For
example, say you describe an altar in a chapel and
What Happens?
You decide most of what happens in the game. For
you tell the players that a number of carvings on starts, you have read the quest or written yourself,
the altar’s sides depict seraphs. You know there’s so you have a general sense of how the story ought
nothing special about the altar, but one of the to develop. You reveal the setting, you control the
players has become convinced otherwise. Rather enemies and people the characters meet, you
than dash the player’s expectations, make the choose the weather, and just about every other
player feel smart by revealing a clue, a minor detail involving the story. The players, however,
treasure, or something interesting about the altar. control how their characters act and react to
Not only does the player feel good, you reward developments in the story.

3
 The decision the game calls upon you to make casting a spell, when a player character would
the most is to decide how to interpret what the avoid or mitigate a harmful effect, or do something
players say they do in the game and what actually else and the outcome is simply not certain. In
happens. Excited players might describe their these cases, you can call for an attribute roll or a
characters doing all kinds of things, while shy luck roll to make the decision for you. You can also
players might offer little description of what their call for rolls when the rules instruct you, though
characters do in a scene. You sort through all the you can also decide not to if the outcome seems
information you gain from the players and piece it obvious.
together to assemble some sort of narrative.
Attribute Rolls
Deciding Results You call for an attribute roll when an activity
whose outcome is in question relates to one of the
Any activity a player describes has one of five four attributes. The procedures for resolving
possible results: It happens more or less as attribute rolls are covered in chapter 1.
described (yes), it doesn’t happen (no), and it Strength Rolls: Whenever a character would
might happen (roll). perform an activity that relies on physical might or
would resist an effect that would harm the body.
Saying Yes Climbing, swimming, running, breaking objects,
fighting off disease and parasites, resisting venom
When you say yes, the activity just happens. You
and poison are all activities and situations where
do this a lot and probably without thinking about
Strength would apply.
it. You don’t call for a roll when a player says that
Agility Rolls: When a character would perform
her character is crossing a room or sets up camp
an activity related to speed, balance, or dexterity.
or lights a fire or orders a beer from the bartender.
Such tasks might involve walking across a narrow
You can also say yes for activities as well. If you
ledge, leaping over a pit, dodging a spear trap, and
operate under the assumption that the characters
the like.
are competent people, there’s no reason to
Intellect Rolls: When a character would recall
question a lot of what they describe. The burly
information, use logic to solve a puzzle, try to
warrior wants to kick in the door? Let her. The
outwit or trick someone, or applying specific
nimble rogue wants to climb the knotted rope?
training or knowledge to a problem. Intellect could
Sure, why not. Saying yes often helps you reward
apply when one would use reason to find a hidden
players for the choices they made when creating
creature or object. However, luck rolls work best
their characters and makes the players feel as
to determine the chance of a happenstance
though they can do things in the story.
discovery.
Will Rolls: When a character would persuade or
Saying No use force of will to overcome a challenge. Will also
It's important to say yes, but it is equally applies when a character would try to resist a
important to say no. Too often, people find harmful effect that affects the mind.
themselves calling for rolls to determine failure
when the stated activity is ludicrous or impossible. Luck Rolls
It’s perfectly fine to tell the players that no, you In addition to attribute rolls, you can also call for
can’t hit the moon with the arrow you fired from luck rolls to decide what happens. A luck roll has a
the ground and no you can’t bend the bars on the more even (though still tilted toward the player)
cell window since you have a 9 Strength. If chance of happening since you normally don’t add
anything is possible, nothing is impossible, which, anything to the roll. You can use luck rolls
short of magic or the gods, makes everything whenever the activity or circumstance has no real
ludicrous. connection to a particular attribute or when a
situation really could go either way. Some
Roll the Dice examples of when you might call for a luck roll
Sometimes, a described activity can go either way. follow.
You can see the activity happening, but you also Spot Clues: Determine if a character notices a
recognize that there’s a chance that it doesn’t. This small detail or hears something without making
comes up when the player characters act against an active effort to do so.
other creatures, such as making an attack or Mitigate Harm: A luck roll can determine
whether a character suffers from some harmful

4
effect. Creatures caught in an explosion would roll gives up the name of the necromancer. The Sage
luck to see if they escape unscathed or with less knows the barman doesn’t know and, because of
damage, as would creatures in an uncontrolled the threat, the barman takes up a club and calls in
vehicle that goes tumbling down a hill. a couple of bouncers to take care of this god-
Happenstance: You can use luck rolls when bothering nuisance.
determining if random things might have
happened in a character’s past. For example, you
might call for a roll to see if a barbarian has Adjusting Difficulty
traveled through a particular forest at some point The game pins the target number for unopposed
before or an entertainer had previously performed tasks at 10 to give the players a slightly better than
in a tavern. even chance of success. You use boons and banes
Secondary Outcomes: Finally, you might call to make the task easier or harder. When assigning
for luck rolls to decide what happens following a boons or banes, only consider the nature of the
successful roll. For example, you might call for a task attempted; don’t add additional banes to
luck roll after a character who managed to filch a offset boons a character might have, for example.
purse from a random passerby to determine if For each positive circumstance that would make
there was much of value in the bag. You might call the task easier, grant 1 boon. For each one that
for a luck roll to determine the quality of would make it harder, impose 1 bane. If you come
information recalled after a successful Intellect up with more than 3 boons, you might as well
roll. grant an automatic success. Likewise, if you have 3
banes or more, it’s not unreasonable to just tell the
Ands and Buts player that the task is impossible under these
When you add an and or a but to a yes or no, you circumstances.
have an opportunity to make a binary outcome
more interesting. “Yes, and” rewards the activity
by either revealing more information or allowing
Describe Outcomes
an even greater than expected success. However, That a task succeeds or fails can suffice when it
“yes, but” suggests that the success comes with a comes to describing an outcome, but it’s often
complication. Similarly, “no, and” creates a better to describe what happens. Adding evocative
worsening situation, while “no, but” enables a way description helps the players become immersed in
to compensate for the setback. Some examples the game, while also making them feel as though
follow. they did something exciting. When a character
Heather, playing a warrior named Heathen, a swings a sword and strikes a monster, describe
dives for the lever sticking out of the wall and how blood flies from the wound or how the
pulls it down. Since her character did this in lieu of monster howls in pain. When a character fails to
attacking or casting a spell, the Sage decides that kick down a door, you could take a moment to
the lever not only lifts the gate, but makes a loud describe the door’s solidity. Similarly, when a
enough noise to distract the enemies, granting her goblin’s arrow narrowly misses a character, you
allies 1 boon on rolls made to attack the enemies might describe the whistling the projectile makes
until the end of the round. as it passes by or the cracking noise of the arrow
Chris, playing a mage named Anodyne, leaps shattering on the protagonist’s shield. All of these
across the pit. It’s an easy jump, but the Sage notes instances do more for the story than simply saying
that he has a low Strength score and reveals that yes or no, success or failure.
the edge of the pit crumbles a bit. Chris makes an
Agility roll or slip and catch himself at the edge.
Elise, whose character Onyx, fights goblins in a Characters
room. She and her companions are outnumbered Each player of the game needs a character to play.
and the situation looks dire, so Elise tries to force If you’re running the game for newcomers,
the door leading out of the room. Unfortunately, especially those who have never played a tabletop
she fails her roll, but the Sage tells Elise that she roleplaying game before, you should set aside time
spots a ring of keys hanging on a hook a few feet to help them create a character using the rules in
away. the book. Even if you have an experienced group,
Mike, who plays a priest named Sandy, decides though, it’s best to make character creation a part
to threaten the barman with violence unless he of the first game. Making characters goes quickly,

5
so it should only take a few minutes before prisoners who have recently escaped their captors
everyone is up and running. or shook of the chains of servitude.

Origin Story Missionaries and Pilgrims

The characters could all have the same religious
The starting quest draws the characters together inclinations and set out into the borderland to
to form a group, and usually happens as a result of expand the influence of their faith or visit sites
some shared goal, hardship, or employer. Some deemed holy or otherwise important to their
groups might prefer to have their characters religion. Much of the violence in the Old Country
bonded before the quest begins, in which case you saw religious relics go missing. The characters
can work together to come up with an origin story. might be hunting these missing pieces and fighting
Some sample origins follow. Choose one, adapt to restore them to their rightful places.
one, or make up one that fits the group.

Explorers Refugees
The people fleeing the Old Country spill into the
The characters have all set out to make discoveries Old Country and carried the characters with them.
in the New Lands. A displaced noble seeking They, like most people they meet, have been
territory on which to build new holdings, an displaced by war, dark magic, famines, plagues,
established explorer society, or an expedition and all the other ills that afflict the civilized world.
formed and funded by a famous person could all Having escaped the danger of what was known,
be responsible for the characters’ mission. The now the characters face the danger of the
patron could provide equipment and destinations, unknown. They could work to protect their friends
at least at the beginning of the campaign. and family, safeguarding a fledgling settlement,
when not venturing out into the wild for supplies
Merchants and materials needed to keep the community
The characters all belong to the same mercantile alive.
consortium that hopes to establish new markets
among the indigenous peoples of the New Lands. Traveling Entertainers
The characters are expected to venture out into A traveling circus, a troupe of actors, a traveling
the unknown and make peaceful contact with the band, or something else unites the characters and
various folks who live there. The group might have sees them travel from place to place to entertain
to undertake additional quests in order to gain the crowds. While ventures into the New Lands
trust and friendship with local peoples. poses considerable risk, there’s plenty of
adventure and excitement to be had among the
Adventurers settlements growing in the borderlands. And for
The group seeks out danger for the sake of doing groups of a mind to help others, there’s plenty to
so, though if they get rich along the way, so much do.
the better. Adventurers make a great group
concept since it gives them the freedom to go Agents
wherever they want and undertake the quests that A powerful patron assembled the group, selecting
interest them. They’re going to go it alone, at least candidates based on their potential capabilities.
until they do a few favors for powerful friends-in- The patron could be a political leader, a noble, a
the-making. wizard, high priest, the druids, or some other
individual or organization. Quests involve
Outlaws advancing the patron’s interests in the
Circumstances forced the characters into the borderlands and elsewhere, with ever more
borderlands and beyond. Perhaps they were dangerous missions to bring their employer closer
criminals and now have bounty hunters searching to their ultimate objective.
for them. Or, they might have been rebels,
participating in some of the uprisings that brought Local Heroes
the Great Kingdom to its knees. They might be The characters participated in some effort to save
innocents wrongly accused of some crime or the lives and livelihoods of innocent people and
for their trouble gained the esteem of their

6
community. The characters might have confronted passing, you might have the players create new
and defeated a monster, exposed a diabolical cult, characters and have them play through a quest or
or helped the people escape from some rampaging two. If these quests influence the development of
band of beastmen. The characters might use this the campaign (see below), all the better.
community as a base of operations or, emboldened Character Death: For all the tools the
by their early success, set out to find fame, glory, characters have to preserve themselves,
and riches. characters might perish during quests. Character
death should always be a significant event in the

Character Exits story; players’ characters represent the most

important people in the story after all. And though
The exit of a player’s character from the game you should give this event the focus it deserves,
might arise from a story decision, interest in character death should not remove a player
playing a different kind of character, or character participating in the story.
death. The story might lead a player to decide One easy way to keep the player involved is to
their character must pursue some other interest, allow the player to take control of one of a
such as raising a family, undertake a personal character you control. This character might be a
quest while the rest of the characters go about mercenary the group hired, a servant, a prisoner,
their business, or retire after suffering some or someone the group meets soon after the death.
major, personal setback. Players might also set When the quest ends, the player can then recreate
aside characters in favor of new ones and then this character to become a full member of the
circumstances might force a player to play a group or create a replacement character and
different character such as when their character return control of this character to you.
dies, vanishes into the Void, or is taken prisoner by You can also let the player introduce a new
a terrible enemy. character into the quest. This replacement
While a player might have a good reason for character might have been seeking the group,
exiting their character from the story, excessive having heard of their exploits and coming to lend
exiting can diminish the experience for everyone. aid. The character could also meet the group by
If a player “retires” a second character by choice, chance and throw in with them to finish their
pull the player aside and encourage the player to quest.
stick with their current character for the good of If the multiple characters die, the quest might
the overall story. Campaigns are short enough in end unfinished as the survivors flee for safety.
this game that players do not have to wait long After some period of inactivity, the survivors can
before they can explore new character options. be assumed to have recruited new companions
End of Story: At the end of a quest, the players and can resume or restart the quest.
can choose to end their characters’ stories, which If all the characters die, the quest ends in failure.
removes them from the campaign. Players who do If you run a campaign, such an event might bring
so create new characters to replace the ones that the campaign to an abrupt end. Whether the
exited and these characters have all the benefits players start with new characters of a tier you
due to them for the group’s level. If all the players choose and embark on a new quest or make
retire their characters, you might consider starting characters of the same tier as their previous
over at the beginning or a lower level and have the characters and come at the quest anew, perhaps
players play through quests until they catch back picking up where the last group left off or
up to the main story. becoming involved in the story through some
Temporary Exits: A side-quest, other business, other means.
family concerns, imprisonment, or some other
reason can cause a character to exit the story for
one or more quests. Work with the player to
decide what happens in the time the character
Quests
Quests published for Shadow of the Weird Wizard
spends away. During this period, the player can follow a few guidelines you might adopt when
play a different character, again with all the making your own quests.
benefits one has at the group’s level. If all the • Starting, novice, expert, and master tags
players decide to temporarily exit, simply extend found on the quest tells you for whom the
the time that passes between quests to adventures work best.
accommodate the characters as they deal with
other matters. To convey the sense of time

7
 • A quest represents of the key moments in Read the Quest: Published quest are usually
the group’s overarching story, highlighting short, rarely more than four or five pages long.
extremely dangerous, meaningful, and Read it from beginning to end to get a sense of its
rewarding expeditions. flow, to understand key events, and important
• A typical group of characters should be locations.
able to finish the quest in a single session Review the Enemies: Many quests involve
of game play lasting three to four hours. some level of conflict. You should review the
• Upon completing the quest, the group’s enemies that appear in the quest to understand
level should increase by 1. how they work in play.
Using starting, novice, and the other tiers ensure Hook the Players: Once you know the quest,
the groups face challenges appropriate for their come up with a compelling reason to involve the
level. Some quests for master characters might be characters. It should be clear to everyone that the
easier and others harder, but they provide exciting quest is what everyone is there to do, but most
circumstances with opponents and situations that players like to have a good reason to face danger,
test the characters’ capabilities. even if it is only to find treasure or gain a reward.
Another benefit from these guidelines is that no Hooks can be general—a mayor hires the group or
quest ever feels like filler. Every time you play a the group stumbles into the plot, but they’re best
published quest, the stakes are at their highest. when tailored to the characters in the group. You
One won’t find characters sent to kill a bunch of can look at what the players did during their
rats at the lowest levels of the game; instead, the downtime, have friendly contacts call in favors, or
characters work with locals to prepare the town tie the stakes to something the characters’ value—
for an attack by raiders, find a cure to a vicious property, people, a cause, or something else.
plague that’s claiming the lives of their friends and Plant the Seeds: If you know the next quest you
neighbors, or survive a perilous journey to some plan to run, look for places where you can plant
far-flung locale in hopes of recovering magic that seeds that foreshadow events to come. For
can protect their community from some deadly example, if you know the group will fight a band of
threat. The minor quests that characters might orc barbarians in the next adventure, you might
undertake occur in the background, in the time have the group come across a burning wagon
between games since those stories, while littered with orc arrows, a filthy idol of a diabolical
sometimes fun, lack the importance of the grand god, or a survivor of a recent orc attack.
quests through which you, as a group, play.
Limited scope and a focus on the action make Session Zero
the quests something a group able to complete in a Prior to playing through the first adventure, it’s
few hours of play. Limiting the plots to this best to set aside time for character creation, to
timespan avoids stretching the story to two or establish the mood and tone of the adventures to
more sessions, during which time players might come, and to establish firm boundaries on what’s
forget key information or, worse, miss out on the permissible in play and what’s not.
conclusion when real life makes its demands. Being present for character creation gives you a
Finally, rewards, such as level increase, ensure chance to guide the players in the creation of their
sure the players have something new to use the protagonists. Be sure to take notes about the
next time they play. It encourages them to keep identities of these characters so you can work
playing through adventures to develop their elements of their backgrounds, personalities, and
characters in exciting ways. other character traits into future adventures.
There’s nothing about these guidelines that you During character creation, you should also
have to follow. You might find it more to your explain the kind of stories you plan to tell. You
tastes to have the characters advance more slowly, might aim for high fantasy adventure, grim and
so that they gain levels every two or three quests. gritty dark fantasy, horror, or a light-hearted game
You might also employ longer-form quests that where nothing is serious. Establishing the tone at
take several sessions to complete. Whatever works the start makes it clear what you expect from the
for your group is what’s best for the game. players and what they can expect from you. Also, it
gives the players some idea about what kinds of
Quest Preparation characters they might create to match the game’s
tone.
You should spend at least 15 minutes preparing
the quest before you start.

8
 Finally, take time to establish boundaries for of names for such things. When the players get
game play. Since everyone plays the game to have chummy with the bartender and you’re at a loss
a good time, it’s worthwhile to determine what for a name, just refer to the list and cross the name
topics and situations cause upset so that you can off. A great resource for names can be found in
avoid them. And once established, never venture The Story Games Names Project. A search should
into those areas, even if you believe you have a turn this up without trouble.
good reason. The players place their trust in you Let the Players Take the Lead: Players come to
and straying outside the boundaries violates that conclusions about what’s happening in the game
trust. all the time and these conclusions offer you plenty
of fodder for coming up with what could happen

Running the Quest next. Players fixate on small things, latch onto the
minor details in your descriptions, whether you
One of the biggest mistakes inexperienced Sages intend for them to be important or not. If you
make when it comes to running quests is to mention a rug in a room, someone is bound to look
consider them as scripts and, as such, follow them. under it. If you mention empty iron sconces, you
Unlike scripts, quests work better as maps that can bet someone will give one or all a tug to see if
show ways the players might take to reach their they open a secret door.
destination—the conclusion. Sometimes, the If the story moves in an unexpected direction,
players will follow the clues and play through the you can exploit this focus to spark ideas about
quest as designed, but very often, players do how the adventure might develop. Rather than tell
unexpected things and veer off in completely new a player of a character ransacking a desk that they
directions. find nothing, perhaps they find letters in a script
Don’t panic. This happens all the time. All that consisting of bizarre symbols, and decoding those
you have to do is adjust the quest to accommodate symbols might point the players back toward the
the players’ decisions. If the players go a direction main plot. Maybe the badges you describe the
in the story that bypasses the troll’s lair, there’s no faerie bandits as wearing make them servants of a
reason that they might not stumble across the lair powerful witch who could become important later.
elsewhere in the story, maybe even as they are In short, from whatever conclusions the players
headed back to town. If the characters miss out on draw, you can make them true as you need to keep
a crucial bit of information, have them come by it the story going.
some other way—in a document they find, a Do What’s Natural: When confronted by
messenger sent to find them, or through another different ways for the adventure to proceed, you
character you create to give them what they need can always just choose the most likely outcome.
to further the story. The weird and the unexpected can and does occur,
The one thing you don’t want is a dead end. but when you’re not sure how to proceed, you can
Don’t let the story stop because the characters go just do what feels right and logical.
in an unexpected way. Be flexible and improvise. Details don’t Matter: You can also make up
And if you find yourself stuck, take a short break stuff without worrying about how it connects to
while you put something together, even if that the overall story. You can always knit the scene
something is an entirely different adventure! back into the plot later when you’ve had a bit more
time to think about it or let the players come up
Improvisation with a workable solution and agree to it.
Start a Fight: Combat can be a great distraction
Easily the hardest skill to master, it requires you to
and give you a welcome break from having to
invent scenarios and situations in response to
think on your feet. It’s usually a good idea to have
developments in the game. As a skill, you can
a couple of adversaries ready to go for when you
expect to get better at improvisation with practice.
need them. These foes might be part of the story
If you’re new to running games, this could feel a
or just some random threat that arises based on
bit unnerving, having to whip up something on the
where the characters are and what they’re doing.
fly, but a few tips should make it a little easier to
After all, monsters are everywhere in the New
be nimble when it comes to storytelling.
Lands.
Plan Ahead: You know you will find yourself in
situations in which you have to come up with a
name for a person, place, or thing. It’s bound to
happen. Do yourself a favor and keep a running list

9
Creating Quests
before the exceptions to the rules start appearing.
Furthermore, the experiences the characters have
Coming up with your own quests can be as fun and during this quest and the decisions the players
as rewarding as it is to run them. It’s a perfect make can and should influence the path choices
opportunity to put your creative skills to use. You the players make when they finish this first
can make any kind of quest you like, but looking at mission, so starting quests should have
some published adventures first can give you a opportunities for players to interact with the plot
good idea of suitable length and content. through fighting, skill, magic, and faith.
A quest should have three to five parts, or acts. Introductions: Many times, starting characters
Early acts should have a few scenes, while later do not yet know one another and thus the first
acts might have many. The group should move quest gives them a chance to meet, develop their
quickly through the early acts and then slow down relationships, and form bonds.
until the end, which concludes the quest. Adjust as One Environment: A starting quest features
needed to accommodate your group. one environment that serves the setting for the
plot. Often, these quests take place somewhere the
group can use as a base of operations for the ones
Objectives that follow, so an old ruin that can be salvaged as a
Every quest has an objective. The objective permanent residence, a village, or a collection of
describes what the characters hope to attain and homesteads all work well. Restricting focus gives
its attainment marks the success or failure of the the players chances to bond with locals and
quest. Objectives might be simple or complex, as develop a connection to the setting.
you choose. When you start building the Short Duration: The players should finish the
adventure write a declarative sentence that states adventure in a couple of hours. Give them time to
what the characters must accomplish, like any of meet each other and then overcome their shared
the following examples. The group must… challenge. Finally, the adventure should set up why
• … destroy the vampire hunting the good they form a group.
people of Threshold. Easy Challenges: Make the players feel
• … retrieve the magic sword from the successful by keeping the challenges few and easy
dragon’s lair. to overcome. Early successes build confidence and
• … negotiate an alliance with the faeries to interest in future challenges.
fight against the invading barbarians. Point the Way: Scenes in the starting adventure
• … deliver a gift to the hag dwelling at the should offer multiple routes for completing them
center of the Shadow Wood to convince and routes that appeal to each of the novice paths.
her to lift the curse from a nearby town. So, the characters should have opportunities to
• … explore the fabled Tomb of Ashra-Ra. fight, use skills, interact with magic and religion.
• … rescue the prisoners from the wicked Fighting and skill use opportunities should be
brigands who ambushed the caravan on obvious, but magic and religion can be trickier. For
the High Road. magic, the characters might find an incantation or
• … unmask the cultists working to a magical item of limited power. For religion, the
summon a horrible demon. plot could involve one of the major religions, the
• … drive off the mongrels who have been recovery of a religious relic, or receiving a blessing
raiding the farms. from a priest.
• … put the ghost of High Manor to rest. Offer Resources: Starting quests ought to
• … locate the star that fell in the center of provide the characters with means to equip
Goblin City. themselves. The finding of such resources could be
• … recover the fabled Royal Gem from tied to the quest’s objective or be a side-effect of
Galdak Rak, a ruined dwarfen citadel. the characters’ pursuit of that objective.
Sample Starting Objectives
Starting Quests Here are some bare-bones ideas to get you started.
A starting quest serves as an introduction to the Rescue Mission: The characters happen upon
game and should thus give the players a chance to the site where bandits attacked and dragged off
become familiar with the game rules and become refugees, at least one of whom is someone a
accustomed to playing their characters. Starting character or several characters know. In this quest,
characters have few special talents and no spells
to use, so the players can learn the fundamentals

10
the characters must locate the bandit camp and though, the characters discover the brigands have
rescue their friends. been selling prisoners to a mysterious
Hidden Threat: Sickness spreads through the organization known as the Last Sun, though for
characters’ community and had claimed the lives what purpose, no one seems to know.
of at least a few, with many more hovering above Treasure Map: The group found a treasure map
death’s door. Investigation into the source of the in their starting quest and so set out to recover
sickness reveals that something at the bottom of what they hope is a great fortune. Much of the
the well has contaminated the water supply. treasure, however, has been carried off by goblins
Unwelcome Discovery: After a youngster found led by a cruel ogre. Worse, a rival group of
an object in the woods, people have begun to act in adventurers have the same idea about the treasure
a strange way. Violence breaks out everywhere and aim to make off it with before the characters
and with no reason. On finding the object, the do.
characters must return it to where it was Exterminators: A foolish merchant purchased
discovered. an old keep sight unseen. When she went to claim
her new home, she found it overrun by monsters.
Novice Quests She hires the group to clear the ruin of the
The characters all belong to a group and each has inhabitants, but while fighting oozes, goblins, and
chosen a novice path. The paths grant the bandits, the group discovers signs that an evil cult
characters a significant upgrade to their abilities has been using the keep to conduct profane
and arms them with magic, healing, or combat rituals.
capabilities that set them apart from most normal
people. Being stronger, tougher, and more Expert Quests
dangerous, the characters can undertake more At the expert tier, the characters have sufficient
challenging quests. resources for extended forays into the unknown
Travel: A novice quest can feature some travel, and to tackle quests on a far grander stage. Expert
usually into an adjacent environment. Travel lets characters cross the border into the New Lands to
the characters see a bit more of the setting, while contend with the perils in that place, help refugees
also exposing them to more unusual troubles. fleeing from the Old Country find places to settle,
Local Focus: Even though the quest involves and can confront some of the most dangerous foes
travel, failing the quest should have consequences in the known world.
they feel at their home base. Extensive Travel: The quest ought to see the
Moderate Length: A typical novice quest characters exploring several environments, going
should take three to four hours to finish, with each to the edges of the borderlands and beyond into
hour taking up an act of the adventure’s story. the New Lands.
Past and Future: Since the characters are Moderate Duration: Expert adventures should
expected to run through two novice quests before run about the same length as novice adventures.
the players choose expert paths, the first Looking Ahead: Expert paths also advance the
adventure should typically deal with the fallout characters’ personal objectives. Before you start
from the starting adventure, while the second sets the first adventure at this tier, work with the
up the conflict faced in their expert quests. players to identify what they hope to accomplish
Greater Resources: The characters continue to in the near and long term. Then turn them into
outfit themselves with the items they most likely story objectives for the adventures you run. Each
need. Since novice paths have simple mechanics, adventure should allow the characters to complete
offering interesting objects and trinkets can grow one or more of their story objectives. By the time
a player’s list of options for handling challenges. the characters finish the last expert adventure,
they should be ready to pick their master paths.
Sample Novice Objectives
Use the following ideas to spark quests of your Sample Expert Objectives
own creation. Use the following ideas to spark quests of your
Opportunistic Raiders: A band of brigands own creation.
formed from deserters that quit a battlefield in the Dungeon of Death: A famous company of
Old Country, have entered the borderlands in adventurers ventured into a deadly dungeon
search of easy plunder. After a few farmsteads complex, one possibly built by the Weird Wizard
burn, the characters must track down this band to house his failed experiments. Unfortunately, the
and put an end to their villainy. In doing so, adventurers never return. The characters follow

11
these would-be treasure hunters into the dungeon become the new Weird Wizard, or to venture
with the hopes of succeeding where their beyond Erth into worlds beyond.
predecessors failed.
Sample Master Objectives
Sunken Treasure: A galleon loaded with
Use the following ideas to spark quests of your
treasure recovered from the Jungle of Za goes
own creation.
down somewhere off the coast of the Sea of Fear.
Machine Invasion: Stars fall from the night sky
Now, wreckers gather to locate the sunken ship.
and crash into the countryside. From the points of
Pirates, drawn by the rumors, prey on the
impact arise hideous machine creatures that move
wreckers, making efforts to recover the riches
quickly to infect living creatures with some
even more dangerous. The characters might be
strange plague that transforms them into mindless
hired to protect a crew or set out to reclaim the
thralls.
wealth for themselves, only to discover that the
Vault of the Weird Wizard: The group finds a
ship was carrying more than coins and gems. It
clockwork key that’s believed to open the Vault of
carried something monstrous that if let loose
the Weird Wizard, a place into which none have
would plunge the lands into chaos.
ever gone. As the group closes in on the Forbidden
The Horde: A monstrous beastman comes to
City, strange lights appear in the sky, portending
power and gathers the tribes until they form a
some imminent and dire event.
horde. The promise of conquest holds no appeal to
Rise of the Ancient One: Deranged, nihilistic
these invaders; they seek only the utter
cultists awaken one of the Ancient Ones, realizing
annihilation of all they encounter. However, if one
too late that the god they called would not and
could kill the warlord leading the horde, the tribes
cannot be controlled. The monstrosity lurches out
would turn against each other. The characters go
from the ocean, dragging a blanket of darkness
on what seems to be a suicide mission, slipping
with it.
through enemy lines to reach the horde leader and
put an end to his evil.
Acts
Master Quests Each quest consists of at least three major parts
When the characters reach the master tier, they called acts. In each, the tension climbs higher and
join the most powerful people in the known world. higher until the group reaches the climax, in which
Such characters can battle dragons and giants, call they either complete the quest or fail. Each act has
down stars from the skies, and even raise the a beginning, a middle, and an end. The beginning
dead. With such abilities available to them, master establishes what ought to happen during the act,
characters embark on the most dangerous and the middle presents the complications the group
difficult quests, with stakes so high that failure faces along the way, and the end creates the
could shake the very foundations of Erth. circumstances for the next act.
Travel Anywhere: The quest should see the First Act: The first act launches the quest and
characters travel to places all over the world, from points the way toward the conclusion. The first act
the New Lands all the way back to the Devastation. establishes the group’s starting location when the
Their quests might take them beyond the natural quest begins, includes one or more plot hooks to
world as well, and they might explore the draw the characters into the story, and then
shadowed streets of the Underworld, descend into reveals the quest’s ultimate objective. A plot hook
the Netherworld to rescue souls, or go to the gates can be anything that has meaning for the group. It
of Paradise. Quests at this tier have fantastic might appeal to their sense of honor or duty, but it
locations that reach to the edges of reality. can also have a personal connection, such as by
Long Duration: Master quests can take as long involving a character with whom they have
as needed to finish them. Short quests might take developed a rapport, the community in which they
five to six hours to complete, while longer quests live, or family members, friends, or even property.
could take several sessions of play, if you like. Middle Acts: The quest has two to four middle
Final Quests: Each player should come up with acts, each detailing the story developments that
a personal quest, something the character hopes come from the group’s push toward the
to attain by the story’s end. Examples include conclusion. Middle acts should increase the
acquisition of lands on which to found a temple or tension in the story and achieve this by
new, if small, nation, to create a syndicate inside a introducing complications and setbacks that the
larger community, to recover an artifact, to group must overcome.

12
 Final Act: The quest’s end, the final act sees the Interaction: The characters, in interaction
characters contending with the greatest and most scenes, advance the plot by communicating with
difficult obstacle. Success means they complete characters in the setting. This might result in a
the quest, while failure means they don’t, though negotiation, interrogation, deception, or some
the group might try again or find some other way other form of interaction.
to achieve their goal through another adventure. Combat: Combat scenes see the group fighting
enemies in order to move the story forward.
Scenes Defeating the enemies might enable the characters
to literally move deeper into their environment or
Each act consists of scenes. An act might have a
reveal a clue on the bodies of the dead. Combat
single scene or many, though three to five scenes
encounters might be easy or as difficult as you
are often best. Scenes might happen in a particular
choose. See “Typical Encounters” in chapter 10.
sequence or in any order. An act that features
exploration might have scenes that represent a
series rooms, while an act focused on investigation Transitions
might have scenes tied to discovering clues. Every A transition occurs when the characters move
scene should advance the plot in some meaningful from one scene to the next. Based on the players’
way. decisions about what they plan to do and where
Scene Setting: A scene always takes place they intend to go, you fill in the space between
somewhere. It might happen in a single zone or a scenes by describing what happens. During this
collection of zones. The setting might also play a time, the characters might take the opportunity to
role in the scene’s development. rest, talk, and purchase gear, or just move directly
Scene Structures: Scenes follow the same to the next scene.
structure as other aspects of the quest in that they
too have beginnings, middles, and ends. The scene Resting Between Scenes
presents the situation, the middle makes up the The characters can rest whenever they choose, but
elements with which the group must contend, and since resting takes time, long periods of inactivity
the end wraps the scene and introduces new might have unintended consequences. If the
scenes. characters chase a villain across the countryside,
A group can leave a scene before resolving it. but take a day to heal up, the villain is almost
This might happen because they were defeated in certain to escape. A group that spends a few hours
a combat or they failed to learn what they needed resting after a tough fight might find new guards
to know to reach a later scene in the act. They have come to replace the ones that they defeated
might return to the scene later—but they might or other guards come to reinforce the guards from
not. Whenever protagonists leave scenes whom the group fled. Also, many places are too
unresolved, note what they have done in that dangerous for the characters to spend time
scene already and make any necessary changes in resting. A subterranean environment infested with
case they return. troglodytes, giant ants, or monsters might see the
Not completing a scene should never bring the characters beset by enemies in the middle of their
story to a halt. In fact, such failures ought to raise recuperation.
the stakes and create new dramatic opportunities. Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide whether a
It’s a good idea to have another scene or two on rest is possible or not. Resting for an hour lets the
hand, just in case something goes horribly wrong. protagonists heal some damage and, possibly,
With a little improvisation, you can use a backup regain uses of talents and that can give the group a
scene to bring the characters back to the main little cushion before moving into someplace
plot. dangerous. Resting for 8 hours or longer, though,
requires a safe and secure location and, failing to
Scene Types find such a place, could invite trouble.
A scene might have one of three basic types:
exploration, interaction, and combat.
Exploration: In an exploration scene, the
Assembling Scenes
In books, scenes unfold in a predetermined order.
characters advance the plot through discovery.
In quests, the sequence develops from play,
They can achieve this by moving through an
through the decisions the players make and the
environment, searching, research, or doing
outcomes of those decisions.
something else.

13
 Gauntlet: This is the easiest scene structure to the ritual and gets away. On a partial success or
create. It’s a straightforward sequence of scenes, failure, the wizard might complete the ritual but
one following the other. Once the characters start be killed, or the characters could stop the ritual
the story, they move to scene A, then to B, then to but allow the wizard to escape.
C, and finally to the conclusion where they
complete the objective. Scenes in the gauntlet can
be discovery or obstacles, but the characters must Campaigns
complete each in order with few options for Campaigns features some number of related
backtracking. quests, in which the sequence of quests tells an
The gauntlet leaves little room for choice, so even greater and larger story. In the campaign,
unless you disguise it well, the players might feel each quest becomes an act, such that the starting
led by the nose. One way to mitigate this sort of quest introduces the campaign themes, and
linear plot is to create opportunities to skip a succeeding quests bring the characters closer and
scene or two. For example, discovering a secret closer to the final quest whose completion
passage could let the characters bypass a difficult concludes the grand story. Rather than just
combat obstacle. accumulate potency through a series of unrelated
Well: The well structure is ideal for more missions, the characters drive toward some epic
complex stories. This sort of plot has three or four goal
“bands,” each containing a number of possible Since completing one adventure advances the
scenes, that move the characters closer to the group level by 1, a typical campaign includes
conclusion. The characters can move from one eleven adventures: one starting, two novice, four
scene to another in the same band or the next expert, and four master. At the end of the
lower band until they reach the end. campaign, the group should have reached level 10.
The advantage of the well structure is that it You create a campaign in the same way you
gives the players a great deal more freedom than a build individual quests. The difference is that you
linear plot. The drawback is that it requires must decide at the outset the campaign’s ultimate
preparing many possible scenes, some of which objective, which ought to be something that alters
the players might skip over if they discover a clear the world in a meaningful way. A campaign
track to the end. objective might be finding the lost heir to the
Web: This plot structure is the most complex. Great Kingdom’s throne, defeating an awakened
Scenes connect to each other flexibly, in a manner Ancient One, establishing a new realm, or
similar to that of the well, but they might lead to discovering the Weird Wizard’s fate.
dead ends or take the characters back to scenes
that appear earlier in the web.
The web structure combines the gauntlet with Between Quests
the well structure, offering key choice points in the Some amount of time passes between quests, time
story that either lead to new scenes or more the characters can use for training, to run their
choice points. For example, scene A leads to D, H, businesses, make connections, and, perhaps, even
L, and finally the conclusion. Scene B leads to E, go on side quests. Since each level gain shows a
but then gives the group a choice about how to marked improvement on character capabilities,
proceed to get to the conclusion. allowing several weeks to a few months to pass
before the next quest begins helps supply the
Conclusion opportunity needed to explain why and how the
The conclusion ends the adventure, typically characters have acquired their new abilities.
offering a summary of what happens after the final The game assumes the characters have the
scene with any special rules for downtime means and wherewithal to attend to their own
activities that might result. When you create your needs in the time between quests by working in
adventure, come up with at least three possible their professions or living off the spoils won from
conclusions, depending on the final outcome: their previous quest. Although nothing ground-
success, failure, and a partial success or failure. shaking ought to occur during these periods—
For example, the characters might be trying to such events are best reserved for the quests, these
stop a dark wizard from completing an evil ritual. times do provide opportunities for character
If they succeed, the characters stop the ritual and development. You should take time to discuss with
kill the wizard. If they fail, the wizard completes the players what their characters do in the weeks
and months before their next quest begins.

14
Generally, you can permit events to happen as the described in chapter 1. The character must choose
players describe them, but you might also call for one specific profession or specialty and own the
attribute and luck rolls if the activities might run items normally granted by the profession, if there
into complications. are any. If a character would become a politician,
You can also make use of the following options the character must purchase or otherwise acquire
to help make the time between quests more a set of superior clothing, for example. Then,
interesting. before the next quest begins, the character makes
an Intellect roll with 1 bane for each profession
Downtime Training the character has beyond the first. On a success,
the character adds the profession and gains the
Characters can seek out special training to grow
profession’s talent.
their capabilities or make different choices.
Learn a Language: A character can attempt to
learn any non-secret language or a secret one if Buying and Selling
the character has access to someone who knows Characters can purchase items that are normally
the secret language and is willing to teach it. available in their communities and sell items they
Before the next quest begins, the character makes have found or no longer need as described in
an Intellect roll. On a success, the character learns chapter 6. You might limit what items characters
enough of the language for simple communication can sell, based on the available wealth in a
or becomes fluent in the language if the character community. As a rule of thumb, characters can find
already had this limited ability already. If the buyers for their items of an availability one higher
result is 20 or higher, the character gains complete than is normally found in the community. For
fluency instead. wealth such as gems, jewelry, and the other art
Discover a Tradition: Characters can attempt objects that command their full value, treat such
to discover traditions that they have not yet items worth 5 gp or less as being common, 6 to 25
discovered provided they have access to someone gp as being uncommon, 26 to 100 as rare, and
who has discovered the tradition already or to a anything worth more than 100 gp as exotic.
place where information about the tradition might
be found such as in a temple, a library, or a magical
academy. Before the next quest begins, the
Crafting
As noted in the Equipment chapter, characters can
character makes an Intellect or Will roll. If the
use the time between quests to make items related
character has not discovered a tradition before,
to their professions. Often, this allows players to
the character makes the roll with 1 bane. On a
replenish their supplies of inscriptions and
success, the character discovers the tradition and,
consumables, improve their weapons and armor
as a result of discovering the tradition, learns one
at discounted prices, and acquire other items that
starting spell from it.
they might need in the adventures to come.
Learn a Spell: A character who has discovered
Crafting does require a character to have a
at least one tradition can attempt to learn a spell
profession related to the making of the desired
from the tradition. The spell must be a starting
thing, so there are limits on what characters can
spell. If the character already knows six starting
produce. Generally, novice characters can produce
spells from the same tradition, the character can
about 5 gp worth of items per four weeks of
learn a novice spell from it instead. Prior to the
“downtime,” with expert characters producing 10
start of the next quest, the character makes an
gp and master characters producing 20 gp in the
Intellect or Will roll. On a success, the character
same periods. You can adjust this number as
adds the spell to the list of spells the character
needed and also allow characters to make
knows.
progress toward completing items they hope to
Attribute Training: Characters can spend time
make.
training in one attribute of their choice. During the
next quest, the characters can call upon this
training to turn a failed attribute roll using the Connections
attribute in which they trained into a successful Characters might also spend their time attempting
one. A character can use this benefit just once and to make connections with important people who
then it is lost. might help them in future quests. Certainly,
Professional Training: Characters can train to characters might make friends and have romantic
gain an additional profession from those diversions during the period between quests, but

15
a connection represents someone who can provide activates the connection between quests to gain a
crucial assistance. Characters can make different connection.
connections during downtime, but they might also Professional: The connection belongs to a
make connections as part of their rewards for particular profession and lends aid related to their
completing quests. area of expertise. This might be help in identifying
When a character gains a connection, you and a monster, the creation of an item, incantation, or
the player should work out the details about this consumable, shelter in a temple, or specific
connection’s identity, which includes how the information related to the profession.
connection can assist, where the connection might Information: The connection reveals
be found, the connection’s personality quirks, information concerning any subject. The time it
appearance, and other details. You can use the takes to gain this information depends on the
guidelines described under Sage characters to secrecy. Common knowledge is immediate, while
generate these details quickly. gaining exotic knowledge might require a
To gain a connection, the character makes an character to wait until the end of the next quest or
Intellect or Will roll before the next quest begins. longer.
On a success, the character gains a connection of Resource: The connection grants access to a
your choosing. specific tangible resource that is something other
than coin: healing, horses, a ship, a tower or keep,
RANDOM CONNECTIONS wagon, or something else.
d6 Connection
Security: The connection either grants a place
1 Financial
2 Influence for the character and allies to hole up for a time or
3 Professional provides service of an armed guard for the
4 Information duration of the next quest. The guard is a
5 Resource mercenary at the novice tier, a bodyguard at the
6 Security expert tier, or a knight at the master tier. Rules for
these characters appear in the Enemies chapter.
Connection Benefits
A connection provides one of the following forms Work
of aid. A connection has a single use. Once the Characters can also spend their time working in
character gains the benefit from a connection, the their profession. Doing so enables them to earn
character loses it. Losing the benefit does not enough coin to provide for themselves and their
mean the character forgets or loses contact with dependents until the next quest begins.
the connection. Rather, the character has
exhausted the connection’s main mode of
assistance. A connection might play different parts Life Events
in quests or the campaign as you decide. In addition to other activities, players can also use
Characters can activate their connections in the time between quests to determine if they
between quests or during them, provided they are experience any significant life events. Each player
in a place where the connection can be found. rolls a d6 to find the table and then a d6 to
Activation might result from roleplaying or by determine a random result from the life event
contacting the connection in some other way. table.
Once a connection has been made, resist the TABLE I: SETBACKS AND TRAGEDIES
temptation to make the connection a plot point for d6 Event
a quest until after the connection has been 1 Someone important to you died. This might
activated. In other words, don’t strip a resource have been a romantic partner, a family
from the players that they have earned. member, or a close, personal friend. The loss
Financial: The connection gives 25 gp to the hollows you out, pushing you to the point of
character at the novice tier, 50 gp at the expert tier, breaking. Who was this person? Were you
or 100 gp at the master tier. involved in the death? How does this loss
Influence: The connection either allows access propel your story?
to a restricted area or person, such as inside a 2 You lost the friendship, trust, and respect of
library after hours or sets up a meeting with a someone important to you. This development
diminishes you and might make you ask
local ruler, or helps a character make a different
questions about your behavior. Who was this
connection. In the latter case, the character

16
 person to you and what did you do to ruin the
relationship.
3 Your business or professional reputation in
your community has suffered a setback of such
magnitude that it is no longer possible for you
to conduct business there. What happened?
Did you make a bad investment or perhaps
some natural disaster brought ruin down on
your head.
4 You have been disgraced. You did something
that the community cannot forgive. Maybe you
have been keeping a secret for a long time and
the truth came out. Possibly, you harmed
someone, directly or not, and that harm led to
a tragic outcome. Decide what happened and
what you must do, if anything, to repair your
reputation.
5 Someone you cared about has vanished. You
have not yet found any leads and your efforts
to find this person have turned up nothing.
Who is this person? Do you have suspicions?
6 You have lost something important to you. You
might have misplaced it, or it was stolen. The
item has no monetary value, nor does its
absence diminish your capabilities, but the
object was important all the same and you feel
its absence keenly. Maybe it was something
your father had made for you, a love letter or
lock of hair from your paramour, or something
you made. How did you lose this item? Is it
something you can recover?
TABLE II: INCONVENIENCES weight, or gained it.
d6 Event
1 You fell ill and spent your time in
convalescence. You might have suffered a pox,
in which case you bear the scars on your body,
or you suffered some other malady that left
you with a wracking cough, rheumy eyes, and
sallow skin.
2 You fell into debt and it hangs over you. Your
debts might have come from gambling, a
business downturn, or from being blackmailed.
3 You were arrested and spent time in a prison.
You might have been innocent; you secured
your release after proving you had nothing to
do with the crime. Or, maybe you did commit
the crime and someone helped you escape.
4 Your reputation has suffered of late. Perhaps
you insulted someone of importance or you
made a fool of yourself in front of a crowd. In
any event, people in your community have lost
respect for you and it will take some doing to
get back into their good graces.
5 You have been betrayed by someone you trust.
A lover might have found someone else, a
friend revealed one of your secrets, a family
member squandered your inheritance.
6 You were victimized by a crime. You were
mugged in an alley, your home burgled, or
maybe you were beaten and left for dead. You
bear the scars from this encounter.
TABLE III: PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
d6 Event
1 You made a friend, gained a lover, or
discovered a new relative. Who is this person?
How did you meet? What helped you form the
bond.
2 You made art. You painted a painting,
composed a poem, wrote a song, or did
something else of beauty for the sake of doing
it.
3 You traveled to some place and returned. You
relaxed, collected yourself, and now feel
invigorated.
4 You explored your spirituality. You might have
joined a religion or spent time developing your
faith and beliefs with likeminded followers of a
god or gods. Do you follow a god? Which one
and why? If you already followed a particular
deity, how did you serve your faith?
5 You educated yourself on a subject. You might
have learned about the geography of your
environment, studied religion, philosophy, or
spent time learning a craft. Which field did you
study? What did you hope to learn?
6 You changed something about your
appearance. You might have gotten a tattoo,
one or more piercings, changed your hair, lost
TABLE IV: COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
d6 Event
1 You gained fame and notoriety in your
community. Most people recognize you by
sight, know your name, and can recount some
of your most daring exploits. Have you
cultivated your reputation or has it grown
without you having to do anything? How do
you feel about being famous, even to just a few
people?
2 You saved someone’s life. You might have
rescued a youngster from a monster, repelled
an attack by a killer, or pulled someone out of
danger. Who did you help? Why did you help
this person? What were some of the immediate
results from this act.
3 You helped solve a crime, put an end to a
threat, or saved the community from some
threat. What was the danger and how did you
become involved? Do you have any mementos
from your efforts, such as a scar or a “key to
the city.”
4 You spent your time helping the poor, the
needy, and the suffering. You might have
worked to heal the sick, provide shelter to
17
 orphans, or feed the hungry. What inspired
your charitable contributions? Did you meet
anyone interesting along the way?
5 You passed your time carousing. Maybe you
became a regular in a tavern, or gambled in a
gaming parlor. You might have rubbed elbows
with high society, attended plays and concerts,
or enjoyed other diversions.
6 You spent your time working in your
profession. Not much happened that’s worth
recalling, but you enjoyed regular meals, a roof
over your head, and a few extra coins in your
pocket.
TABLE V: OPPORTUNITIES destination. You can use this favor once,
d6 Event teleporting to a zone in an environment of your
1 You found a map, a strange book, an object of
uncertain function or purpose, or something
else. You are certain this discovery will figure
into some future event, but you are not yet
sure how.
2 You met someone who has become quite close
to you. This person could be a boon
companion, a friend with whom you know you
can share your secrets, or a romantic partner.
The person could also be your child, either by
3
birth or adoption.
You acquire some property in your community.
It might be an empty lot, a small house, a boat,
or something more substantial as the Sage
decides.
4 You learn something important that will have
bearing on a future quest. This knowledge
might be how to bypass a trap, a secret
entrance to a dungeon you would explore, or a
password you can speak to slip past the
guards. The Sage tells you what knowledge
you gain from this result.
5 You were rewarded for some deed in a public
ceremony, gaining a title, status, and influence
in your community. What did you do to earn
this acclaim?
6 An important and powerful person or
organization makes contact and seeks to
establish a relationship. A dangerous wizard, a
traveling knight, a representative of the druids
or seekers, or a coven of witches: any of these
and more could have sought you out. It might
be these could become powerful friends, but
it’s also likely that they want something from
you.
TABLE VI: WINDFALLS AND GOOD FORTUNE that could destroy the world.
d6 Event
1 You come into money, having won it in a game
of chance, inherited from a long-lost relative,
or found it on a side quest. You have 1d20 gp
left when your next quest begins.
2 A peasant comes to you and, on bended knee,
swears to serve you. The peasant becomes
your companion and is under your control until
you release the person from service.
3 You acquire an incantation containing a spell of
a tier one below your current tier (if you are a
novice, the spell is a starting spell).
Alternatively, you can gain one consumable of
your choice.
4 A wealthy local offers to fund your next quest.
You receive provisions, clothing, horses, and 5
gp to spend on arms and armor.
5 A potent spellcaster offers to transport you
and your companions to some far-flung
choosing, provided the zone is a place
generally known.
6 A priest of a local faith blesses you and your
companions. Each of you gains a blessing that
retains potency until the end of your next
quest. You can expend the blessing when you
make an attribute roll or a luck roll to make the
roll with 1 boon.
Beyond Level 10
Shadow of the Weird Wizard’s campaigns typically
begin with starting characters and end when the
group, having attained level 10, finishes a quest,
which is typically the last quest. Ending the story
at level 10 keeps campaigns manageable and lets
the players populate the world with new
characters. However, there’s no reason why you
have to stop playing with the same characters
when they reach the uppermost level. Such
characters can undertake quests as legendary
heroes.
Legendary characters leave behind the ordinary
as they contend with challenges and perils that
encompass entire continents or the world itself.
Legendary quests see the characters working to
seal a tear in reality that allows demons to invade
the world, or joining forces with the seraphs to
safeguard Paradise, or descending into the bowels
of the Netherworld to confront the Adversary
himself. Legendary characters might stand against
the Weird Wizard if he returns, aliens from beyond
the stars, cosmic horrors, and world-devouring
undead, to name just a few of the major threats
Legendary characters leave their paths behind
them as they become legends themselves. They
still increase their level after each completed
quest, but they gain benefits depending on their
new level. At odd-numbered levels, each member
18
of the group increases their Health score by 10. At Uncanny Luck When you roll luck, you can roll an additional
die and use either result. If you roll the same number on two
even-numbered levels, each member of the group
or more dice rolled, add them all together and use the sum
gains one legendary talent of their choice. The as the result of the roll instead.
following legendary talents offer useful and Ultimate Resilience You take half damage from non-magical
impactful upgrades, but you can expand on the sources.
choices with talents of your own design. Unless
otherwise mentioned, a character can gain a
legendary talent once. Time and Pacing
Time passes in the game at whatever rate you
LEGENDARY TALENTS
Astonishing Defense You increase your Defense by 5.
choose. You can summarize a couple days of travel
Charm Anyone If you spend at least 1 minute talking to a with a few words of description or slow it down to
creature that can see you, hear you, and understand what focus on a conversation between the various
you say and the creature is not hostile to you, you can cause characters. Fast or slow, time’s fluidity keeps the
the creature to see you as an ally until you do something that
directly harms the creature, its loved ones, or its property, in
story moving at a reasonable pace.
which case the effect ends immediately.
Climb Anything You can climb up, down, or across any surface,
even surfaces that could not normally bear your weight such
as a thread, waterfall, or the slenderest branch of a tree.
Using Rounds
Defy Death You always succeed on luck rolls made from being Tracking time in rounds helps you keep track of
incapacitated. what’s going on in the story when the stories’
Flight You can move by flying while you are not injured. stakes reach the highest levels such as in combat
Immortality Natural causes never end your life. You grow no or in chases. In combat, you use rounds both to
physically older and, short of mishap or violence, live
forever. make sure that everyone has a chance to
Incredible Health Increase your Health by 20. You can take contribute to the scene but also to make sure the
this talent up to four times, but the increase to Health scene unfolds in a fair and even manner. Beyond
decreases by 5 each time after the first, such that the second combat, you can use rounds in any situation where
time increases your Health by 15, 10 for the third, and 5 for
the fourth. you need to know what everyone’s doing at a
Legendary Action When you use an action, you can use this particular moment. You don’t have to use the
talent to regain the use of the action. Once you use this standard round structure, though. You can simply
talent, you lose access to it until after a full night’s rest. go around the table (or virtual table) and ask what
Legendary Attribute One attribute score of your choice
increases to 18. You can choose this talent up to four times. everyone’s doing and resolve their activities one at
The second time, a different score increases to 17, the third, a time. Scenes where time plays a big part, such as
yet another different score increases to 16. The fourth time, a flooding room trap or when they there’s a
you raise your last score to 15 if it’s lower than 15. countdown timer, need rounds to make sure the
Legendary Caster You full replenish your expended castings
after you rest for 1 hour. players have a chance to overcome the challenge.
Legendary Moves Increase the number of moves you can use
on your turn by one.
Legendary Reflexes Increase the number of reactions you can
use per round by one.
Environments
Mighty Bounds You can jump up to a mile and land safely. You An environment represents one of the world’s
never take damage from landing after a fall. geographical regions. An environment can be as
Overcome Anything When you gain an affliction, you remove
the affliction. You can use this talent a number of times equal
small as a cluster of buildings hunkered behind a
to your level. wooden palisade or it could be as large as an
Perfect Hearing Triple the normal range of your hearing. If ocean. Environments contain zones, typically a
you use an action to do so, you can hear a whisper from a great many, but these zones and movement
mile away for 1 round, but you take double damage from
sound effects until this effect ends.
through them only become important as the
Rapid Regeneration You heal damage equal to half your level adventure and story demand. And when this
every 6 rounds. You can regrow missing limbs and body happens, the environment offers cues about the
parts. features and properties these zones possess.
Swim Anywhere You can swim in any liquid, even up
waterfalls or through mists.
Like zones, an environment shares borders with
Teleportation As a move, teleport to a zone within three adjacent environments, such as where a forest
zones. gives way to open countryside. An environment
True Vision You need no light to see and perceive outlines can also encircle another environment; a town
around invisible creatures and objects in your line of sight.
Ultimate Warrior Add 5 to the result of attribute rolls you
environment, for instance, might sit in the middle
make to attack and your attacks deal extra damage equal to of farmland environment.
your level.
Uncanny Ability You make all attribute rolls with 1 boon.

19
Size
Underground: Underground environments
feature constant temperatures, about seventy-five
Environments come in many different sizes. In lieu degrees at ten feet and between fifty and sixty
of using exact dimensions, an environment has a degrees at twenty to thirty feet. Underground
descriptor, which tells you approximately how environments that descend into the deepest
long it takes to cross the environment. depths might become warmed from proximity to
Vast: A vast environment would be something magma deposits and certain magical
like an entire ocean or a continent. It takes two environments.
months or more to cross a vast environment.
Massive: A massive environment covers an area
the size of a small continent or a large sea. It takes Weather
about one month to cross an enormous Climate and season determine the weather in an
environment. outdoor environment. You can simply choose the
Huge: Huge environments include large weather conditions or you can generate random
mountain ranges, vast swathes of plains, or a polar conditions by using the following tables.
cap. It takes three weeks to cross a huge Conditions persist for 1d6 days.
environment.
WIND
Large: A large environment could be a large d20 Wind Conditions
forest or a range of hills. It takes two weeks to 1–5 Calm
cross a large environment. 6–15 Light winds
Medium: A medium environment could be the 16–17 Light winds with periodic strong gusts
size of a duchy or a small nation and takes about 18–19 Strong winds with severe gusts
one week to cross it. 20 Windstorm, hurricane, or tornadic conditions.
Small: A small environment might be a forest, a Lasts 2d6 hours and then roll again.
stretch of farmland around a city, or a large lake. It
takes a couple of days to cross a small
SKY
d20 Sky Conditions
environment. 1–5 Clear
Tiny: Tiny environments are cities, normal 6–10 Few clouds
lakes, a stretch of river, a large town, or a dungeon. 11–15 Some clouds
You can usually cross a tiny environment in one 16–20 Overcast
day.
TEMPERATURE

Climate
d20 Temperature Conditions
1–4 Unseasonably cold
5–16 Normal for season
An environment’s climate broadly describes the
17–20 Unseasonably hot
effects of its place in the world. The basic climates
follow. PRECIPTATION*
Continental: Continental climates feature mild d20 Precipitation
to cool summers and severe winters. 10 or less None
Dry: A dry climate might feature any 11–15 Intermittent mist, light rain, sleet, or snow
temperatures and chiefly sees moisture loss in 16–19 Rain or snow
excess of that gained from precipitation. 20 or more Heavy rain or blizzard
Highlands: Places with high elevation have conditions
different climates than that in surrounding lands.
*Climate modifies this rolls as follows: Continental +0, +3
Cooler temperatures, lesser or greater rainfall, and
in winter; dry, highlands, and polar –5, subtropical +2,
absence of certain weather events make them
tropical +5
stand apart from lowlands.
Polar: Cold temperatures prevail all year long in
polar climates and feature little precipitation.
Subtropical: Mild winters and warm, humid
Terrain
Terrain describes the environments lay of the land
summers define moist subtropical climates with
and its dominant features.
regular rainfall, thunderstorms in the summer
Canyon: Environments dominated by a large
months and cyclones in the winter.
hole or depression in the ground count as canyons.
Tropical: A tropical climate features warm to
Often, waters carve canyons into the ground, but
hot temperatures and heavy rainfall.

20
 Travel
they might have been created by falling stars or
geological events.
Desert: A desert features dry terrain with scant Most times, you can summarize the time the group
flora and fauna. Deserts can be sandy wastes, spends on the road or at sea. Prepared characters
badlands, mudflats, and the like. have the resources they need to deal with just
Forest: A forest features extensive woodlands. about any kind of natural hazard or threat they
Forests include jungles, rainforests, dry and might face along the way. Even if they run into
temperate forests. trouble with a “wandering monster,” a rest can
Glacier: Glacial terrain includes any landscape typically rid the group of any injuries they might
predominantly covered in ice. have suffered while fighting the bandits, beasts, or
Hill: Hill terrain describes any land that features whatever they happen to find. And at higher levels,
one or more areas of earth or rocky mounds that groups can whisk themselves from one place to
have obvious summits and can be ascended by another with the casting of a spell.
walking. Some quests, though, might involve extended
Lake: Any large body of fresh water counts as a forays into the wilderness. The characters might
lake. It often connects to rivers and stands in the chase the “man in black” across the desert or
midst of another environment. search a mountain range for the hidden door to
Marsh: A marsh is a region of wetlands that the dwarfen holdfast lost long ago to an orc
feature dense clumps of grasses and other plants, scourge. In these cases, you can avail yourself of
but lack trees. the wholly optional rules to present a few
Mountain: Rugged environments featuring challenges to make trekking in the wild a bit dicier
areas of increasing elevation count as mountains. than the game ordinarily requires.
They differ from hills in that ascending them
requires climbing rather than walking and that
they reach much higher than sea level.
Travel Days
Oasis: Spots of fertile land frequently sporting People can spend about 12 hours each day
water sources, desert environments surround traveling, assuming they take frequent breaks for
oases. resting, consuming provisions, and mending or
Ocean: Any large body of salt water counts as preparing their gear. If the group travels by
ocean terrain. vehicle, such as on a boat, ship, or an airship, the
Open: Open terrain includes pasture, plains, vehicle can travel the full 24 hours without having
prairies, and other landscapes noted for their to take a break. How much progress travelers
relative flatness and isolate or absent patches of make each day depends on a dice roll.
woods.
River: A stretch of permanent water that moves Travel Pace
across the land. At the start of each day, the group decides the
Subterranean: Any underground environment, overall pace for the day from the following
natural or excavated, counts as subterranean. choices: cautious, normal, and hurried. Then,
Swamp: Swamps refer to regions of mixed based on their pace, the character leading the
dryland and wetland, usually wooded. group on that day’s journey rolls 3d6 + 6 for
Tundra: Normally found in cold climates, cautious, 5d6 + 6 for normal, and 7d6 + 6 for
tundra features wide open country with rocky hurried. If the group travels by vehicle and there
landscape covered in lichen, grasses, and stunted are enough pilots to keep the vehicle moving for
or low vegetation. 24 hours, add 12 to the roll. The sum of the roll
Urban: An urban environment describes towns, tells you how many miles the group manages to
villages, cities, and any other area that features travel for that day. Some circumstances might
constructed shelters. speed up or slow progress as shown on Travel
Valley: Formed by the descending slopes of Pace Modifiers table.
mountains, a valley’s bottom tends to be a flat area TRAVEL PACE MODIFIER
featuring one or more waterways fed by snowmelt Condition Modifier
and rainwater. Mounts or fast boat +2
Paved roads or flying +2
Guide or navigator +1
Well rested +1
Favored water or wind +1

21
Encumbered or cargo –1 about 8 rolls at the normal pace, while a group
Canyon, mountain, subterranean –6 would have to make 64 rolls or more to cross a
Hill, marsh, swamp, valley –3 vast environment. That’s more rolls that you
Desert, forest, glacier, urban –1 should be worried about making and unless you
really enjoy this kind of thing, embrace the joys of
Forced Marching: A group traveling by means narrating really long journeys. Even for shorter
other than vehicle or flight can choose to force trips, you must embellish the results with colorful
march, which sees them travel for longer description, detail, and regular injections of
stretches, which enables the leader to roll an mystery. You need not be exhaustive; highlight
additional d6 to determine the number of miles landmarks and happenings as they make their way
covered. However, when the travel day ends, each to their destination. They group might see a
traveler makes a Strength roll and loses 1d6 gigantic statue in the distance, weird, gnarled
Health on a failure. trees with faces trapped in the bark, rumpled
Exposure: Exposure occurs when you lack ground from some spell cast in recent days, stacks
adequate clothing and protection against the of stones, idols, burned houses, people working in
elements. You can suffer exposure from extreme the fields, brilliant colors of leaves turning, and
heat, extreme cold, or from being outdoors in anything else you like.
hostile conditions such as storms or extremely dry
or damp climates. At the end of each hour spent in
a hostile environment without adequate
Hardships and Peril
protection, you make a Strength roll. On a failure, Groups that travel risk facing peril and enduring
you lose 1d6 Health. If your Health drops to 5 or hardships. Often, they have the means to deal with
lower, you fall prone and become weakened until obstacles they find in their path without much
your Health rises above 5. While weakened in this trouble. They ford rivers, deal with dangerous wild
way, you cannot stand up and can move only by animals, find shelter when it storms, and carry out
crawling. other activities as needed. Some hazards and
Exposure might also have additional effects. perils pose a more significant danger and the
Frostbite, for example, might eat away at your longer the group travels, the greater the chance for
ears, nose, and fingers, while damp climates might them to encounter something that tests them.
expose you to infections. Whenever the group rolls the dice to see how
many miles they cover in a travel day, you gain one
peril token for each 1 rolled on the dice. You retain
Travel Distance peril tokens until you spend them or the journey
The size of the environment gives you an ends. You can spend peril tokens in the following
approximate number of miles on must travel in ways at any point during the remainder of the
order to cross it. The Environment Distance Size journey.
table gives you a typical sizes. Of course, a group Ruined Supplies (3) Each character makes a
might not need to cross an entire environment to luck roll. On a failure, the character’s provisions
reach their destination. If they need to travel become spoiled, infested with vermin, or
halfway through it, halve the distance. If a quarter, otherwise lost. Alternatively, characters might lose
quarter it. an object in place of their provisions. Such as loss
ENVIRONMENT DISTANCE BY SIZE could come from wear and tear, misplacing it, or
Size Miles dropping it when dealing with a patch of rough
Vast 1,500 terrain.
Massive 750 Obstacle (3) An impassable road, a river
Huge 525 swollen with rain, a washed-out bridge: the group
Large 350 must overcome the obstacle or make no further
Medium 175 progress that day from having to find another way
Small 125 around the obstacle. Each member of the group
Tiny 25 makes a roll using an attribute of their choice. On a
failure, a character loses 1d6 Health.
Managing Large Distances Sickness (3) The characters encounter some
As you can see from the table above, the larger the noxious, infectious pathogen. Each member of the
environment, the more dice rolls the group has to group makes a luck roll. On a failure, the character
make. Crossing a medium environment takes becomes infected.

22
 Violence (4) The group encounters a pack of might come as a warning, an encounter
feral wolves, a monster, bandits, brigands, pirates, with a supernatural being, or whatever
or some other threat suitable for the group’s level. else you choose.
You can either play through this fight, but for a
speedier resolution, simply have each character
make a roll using an attribute of their choice. On a
Side Quests
Travel also creates interesting opportunities for
failure, a character loses 2d6 Health.
side quests, which, provide interesting diversions
Lost (5) The character leading the group during
that can give characters access to additional
the travel makes an Intellect roll. For each peril
supplies and rewards, but might become full
you spend beyond the required 2, impose 1 bane
blown quests too if you choose. Use the following
on the roll. If the group has a map, they make the
“side quests” to inspire your own design.
roll with 1 boon. Characters with professional
knowledge that covers travel through the RANDOM SIDE QUESTS
wilderness or belongs to a suitable path also d20 Side Quest
contribute 1 boon on the roll. On a failure, the 1 A hamlet or farm stead appears to have been
group becomes lost, gains no progress for the day, abandoned all of a sudden. Meals have been
and loses 1d6 progress. Furthermore, if the group left on tables, washing hangs out to dry, doors
travels, it must repeat the roll. On a success, they and windows stand open.
reorient themselves, while on a failure, the sum of 2 Smoke rises from several burning wagons.
Although there’s plenty of dead, signs indicate
the dice rolled for progress is subtracted from the
that people have been dragged off.
total progress. If the accumulated progress drops
3 A door stands closed in the side of an
to 0, the group becomes hopelessly lost and you enormous boulder and leads to a tiny faerie
decide what happens next. realm.
Storm (6) A storm blows in and makes travel 4 A line of rounded hills mark the graves of long-
impossible for this day. The group gains no dead warriors, but one of them has been
progress. In addition, each character makes a luck opened, evidenced by the shattered stone of
roll. On a failure, the character suffers from some the door that now litters the ground.
mishap and loses 3d6 Health. 5 Scorch marks in the ground form some sort of
pattern.
Discoveries 6 The ruins of an abandoned keep crown a low
hill.
Whenever the group rolls dice to determine their 7 A stampede of cattle, antelope, or some other
progress, and each die rolled comes up as a 6, the herd animal heads races across the landscape,
characters can either have you discard all peril pursued by monstrous hunters.
tokens or make a discovery. Sample discoveries 8 Steam and smoke rise from a crater. Prints
follow, though you should tailor discoveries based reveal that whatever fell here either walked or
on the story of the current quest. was carried off.
• The group finds a shortcut that adds 3d6 9 A family of refugees laments the loss of one of
to their progress. A shortcut might also be their own, claiming that something carried it
favorable winds if flying or traveling by off when thy camped the previous night.
boat. 10 A strange altar made of bones and stones
exudes menace.
• The group the ruins of a caravan, camp, or
11 Two small armies from lands in the Old Country
homestead, and searching the place
square off in the distance.
enables the characters to restore any lost 12 Hundreds of zombies shuffle about in the
provisions. distance, milling around and searching for
• A traveling tinker has supplies for sale. brains.
• An itinerant priest meets the group and 13 A small village not shown on any maps
restore 1d6 Health to each character. appears, and seems normal until the people
• The characters find a safe haven where start behaving in odd ways.
the can convalesce for a time, giving them 14 A cavemouth leads deep underground.
time to recover from the effects of Unsettling images appear on its walls and there
exposure, sickness, or other ailments. are signs of human and animal bones
• The characters make a discovery about everywhere.
15 A giant takes long strides in the distance.
their current or a future quest and gain
16 A vast graveyard, surrounding by a high wall
some insight into completing it. This with a single gate stands in the middle of

23
 nowhere. At night, things are seen to move 2 Misty
about. 3 Charred
17 What at first appears to be a bit of metal 4 Dwarfen
reveals itself as a strange magical or 5 Rubble-strewn
mechanical device of some unknown purpose 6 Odiferous
or function. Those carrying it feel an odd 7 Bloody
compulsion to handle it and, eventually, one 8 Filthy
causes it to change its form. 9 Dusty
18 Wild hunters race out from a fog bank 10 Religious
accompanied by dire wolves. The hunters 11 Curtained
round of mortals and spirit them off to some 12 Bone-strewn
unknown fate. Locals beg the characters for 13 Wooded
aid. 14 Haunted
19 A square building of black stone with an open 15 Obscene
portal at one side appears in the distance. The 16 Colorful
place exudes a baleful aura. 17 Fey
20 A staircase made of stone climbs up into the 18 Weird
air, but seems to go nowhere. 19 Demonic
20 Ancient

Zones Interactive Features

Zones provide the settings for the scenes through
which the players play. They can be dungeon Many zone have interactive features, elements that
chambers, trap-infested corridors, areas of dense the characters can push, pull, turn, open, close, or
forest, a hillside, the deck of a storm-tossed ship, otherwise manipulate. A feature can be as simple
and any place where the protagonists happen to as a crude wooden door hanging from one bent
be. Chapter 1 covers the basics of how zones work hinge or elaborate such as a great table laden with
in the game, but this section offers you the tools a feast and ringed with chairs in which sit the
you need to make zones an exciting component of withered corpses of long-dead aristocrats. Many
game play. features stand out in the open, obvious to anyone
Before diving into the particulars, always who looks in the zone, or might be hidden from
remember that there are no empty rooms. Every view, such as a diabolical trap, words that appear
place the player characters move through, explore, on the walls only in the light cast by a specific
and in which they fight should invite exploration candle, or patches of toxic mold.
and discovery. Each offers you an opportunity to Doors and Locks: A door or door-like object
make the imaginary world more vivid, more such as a gate or portcullis might stand between
interesting, and more exciting. Even a standard two zones or offer access to a hidden part of a
square room with stone walls, floor and ceilings, zone. A creature can open an unlocked door freely.
bare of any contents should be interesting for its If the door is locked or stuck, a creature might use
lack of details. the rules described in chapter 1.
Containers: Sacks, chests, barrels, boxes, and
ZONE KEYWORDS other containers might hold anything from water
When writing quests, you might find it helpful to assign to pickled elf ears.
keywords to various zones. The keywords serve as Pits, Holes, Cracks: Holes in the floor can drop
inspirational description. You might use them when any distance you choose. When covered, they
describing them to the players or simply to remember might act as traps (see below). Some holes could
what they zone is there to do. For example, in an old
be chutes that carry travelers to other zones.
underground complex, you might have a zone
Ledges, Cliffs, and Climbable Surface: Zones
containing a shrine to Maglyxinth, a dreaded Ancient
One. For its keywords, you might choose Altar,
might contain any kind of climbable surface, from
Shadowy, and Unholy. For a forest clearing you might ladders to walls pocked with hand and footholds.
choose Pool, Serene, and Sylvan. Keywords can be used Hidden Objects: A zone could contain one or
to convey atmosphere, mention important features, or more hidden objects. An object might be hidden as
provide clues about its secrets. Some possibilities can be a result of its unknown functionality, such as a
found on the following table. torch sconce that opens a secret door, or because
d20 Sample Keyword it’s behind or under something else. Others might
1 Chill be revealed only in specific circumstances, like the

24
aforementioned writing. If finding a hidden object development in combat and exploration scenes as
is crucial for completing a quest and the it directs creatures around these areas. Generally,
characters fail to find it, you can always offer clues, challenging terrain covers a single zone or might
either freely or with successful luck rolls. be a zone inside of another zone. Navigating ice,
Script: Script includes any writing found in the debris, narrow surfaces, and the like when time is
zone. Graffiti might cover the walls of an alley or a a factor ought to require a successful to maintain
door might hold a dire warning. one’s balance or to find a safe path through across
Gear and Ordinary Objects: You can populate the surface.
zones with gear and other objects. Places that see Obscurement: Mist, snow, shadows, and other
exploration by other adventurers likely have bits forms of obscurement conceal details in a zone
of rope, nails, spikes, tools, broken weapons, and thus make it more difficult for the
ammunition, and other items. Lived in places have protagonists to detect hidden threats, find clues,
the things you’d expect them to have, from buckets or make other discoveries important to the scene.
to wooden plates, candles, knickknacks, books, Obscurement in combat can also make it more
and other objects. difficult to strike a foe as noted in Chapter 1.
Decor: Zones also have dé cor as appropriate to
their function. People tend to decorate their
surroundings. Banners, rugs, curtains, drawings,
Puzzles
Puzzles engage the players more than a simple
along with tables, chairs, and rubbish make zones
lock or trap might. However, solving puzzles relies
appear to be actual places.
more on the players’ abilities than their
characters’ capabilities and players who have little
Obstacles interest in solving such things can become vexed
when the story’s progress depends on figuring out
An obstacle is anything that frustrates efforts to something using the little gray cells.
move through or explore a zone. In wooded zones, To make puzzles more manageable, include the
the trees and underbrush function as obstacles, clues for its solution in the zone or zones the
while falling snow creates an obstacle by characters have explored already. Having the
obscuring the zones in which it falls. A rubble- answers live in the setting rewards the players for
strewn floor functions as an obstacle of paying attention to the group’s surroundings and
challenging terrain. ensures the solution comes from the protagonists’
Obstacles matter only when they have an effect experiences rather than the cleverness of the
on a scene. Mist in a zone might make it hard to particular player.
see enemies in a combat scene, but outside of For example, the group might happen upon a
combat, mist becomes just one more element of reinforced door that’s barred with magic. Three
set dressing. Similarly, an icy floor makes fighting dials stand in its face. One dial has three settings
in a zone more difficult, but outside of the fight, a that show one star, two stars, and three stars.
group taking their time and being careful can Another dial shows the moon in its four phases.
make their way across the floor without trouble. In The last dial has two settings, one marked with the
other words, an obstacle might demand a roll in a sun and the other not. In previous zones, the
fight or to reach some clue that makes the rest of protagonists might have noticed a star-symbol
the quest easier. embossed on a silver chalice they discovered
Cover: One of more obstacles for enemies to hidden in a room and spotted the full-moon
hide behind makes a combat more challenging for shining through a skylight. From these clues, the
the protagonists, but can also give protagonists players might set the star dial on one, the moon at
places to hide themselves and protect themselves full, and choose the no sun option for the last since
from ranged fire. Typically, cover plays a part in a it’s night. If so, the door opens.
fight when the battle spreads across more than Even by seeding the clues in the group’s
one zone since combatants in a zone need only environment, hints might be welcome. Be mindful
move around their zone to bypass cover. of vexing the players too much. Before they
Typical obstacles that provide cover include: become demoralized, slip hints to the players with
low or partial walls, columns, trees, altars, tables, the smartest characters to nudge them along.
boxes and crates, statues, racks, and most forms of Puzzles are not for everyone and if they bring the
furniture. story to stop, it’s best to wrap them up so the
Challenging Terrain: Used sparingly, game can continue.
challenging terrain provides an interesting

25
Magic Diminished Magic
A zone can diminish magic also, which reduces the
As magic pervades the world, zones might include efficacy of spells cast and magic used in them. A
magical effects of known or unknown origins. A diminished magic zone typically applies to all
magic effect could result from a cast spell or could magic, though it might apply to magic of a
just be a persistent effect created by some particular tradition.
unexplained phenomena. A diminished magic zone imposes 1 bane on
rolls made as a result of casting a spell, grants 1
Illusions boon on rolls made to resist magic, and spells that
Illusions fool one or more senses, typically by heal or deal damage or cause creatures to lose or
creating an image or a sound. Illusions can be gain Health halve the normal amounts.
interactive objects, obstacles, or other features. An
illusion could cover a pit in the floor, hide an exit Dead Magic
from a room, or render hostile creatures and A dead magic zone cuts off access to all magic. A
objects invisible. zone of dead magic prevents any magical effects
The simplest way to identify an illusion is to from being brought into existence within its
interact with it. Placing one’s hand through an bounds and suppresses ongoing magical effects
illusory wall reveals it nature as does tumbling affecting creatures or objects that enter the zone.
through an illusory section of floor that hides a Time spent in the zone counts against the effect’s
deep pit. Also, any effect that reveals magic also duration.
reveals the magic responsible for creating the
illusion.
Usually, illusions persist even after discovery. So, Erratic Magic
if one steps through an illusory wall, the image of A zone can cause magic used inside it to have
the wall remains. unpredictable results. Often, this effect results
from magical catastrophes, reality tears, or some
Force metaphysical mishap that has permanently altered
reality within the zone. Whenever a creature in the
Force occurs whenever magic assumes a solid zone would produce a magical effect from the
form. Spells from the Order tradition can create casting of a spell, use of an item, or use of a talent,
force. Objects made from force have substance, but the creature makes a luck roll. On a failure, the
no weight, smell, make no sound, and no creature suffers a magical mishap. Roll a d20 and
appearance, though they displace air and might be consult the following table to see what happens.
seen in fog, mist, and smoky conditions. Light
passes through force unimpeded. Force objects MAGICAL MISHAPS
might be immobile, in which case they remain d20 Effect
fixed in place regardless of pressure placed against 1 The creature is removed from play for 1d6
them or might be moveable as the effect describes. minutes. When the effect ends, the creature
Persistence: A force object counts as an returns to the place it left or the nearest open
ordinary object and uses the rules for such (see space to that place. The returned creature
makes a Will roll and becomes frightened of
“Objects” in Chapter 1). If destroyed, the force
the zone (luck ends).
object leaves no trace of its existence.
2 The creature must spend an additional casting,
charge, or use of magic, or the magic produces
Enhanced Magic no effect.
A zone can enhance magic. Holy sites enhance 3 The magical effect ignites the energy field that
Theurgy spells sometimes, while places steeped in pervades the zone, causing each creature and
dark magic could enhance Diabolic or Necromancy object in the zone to take 2d6 damage.
spells. Other zones might enhance some or all 4 The creature becomes stunned until the end of
its next turn.
magic.
5 The creature and a creature in an adjacent zone
An enhanced magic zone grants 1 boon on rolls teleport to swap positions. If there is no other
made as a result of casting a spell, imposes 1 bane creature in an adjacent zone, the creature
on rolls made to resist magic, and spells that heal responsible for the mishap becomes dazed
or deal damage or cause creatures to lose or gain (luck ends).
Health double the normal amounts.

26
6 The creature transforms into an object of the game, the greater you reinforce the unsettling
Sage’s choice until the end of the round and nature of the setting. Pass up no opportunity to
then returns to its normal form. introduce the inexplicable and bizarre. An object
7 The creature becomes a toad (luck ends). As a might hang in the air or some invisible thing might
toad, the creature is harmless and does cast a shadow on a wall. A torch’s flames can turn
nothing on its turn other than hop away from
green, strange noises sound, ribbons of light
the nearest danger.
appear in the heavens, the ground might lift up for
8 The magic fails and has no effect.
9 The creature emits dim light (luck ends).
no apparent reason, and pebbles can rain from the
10 The zone seems to tilt before returning to its clouds. This is a fantasy world of considerable age
normal position. Each creature in the zone and populated by beings armed with magic and
makes an Agility roll and falls prone on a supernatural powers capable of reshaping reality
failure. to suit their needs. There’s no reason not to make
11 A thick amber fluid appears around the the world seem strange.
creature and then solidifies. The creature is
stunned (luck ends). While stunned in this way,
the creature is affected by suffocation. Secrets
12 If the magical effect would deal damage, it The world is full of secrets with mysteries long
heals damage instead. unsolved and waiting for resolution. Consider
13 The magic unspools and deals 3d6 damage to hiding all kinds of secret information in zones.
the creature.
Secrets can be minor things or major, there to
14 The creature makes attribute rolls with 1 boon
enhance the weirdness of the setting or to prompt
for 1 minute.
further investigation. Using secrets gives the
15 The creature makes luck rolls with 3 boons for 1
minute. players a chance to make discoveries, but it also
16 The creature can teleport to an empty space it makes the world feel alive, that places exist before
can see within 1d6 zones. and after the protagonists visit them.
17 The ground in the zone breaks apart and Secrets can be anything. Groups exploring a
becomes challenging terrain until cleared zone might turn up the hilt of a broken sword that
away. you place there on a whim. The hilt could be
18 If the magic deals or heals damage, it deals or nothing, but it could also once have belonged to a
heals maximum damage. Otherwise, nothing great hero who died in this place a long time ago.
happens. Perhaps the hilt has a secret compartment that
19 Each creature in the zone gains an additional holds a mysterious letter. Maybe the spirit of a
action and can use it at any time. If not used by dead warrior dwells in the hilt and haunts the
the upkeep, the additional action is lost. dreams of the character who picked it up.
20 The creature heals all damage, regains all
Not everything has to have a secret, though. A
Health, and each level 1 or lower enemy within
wooden plate can just be a wooden plate. Features
2 zones drops to 0 Health and dies.
you include in the zones can be as mysterious or
as obvious as you like.
Portals
A portal is a magical doorway that connects two
points in space separated by any distance. A portal
has a front and a back. When viewed from the side,
Traps
Traps make places secure. They can hinder, maim,
it appears as a wriggling line that distorts light or kill. They might sound alarms, summon
around it. Anything moving through the portal monsters, or hold intruders until the denizens can
emerges from the other portal and vice versa. come to investigate. Traps add tension when
Most portals show what lays beyond them, but groups explore, and also create interesting
some have opaque surfaces. If a portal is complications when triggered in the middle of
dismissed in some way, the collapsing portals combat.
sever anything partway through them. Traps describe any peril created by a hidden
feature in a zone. Thus, a trap can be mechanical,
The Uncanny magical, natural, or supernatural. A mechanical
trap can shoot darts from hidden openings when
A world filled with magic, bizarre technology, and someone trips the wire stretched across the floor.
hideous monsters should feel uncanny to the A magical trap could trap a victim in a bubble
players. The more weirdness you inject into the

27
made of force or teleport the creature to some far-
flung place. Natural traps might be molds, flesh-
Adhesive Floor
eating slime that fall from the ceilings, or weird A thin, clear, tacky substance covers the floor in a
gelatinous shapes invisible until someone single zone except for a 1-foot path around the
stumbles into them. edge. Anything moving onto the surface becomes
Finding Traps: Chapter 1 explains the basic immobilized.
steps involved in finding a trap. But it bears Clues Dust might collect on parts of the floor
repeating that you should reward players who and it has a raised appearance. Also, there might
take precautions about traps by letting them find signs left by others who have run afoul of this trap:
the clues that reveal the danger. If a character uses a pair of empty boots, a scrap of withered skin and
a pole to tap the floor in hopes of thwarting a bloodstains nearby, the bones of someone who
pressure plate, let the character find it. Similarly, if starved to death.
a character examines an opening, looking for Countermeasures A creature can divest of
tripwires, if there’s one there, the character ought boots or footwear glued to the floor and hop back
to find it. to a safe surface.
Countermeasures: It might be possible to A creature whose unprotected body has come
disarm, destroy, or take control of a trap. into contact with the adhesive must be cut free.
Generally, if a trap has exposed components, such This results in a loss of 1d6 Health for a small
as a tripwire or pressure plate, a creature might patch of skin, 3d6 for a large patch, or 10d6 Health
disarm it provided it finds the exposed if the whole side of one’s body is held.
component. Alcohol dissolves the adhesive and any
Disarming a trap takes a variable amount of character with professional knowledge related to
time, during which a creature uses a tool kit to chemistry or its equivalent knows this fact.
work on the exposed components. When finished, Finally, the adhesive is flammable. Any source of
the creature makes an Intellect roll, with 1 or fire that touches the adhesive spreads across the
more boons or banes depending on the trap’s surface and burns for 1 hour. The resulting smoke
complexity. is toxic and any creature that breathes it in makes
On a success, the creature disarms the trap. A a Strength roll and becomes poisoned (luck ends)
success by 10 or more might also reveal a way to on a failure.
repurpose the trap at your discretion. On a failure,
the creature fails to disarm the trap and cannot try Alarm Trap
again until it gains a level. On a roll of 0 or less, the Bells, metal pots, pans, cans, and other metal
creature accidentally triggers the trap and objects hang from a string tied to the handle of a
produces its effect. nearby door. Anyone opening the door triggers the
Players might come up with unorthodox ways to trap, which creates a sound as loud as a shout.
deal with traps they find and common sense Once triggered, the trap must be reset before it
should guide your decision about whether it can be triggered again.
should work or not. Clues Any wind in area behind the door causes
For example, if the players discover an adhesive the trap to rattle.
floor trap before they trigger it, and the characters Countermeasures Cutting the string and
place wooden boards over the gluey surface, you lowering the metal objects to the floor disarms the
could let that work even though the trap’s trap.
countermeasures make no mention of this
particular method for dealing with the trap. Cage Trap
A metal cage hangs from a rope in the zone above
Sample Traps the trapped zone. A tarp, disguised to look like a
ceiling, conceals the upper zone. When a creature
The following entries offer a selection of traps for
enters the trapped zone, secretly make a luck roll
use at any tier. Although you can use the traps at
for that creature. On a failure, the creature triggers
any tier, be mindful of their effects. Some harmful
the trap which releases the heavy cage that then
traps can be lethal for starting and novice
falls through the tarp to enclose the creature
characters.
inside it.
Note that the noise from the fallen cage is as
loud as a shout and might alert nearby creatures.

28
 Clues Wind in the trapped zone causes the tarp creature and object in the zone. Each creature and
to rustle. A creature inspecting the floor might see object in the zone lose 4d6 Health. A creature
signs from when the trap was triggered in the makes a Strength roll and, on a failure, falls prone
past—chip marks, fractures, and rust flakes can all and becomes buried in the rubble. In addition,
appear on the ground. rubble covers the ground in the zone with
Countermeasures A creature examining the challenging terrain.
floor can find the pressure plate directly Clues Anyone with professional knowledge of
underneath the cage. Disarming the pressure plate architecture, mining, and the like that sees the
requires a tool kit and a successful Intellect roll ceiling recognizes the threat. In addition, dust
made with 1 bane. might stream down from the cracks.
The iron bars of the cage form a lattice with 1- Countermeasures Four stout supports placed
foot square gaps. The bars have Health 20, but between the floor and ceiling prevents the ceiling
they are sturdy and ignore damage from all but from collapsing.
heavy weapons. Any creature buried in the rubble can dig itself
Four creatures can attempt to lift the cage free with three successful Strength rolls made
provided the sum of their Strength scores are 45 with 1 bane. Allies can use actions to help the
or higher. buried creature.

Corridor of Death Diagram Trap

The corridor of death counts as a single trapped A painted or etched diagram with a complex
zone. Any creature entering the corridor triggers pattern covers the floor or a portion of the floor in
the trap, which causes heavy, pendulum blades to a zone.
swing across the corridor at different intervals. When a creature moves onto the diagram, the
The creature that triggers the trap makes a luck diagram emits magical bright light for 24 hours. If
roll and, on a failure, loses 1d6 Health from being a creature on the diagram while it emits this light,
struck by one of these blades. the creature loses 9d6 Health. If a creature steps
A creature attempting to move down the onto the diagram while it’s lit, it is subject to the
corridor does so in three sections: first, second, trap’s effect.
and last. For each stage, the creature makes an Clues The diagram is visible to anyone who
Agility roll. On a success, the creature advances or looks at it. Effects that reveal the presence of
retreats one stage. On a failure, the creature is hit magic show this diagram to be of some sort of
by a blade, loses 1d6 Health, and makes no protective magic. A character inspecting the trap
progress. can make an Intellect roll and, on a success,
The swinging blades provide cover against discerns that the diagram is a maze.
ranged attacks made against targets behind them. Countermeasures Any effect that negates
The blades stop swinging 1 minute after a magic of the master tier or lower can destroy the
creature triggers the trap. When they stop, the diagram. A creature on the diagram can attempt to
trap resets automatically. find its way out of it by making three Intellect
Clues Blood spatter and dead bodies might rolls. Each success reduces the amount of Health
reveal the presence of the trap. lost from stepping off the diagram by 3d6
There are three pressure plates, one for each (minimum 0). Each failed roll results in the
section. A creature examining the floor in a section creature losing 3d6 Health. When the creature
finds the pressure plate and can avoid stepping on succeeds or fails on the final roll, it is moved off
it. the diagram.
Countermeasures Beyond the corridor of death
is a lever. Pulling on the lever disarms the trap.
Alternatively, you can instead place a three lever
Ear Slugs
Tiny, slugs infest the wood of a door. If a creature
trap on the other ends and solving it disarms this
of flesh and blood places its ear to the door, the
trap.
creature becomes infected with ear slugs. While
infected in this way, the creature is Intellect
Deadfall impaired.
A zone’s ceiling has been weakened. Any noise Clues The slugs leave glistening trails on the
made in the zone of a volume louder than ordinary wood they infest, which anyone can see by
conversation causes debris to rain down on each examining the surface.

29
 Countermeasures Any damage from fire dealt fits into a nozzle set into the wall. A pressure plate,
to the door destroys the infestation. set in the floor, sparks the ignitors and releases the
oil so that they spray flames into the zone.
Entrancing Image When a creature enters the trapped zone,
secretly make a luck roll. On a failure, the creature
When a creature moves into a zone adjacent to the
triggers the trap. Flames fill the zone until the end
zone protected by this trap, an illusion appears in
of the round and cause each creature and object in
the center of the stone and remains until there are
it to lose 3d6 Health and catch fire (luck ends).
no creatures in its zone or an adjacent one. A
Once triggered, the tanks must be refilled for the
creature that can see the image makes a Will roll.
trap to trigger again.
On a failure, the creature walks or runs into the
Clues If the trap has been triggered before,
zone containing the image and becomes stunned
there are scorch marks on the walls, floors, and
for as long as it can see the image. A creature
ceilings, as well as any debris left from creatures
stunned in this way cannot shut its eyes. On a
and objects killed or destroyed by the flames.
success, the image disappears for that creature
There’s also a faint chemical odor in the air. A
until the creature leaves and reenters a zone
creature searching the far wall spots the nozzles. A
adjacent to the trapped zone.
creature searching the floor finds the pressure
Clues Any effects that reveals magic shows
plate.
magical aura on the zone. A successful Intellect
Countermeasures A secret door grants access
roll made by a creature who sees this aura identify
to the four tanks. A creature with a tool kit can
its effects.
detach the hoses from the nozzles.
Countermeasures Any effect that negates
A creature armed with a tool kit can attempt to
magic of the master tier or lower can destroy the
disarm the pressure plate. Doing so takes 1 minute
image. If the target cannot see for any reason, the
and a successful Intellect roll made with 1 bane.
effect ends for it.

Falling Blocks Trap Flammable Gas

Invisible, flammable gas fills the air in one zone
Heavy stone blocks hang suspended from the zone
and each adjacent one. Any creature that breathes
above the trapped zone. A false ceiling made of
this air for 1 minute or longer becomes weakened
thin slats of wood painted to disguise its nature
until after a full night’s rest. Any creature that
conceals the blocks. When a creature enters the
breathes the air for 1 hour or longer loses 3d6
zone, secretly make a luck roll on that creature’s
Health plus an additional 3d6 Health each hour
behalf. On a failure, the creature triggers the trap,
thereafter.
which causes one of the blocks to fall, punching
If a flame is brought into a gas-filled zone, the
through the tarp, and strike the creature. The
gas ignites and burns away with a great whoosh.
creature loses 3d6 Health and falls prone.
Each creature and object in the affected zones lose
Once triggered, another block falls at the end of
3d6 Health.
each round for a total of six blocks. Each creature
Clues Flames in zones adjacent to affected
in the zone makes a luck roll and the creature with
zones change color, burning with a green flame.
the lowest failed result is struck as described
Creatures in the trapped zones smell a weird
above.
odor and might see shimmers in the air.
Clues Anyone inspecting the ceiling discovers
Countermeasures Wind clears the zones of the
the false ceiling. Removing the tarp requires the
gas for as long as it blows. It takes 1 hour for the
use of an action, which reveals the weights
gas to return.
hanging from the ceiling.
Countermeasures Creatures can easily dodge
the falling blocks once they can see them. Each Flesh-eating Slime
rope holding a block has a Health score of 5. A glistening mass of slime clings to the ceiling and
Destroying the rope releases the block. drops on the first flesh and blood creature that
passes under it.
Flame Jets The creature makes a luck roll and, on a failure,
loses 1d6 Health and becomes covered in the
Behind one wall of the trapped zone sit four metal
slime. While covered, the creature loses 1d6
tanks, each filled with flammable oil. Flexible
Health at the end of each round. The slime also
tubing extends from the bottom of the tank and
affects natural objects made from organic

30
materials that the creature wears and carries, with the same time, metal doors drop down in each
the same effects. open border to seal them closed. Water then pours
If the creature succeeds on the luck roll, the into the chamber from concealed openings and
slime lands on the ground. It takes the slime 24 gradually fill up the chamber until the water
hours to regain its position on the ceiling. reaches the ceiling.
Clues Moisture from the slime dampens the The water remains for 1 hour and then drains
ground underneath the spot to which it clings. out via grated openings set into the floor
Weapons, armor, coins, and other metal objects throughout the chamber. Even if a few drains
might rest on the ground, leavings from previous become blocked, enough dot the floor to empty
victims. Light reveals the slime; in shadows or the chamber of water in 10 minutes. Once fully
darkness the slime is invisible. drained, the metal doors recede into their niches,
Countermeasures Any source of damage that lock in place, and the trap automatically resets.
deals 10 or more to the slime or whatever it Clues Mold and mildew stain the walls
covers destroys the slime, but also deals the same throughout the chamber. Anyone looking at the
amount of damage to the creature it covers. The floor can see the dozen grated drain holes. Anyone
slime can also be scraped off, but it takes three inspecting the walls near the ceilings find circular
actions to do so. metal covers disguised to look like the walls that
lift on hinges and cover tubes that stretch off into
Floater the darkness. Finally, anyone inspecting the
entrances can see a deep groove stretching across
A pernicious weed, common to the New Lands, it
the floor in each opening. There might be standing
takes its nourishment from decomposing animal
water in the groove.
matter and thus has the ability to kill creatures
Countermeasures Disarming the floor pressure
that come too close. The plant takes its name from
plate takes 10 hours of work using a tool kit.
its lighter-than-air gas-filled seed pod that rises
Multiple creatures can work on it, contributing
from the mass of vegetation covering the ground
their labor to the total time.
in its zone. Thin tendrils tether the seed pod so
Anything that blocks the hinged doors that feed
that it doesn’t blow away.
water into the room prevents the water from
A creature entering a zone containing a floater
entering the chamber.
or that starts its turn there makes a luck roll. On a
The doors are solid metal and are immune to
failure, the seed pod opens with a loud report to
damage from weapons. Any concussive force or
release needle-sharp seeds in all directions. Each
explosion, however, can destroy them. Each door
creature in the floater’s zone or an adjacent one
has Health 40. If the chamber contains water while
makes a luck roll. On a failure, the creature loses
the doors are open, the water drains into adjacent
1d6 Health, falls prone, and becomes poisoned
zones, carrying with it each creature and
(luck ends).
unsecured object in the chamber. Creatures end
It takes the weed 24 hours to produce another
this movement prone.
seed pod.
Destroying even one door prevents the trap
Clues Anyone that sees the floating seed pod
from resetting itself.
and that has professional knowledge of nature can
identify the floater with a successful Intellect roll.
An older, established plant might release several Frost Mold
seed pods, but bones and the remains of dead A bluish-white mold covers surfaces in a zone. The
things cover the ground in its zones. mold feeds on heat. At the end of each round, each
Countermeasures Wind, with a successful luck flesh and blood creature lose 1d6 Health and
roll, can clear a zone of the dangerous pods. Fire becomes weakened for as long as it remains in the
dealing 10 damage or more burns up the pods, zone and for 1 minute thereafter.
while 20 damage or more kills the plant. Mold exposed to fire or extreme heat grows
rapidly and spreads into adjacent zones.
Flooding Chamber Clues Any breathing creature in a zone
containing the mold can see its breath. A creature
A flooding chamber turns its zone into a
with professional knowledge of nature recognizes
deathtrap. The zone uses valuables, food, or some
the mold for what it is on sight.
other enticement to draw creatures onto the floor,
which acts as one large pressure plate. When three
human-sized creatures or more are in the zone at

31
 Countermeasures Dealing 10 damage or more edge of the pit, but can only pull itself free by
to mold from a cold source clears the zone of the using an action to make a Strength roll and getting
mold. a success. Another creature that can reach the
clinging creature can pull it up without needing to
Gem of the Ghost Wyrm make a roll.
The grinding wheels cause anything that falls
A magical trap protects what appears to be a large
into them to lose 10d6 Health and then another
gemstone left in full view, possibly sitting on a
10d6 Health at the end of each round.
pedestal. Any creature that touches the gemstones
Clues The whole zone vibrates and the sound of
triggers the trap, which causes the stone to emit
the spinning wheels makes a racket in this room,
bright light that immediately takes the form of a
drowning out all other noises.
ghostly dragon. The dragon takes its turn
A creature inspecting the floor finds the doors’
immediately to attack. The dragon remains in its
seams.
zone and if left alone for 1 minute or longer, it
Countermeasures The doors can be locked in
disappears and the trap resets. The dragon uses
place using a tool kit.
the following rules:
A creature searching the wall near any entrance
Ghost Wyrm to the zone can make a luck roll. On a success, the
Level 4 Defense 12 Health 43 creature finds a concealed button that, when
Strength 15 (+5) Agility 12 (+2)
Languages —
depressed, stops the wheels from spinning.
Immune asleep, blinded, controlled, dazed, deafened, The spinning wheels take no damage from
frightened, poisoned, stunned, unconscious, weakened; fire; weapons, but can be damaged by bombs,
deprivation, exposure, infection, suffocation concussive force, and magical force. The wheels
Fearsome The ghost wyrm imposes 1 bane on rolls to attack it.
A creature immune to the frightened affliction is immune to
have Health 100. Destroying the wheels
this trait. neutralizes the trap.
Animated Object The ghost wyrm. is an object that behaves as
a creature. If incapacitated, it disappears.
Awareness The ghost wyrm knows the location of each Guardian Statues
creature and object in its zone. Four stone statues depicting 15-foot-tall animal
Melee—Claws and Teeth Strength with 1 boon against headed warriors stand on pedestals placed in each
Intellect. On a success, the target takes 4d6 damage, and
makes a Strength roll. On a failure, the target falls prone and
corner of this zone. Each grips a sword in hand.
becomes unconscious (luck ends). The statues become animated objects when a
creature moves into the zone and does not speak a
Clues Any effect that reveals magic shows an word of command. If so, the statues take their
aura around the gem. A successful Intellect roll by turns immediately. The animated statues do not
a creature that can see this aura identifies the pursue enemies that leave their zone and return to
trap’s functions. their pedestals after 1 minute of inactivity. The
A creature with professional knowledge of animated statues use the following rules.
mining, gem cutting, or anything similar that sees Guardian Statue
the gemstone recognizes it as being worthless. Level 5 Defense 10 Health 105 each
Countermeasures Any effect that ends magic Strength 15 (+5) Agility 10 (+0)
created by spells of the master tier or lower Immune asleep, blinded, controlled, dazed, deafened,
frightened, poisoned, stunned, unconscious, weakened; fire;
disarms the trap.
deprivation, exposure, infection, suffocation
The jewel can be attacked. It has Health 10. If Animated Object The guardian statue is an object that
destroyed, the trap becomes disarmed. behaves as a creature. If incapacitated, it loses this trait and
any damage in excess of its Health applies to its statue form,
which has Health 40.
Grinder Awareness The guardian stature knows the location of each
The grinder trap presents as a large room, creature and object in its zone.
Melee—Sword (keen +1d6) Strength with 1 boon against
encompassing a single zone. Two hinged doors Defense. On a success, the target takes 4d6 damage.
cover the floor in the middle, painted to look like
the floor. It takes fifty pounds of weight to causes Clues The statues might have blood on their
the doors to fall open and anything on them swords. Corpses might be present in the room,
tumbles into the pit, where spinning, toothed showing signs of being hacked apart.
wheels rip apart anything that falls onto them. Any effect that reveals magic shows an aura
A creature that triggers the trap can make a luck around each statue as well as a thin beam
roll. On a success, the creature catches itself on the

32
stretching across the middle of the zone. Passing Awareness The hungry chest knows the location of each
creature and object within three zones of it.
through the beam triggers the trap. A successful
Melee—Teeth Strength against Defense. On a success, the
Intellect roll by a creature that can see this aura target takes 4d6 damage. If the result of the roll is 20 or
identifies the trap’s functions. higher, the target becomes trapped inside the chest. A
The characters might find the word that trapped creature is weakened, cannot perceive anything
outside of the chest, has total cover from everything outside
neutralizes the trap in a nearby zone.
the chest, and moves with the chest when it moves. At the
Countermeasures Any effect that ends magic end of each round, the trapped creature loses 1d6 Health.
created by spells of the master tier or lower The creature ends this effect when the chest becomes
disarms the trap. incapacitated.
Destroying the statues destroys this trap.
Clues Any effect that reveals magic shows an
aura around the chest. A successful Intellect roll
Hazardous Mold by a creature that can see this aura identifies the
Hazardous mold grows in damp, dark places trap’s functions.
where it contaminates the air with its noxious Countermeasures Any effect that ends magic
spores. A creature of flesh and blood that enters a created by spells of the expert tier or lower
zone containing the mold spores or starts its turn destroys the trap, turning it into an ordinary,
there makes Strength roll. On a failure, the empty chest.
creature becomes infected with the spores. On a Destroying the chest destroys this trap.
success, the creature becomes immune to the
spores for 24 hours.
A creature infected with mold starts showing Id Moss
patches of mold on its body after 1d6 minutes and In old growth woods grow patches of violet moss
the creature makes the Strength roll, with 1 bane, on rocks. The moss emits a high frequency sound
after each hour instead of after a full night’s rest. A that causes confusion. At the end of the round,
creature that dies while infected with mold each creature in a zone containing id moss or one
decomposes in 1 hour and forms into a new patch adjacent to it and that is not deafened makes a
of hazardous mold. Will roll. On a failure, the creature becomes
Clues A creature inspecting the corners of a Intellect impaired for as long as it remains in the
zone finds blooms of black mold cling to the walls. moss’s zone or one adjacent to it and then for 1
A creature with professional knowledge of hour.
nature that sees the mold or its effects identifies In addition, Intellect impaired creatures in the id
the mold. moss’s zone or adjacent ones roll a d6 at the end
Countermeasures Cold, fire, and lightning can of the round to see what happens to them during
damage the mold. Dealing 10 damage or more the next round.
from one of these sources clears a zone of 1: The creature becomes stunned until the end
hazardous mold. of the next round.
2: The creature becomes dazed until the end of
the next round.
Hungry Chest Trap 3: The creature loses 1d6 Health.
A hungry chest looks like an ordinary chest, albeit 4: The creature then runs in a random direction
one rather large. Touching the chest, though, moving as far away from the zone as it can.
causes the lid to open and reveal a mouth filled 5: The creature walks toward a randomly
with sharp teeth. Once triggered, the takes its turn determined creature in its zone and uses an action
immediately. The chest uses the following rules. to attack it.
Hungry Chest 6: The creature falls prone and is unconscious
Level 3 Defense 11 Health 34 for as long as it remains in the zone and for 1 hour
Strength 14 (+1) Agility 11 (+1) after. Time spent unconscious in this way does not
Immune asleep, blinded, controlled, dazed, deafened,
frightened, poisoned, stunned, unconscious, weakened; fire;
count as resting.
deprivation, exposure, infection, suffocation Clues Ordinary people don’t register the sound
Chest Disguise The hungry chest appears as an ordinary chest the moss emits, but beasts hear the noise as a
until touched high-pitched whine and it distresses them.
Animated Object The hungry chest is an object that behaves
as a creature. If incapacitated, it loses this trait and any
Any creature with professional knowledge of
damage in excess of its Health applies to its statue form, nature that sees the moss can make an Intellect
which has Health 20. roll. On a success, the creature identities the id
moss.

33
 Countermeasures Only acid or corrosives can Any creature that moves across the lattice loses
destroy id moss. Dealing 10 damage or more with Health as described.
such substances clears a zone of the id moss. Clues A creature inspecting the border spots the
carved glyphs.
Invisible Predator Trap A creature inspecting the glyphs with an effect
that reveals magic sees an aura around them. A
Magic in the zone forms an invisible predator
successful Intellect roll made by this creature
when a creature enters the zone without first
reveals the nature of the trap.
speaking the magic word which neutralizes the
Countermeasures Any effect that ends magic
effect for 1 minute. Once formed, the invisible
created by spells of the master tier or lower
predator follows the creature responsible for its
neutralizes the trap.
creation and takes a turn to attack the first time
the creature uses an action to attack or cast a spell.
The predator attacks this creature until it kills it or Lightning Pillar
it itself is destroyed. The trap can produce one A rune-carved pillar rises from the floor at the
invisible predator at a time. If the predator is zone’s center, topped with a copper ring. If a
destroyed, the trap immediately resets itself. creature enters the zone without first speaking a
word of command, the lightning pillar activates
Invisible Predator
Level 3 Defense 13 Health 33
and an arc of lightning leaps from it toward the
Strength 13 (+3) Agility 13 (+3) creature. The creature makes an Agility roll. If it
Immune asleep, blinded, controlled, dazed, deafened, wears metal armor or is made of metal, it makes
frightened, poisoned, stunned, unconscious, weakened; fire; the roll with 1 bane. On a failure, the creature
deprivation, exposure, infection, suffocation
Invisible An invisible predator is always invisible.
takes 3d6 damage, and becomes dazed and
Awareness The invisible predator knows the location of each catches fire (luck ends both). Henceforth, the
creature and object within three zones of it. lightning pillar sends lighting at a randomly
Silent An invisible predator makes sound when it moves only if determined creature in its zone or an adjacent one
it chooses to do so.
Melee—Fists (concussing) Strength with 2 boons against
at the end of each round. If there are no eligible
Agility. On a success, the target takes 3d6 damage. targets, the trap effect ends and resets.
Clues A creature inspecting the pillar with an
Clues A previous victim of the trap might effect that reveals magic sees an aura around
appear somewhere near the trapped zone. The them. A successful Intellect roll made by this
victim’s injuries suggest it was beaten to death. creature reveals the nature of the trap.
Any effect that reveals magic shows an aura The characters might find the word that
around the chest. A successful Intellect roll by a neutralizes the trap in a nearby zone.
creature that can see this aura identifies the trap’s Countermeasures The pillar can be attacked. It
functions. has Health 20. Destroying it neutralizes the trap.
The characters might find the word that
neutralizes the trap in a nearby zone. Magical Mouth
Countermeasures Any effect that ends magic Magic causes a mouth to appear on a surface in the
created by spells of the expert tier or lower zone long enough to speak its message. The mouth
destroys the trap. speaks in a booming voice, that counts as a shout.
It might shout about the presence of intruders or
Light Lattice it might give the intruders a riddle to solve. It can
Tiny magical glyphs appear on all sides of an open say anything you choose.
border. When a creature moves across the border, Clues A creature examining the zone with an
the glyphs glow and release beams of solidified effect that reveals magic sees an aura where the
light across the border that obstruct the border for mouth will appear. A successful Intellect roll made
1 hour. The creature that triggered the trap makes by this creature reveals the nature of the trap.
a luck roll with 1 bane. If the creature ran, it makes Countermeasures Any effect that ends magic
the roll with 1 boon instead. created by spells of the expert tier or lower
On a failure, the creature loses 6d6 Health. On a destroys the trap.
success, roll a d6. On a 3 or less, the creature
stopped before it crossed the border. On a 4 or
higher, the creature reached the other side of the
border before the trap triggered.

34
Maiming Blade or black ink. When a creature of flesh and blood
enters the zone, the writing on the wall emits
A large stone door blocks further ingress into the bright light for a moment as necromantic magic
environment. A depression in the center of the infuses the corpses, turning them into 3d6
door grants access to a handle that turns necromantic thralls. The undead take their turns
clockwise or counterclockwise. A creature that during the next round, standing up and attacking
places its hand (or some other appendage) in the the nearest enemies. The undead pursue fleeing
depression and turns the handle clockwise causes creatures. They use the following rules.
a blade to slam down on the appendage, severing
it. The creature loses 2d6 Health and an additional Necromantic Thrall
1 Health at the end of each round until it heals any Level 1/2 Defense 11 Health 10
Strength 10 (+0) Agility 11 (+1)
damage or a creature with a healer’s kit uses it to Immune asleep, blinded, controlled, dazed, deafened,
stanch the wound. frightened, poisoned, stunned, weakened; deprivation,
Clues Blood might stain the opening and there exposure, infection, suffocation
might be the remains of severed limbs nearby. Fearsome The necromantic thrall imposes 1 bane on rolls to
attack it. A creature immune to the frightened affliction is
A character investigating the depression can immune to this trait.
make an Intellect roll and, on a success, finds the Undead A necromantic thrall is not alive. While it is not
trap. injured, it takes half damage from weapons.
Countermeasures It takes a creature 1 minute Awareness The necromantic thrall knows the location of each
creature and object within three zones of it.
of work with a tool kit and a successful Agility roll Melee—Claws (keen +1d6) Agility with 1 boon against
made with 1 bane to disarm the trap. Defense. On a success, the target takes 1d6 damage.
The door can be destroyed. It has Health 100.
Clues Any creature that can read Arcane can see
Melodious Sphere that the writing on the wall is some kind of
A crystal sphere sits on a tripod somewhere in the powerful Necromancy. A successful Intellect roll
zone. Anyone in an adjacent zone can hear faint reveals the nature of the trap.
music coming from the zone, though not the Countermeasures Any effect that ends magic
music’s source. For any creature not deafened in created by spells of the master tier or lower
the trapped zone, the music drowns out any other neutralizes the trap. Destroying all the undead
sound. The creature in the zone that hears the also disarms the trap.
music makes a Will roll and, on a failure, becomes
enchanted by the sphere until it leaves the zone or Needle Bush
the sphere is destroyed. The needle bush grows in temperate plains,
A creature enchanted by the sphere cannot leave prairies, and open hills, where it can distribute its
the zone under its own power and regards any seeds without interference. The needle bush
other creature in its zone as its enemy, attacking it recalls the juniper in appearance, except it has
on each of its turns. If there are no other creatures golden needles instead of bluish ones. They grow
in the zone, he enchanted creature is stunned until in clumps, reach about four feet in height.
another creature enters the zone. At the end of the round, if there’s one creature of
Clues A creature outside the zone that hears the flesh or blood or more in its zone, make a luck roll.
faint music can listen to its melody. After 1 minute, On a success, the needle bush releases its needle-
the creature can make an Intellect roll and, on a shaped seed pods with force in all directions. Each
success, feels disturbed by the music. creature in the zone makes a luck roll. It makes the
The trap might have a creature enchanted roll with 1 boon if it wears medium or heavy
already. armor. It succeeds on the roll if it is made of stone
Countermeasures The sphere can be attacked. or metal. On a failed roll, the creature loses 1d6
It has Health 20. If destroyed, the sphere explodes Health and becomes Agility impaired until it or
to cause each creature in its zone to lose 1d6 another creature uses an action to pull out the
Health from the concussive energy the trap needles.
releases. A needle bush can release its needles three
times. When it releases them for the final time, it
Necromantic Surprise replenishing its needles after 24 hours.
Dead bodies cover the floor of a zone and its walls Clues Anyone with professional knowledge of
and ceiling bear marks of wild writing in charcoal nature that can see the needle bush identifies it
with a successful Intellect roll.

35
 Countermeasures A needle bush has Health 20 creature steps on the pressure plate, which causes
and takes double damage from fire. Destroying the a barrage of poisoned darts to fly from the walls at
needle bush neutralizes its threat. differing heights. Each creature in the zone other
than the one who triggers the trap loses 1d6
Net Trap Health and makes a luck roll. On a failure, the
creature loses an additional 1d6 Health and
A net has been tied to the ceiling. When a creature
becomes poisoned (luck ends).
enters the room, secretly make a luck roll on that
Clues Inspecting the walls reveals the presence
creature’s behalf. On a failure, the creature steps
of holes and light shone into the holes reveals the
on the tripwire, which releases the net to fall onto
darts’ glistening tips.
it. See chapter 6 for the net’s rules.
Inspecting the floor at the end of the zone
Clues Any creature searching the floor of the
reveals the pressure plate.
zone spots the tripwire. Any creature looking up
Countermeasures It takes 1 hour of work with
sees the net.
a tool kit in the zone and a successful Intellect roll
Countermeasures A creature can spend 1
made with 1 bane to disarm this trap.
minute working with a tool kit to disarm the trap.

Pit Trap Poisoned Handle

A nasty poison covers a door handle. Anyone
A tarp or thin wooden cover hides a deep pit. A
touching the handle with bare skin becomes
creature that moves onto the cover causes it to
poisoned (luck ends). The poison’s virulence
collapse. The falling creature makes an Agility roll
imposes 1 bane on rolls made to end this affliction.
with 1 bane and, on a success, leaps to safety, or
Clues Inspecting the handle reveals the poison.
falls to the bottom, losing 1d6 Health on a failure.
Countermeasures Liquid applied to the handle
Some pits have spikes lining the bottom, in
cleans it of the poison.
which case the fallen creature loses 2d6 Health
instead. The spikes might also be smeared with
poison too. If so, the creature makes a Strength roll Poisoned Needle Trap
and becomes poisoned (luck ends) on a failure. A poisoned needle hides inside of a luck to punish
Clues Inspecting the floor reveals the covering anyone attempting to open the lock without using
and the pit below it. a key. A creature that uses lockpicks on the lock
Countermeasure Placing a door or boards must make an Agility roll with 2 banes. On a
across the pit opening enables creatures to move failure, the creature loses 1 Health and becomes
across the pit without triggering it. poisoned (luck ends). The poison’s virulence
imposes 1 bane on rolls made to end this affliction.
Poison Gas Trap Clues Careful inspection of the lock, for at least
1 minute, reveals the needle.
A poison gas trap protects a container. Opening
Countermeasures A creature with a tool kit can
the container releases the gas into the zone. Each
spend 1 minute working to disarm this trap.
creature in the zone with the gas makes a Strength
roll and, on a failure, loses 1d6 Health and
becomes poisoned (luck ends). Portcullis Trap
Clues The gas might leak out of the container, A treasure chest, closed door, food, or something
leaving a residue around the edge or offering an else serves as the trap’s bait. When a creature
unpleasant smell. interacts with the bait, a heavy, metal portcullis
Countermeasures Wind disperses the gas. falls down to close one or more entrances to the
A poison gas trap normally protects a chest or zone.
some other similar container that can be sealed. A creature in the entrance is hit by the falling
Opening the container releases the trapped gas portcullis and loses 1d6 Health. The creature
that then dissipates. makes an Agility roll with 1 bane. On a failure, the
creature falls prone and becomes immobilized by
Poisoned Dart Trap the portcullis. On a success, roll a d6. On a 3 or
less, the creature leaps back from the portcullis.
At the far end of a zone is a pressure plate. When a
On a 4 or higher, the creature leaps beyond the
creature attempts to move out of the zone in a way
portcullis.
that would cross the plate, secretly make a luck
roll on the creature’s behalf. On a failure, the

36
 Clues Careful inspection of the bait reveals that Immune asleep, blinded, controlled, dazed, deafened,
frightened, poisoned, stunned, unconscious, weakened;
it sits on a pressure plate.
damage from fire; deprivation, exposure, infection,
Countermeasures A creature with a tool kit can suffocation
spend 10 minutes working to disarm this trap. Awareness The projectile turret knows the location of each
The portcullis ignores damage from weapons creature and object within three zones of it.
Ranged—Projectile (brutal) Agility with 1 boon against
other than heavy weapons. The portcullis has
Defense. On a success, the target takes 2d6 damage.
Health 20.
A creature with a Strength 14 or higher can lift Clues Characters searching the floor of the zone
the portcullis with a successful Strength roll. find the pressure plate. Anyone that can see in the
zone containing the ballista can see it.
Prison of Amber Countermeasures It takes 1 hour of work with
An invisible rune covers the face of an object in the a tool kit in the zone and a successful Intellect roll
zone, usually at a place that must be touched in made with 1 bane to disarm this trap.
order to open the object such as the lid of a chest Destroying the turret also disarms the trap.
or a door handle. Any creature that touches the
trap, causes the rune to spray magical amber- Rolling Boulder
colored liquid at the creature. The creature makes A tripwire stretched across the end of a long
an Agility roll with 1 bane. On a failure, the passage consisting of five zones or more releases a
substance covers the creature’s body and hardens boulder when tripped. The boulder rolls down
at the end of the round, which causes the creature from above and lands on the floor of the tripwire’s
to become immobilized and stunned. While it has zone and then rolls forward two zones each round
these afflictions, the creature cannot breathe. until it comes to the end.
Once activated, the trap resets itself 1 minute Any creature in the boulder’s path makes a
later. Strength roll to outrun the boulder or an Agility
Clues If the trap has been triggered before, roll to dodge it. On a failure, the boulder rolls over
there might be amber colored shards on the the creature, causing it to lose 10d6 Health, fall
ground or even a creature fully encased in the prone, and become dazed (luck ends).
substance. Any magical effect that reveals magic Clues A creature searching the floor of the
also reveals the rune. A creature that can see the furthest zone finds the tripwire. Bright light in that
rune can make an Intellect roll and identifies the zone also reveals the boulder above.
trap on a success. Countermeasures It takes 1 hour of work with
Countermeasures A codeword spoken aloud in a tool kit in the zone and a successful Intellect roll
the trap’s zone neutralizes the rune for 1d6 made with 1 bane to disarm this trap.
minutes and this word might be found elsewhere
in the environment.
If a creature becomes trapped, the shell can be Rune Trap
destroyed. It is an object with a Health score of 40. A magical rune hides in otherwise ordinary script.
Destroying the shell ends the afflictions on the Any creature that reads the script triggers the
creature. trap, causing the rune to burn the script and blast
the reader with fire. The reader loses 1d6 Health
Projectile Turret and makes an Agility roll. On a failure, the reader
loses an additional 2d6 Health and catches fire
A pressure plate activates a self-loading ballista in (luck ends).
a zone within three zones. When a creature enters Clues Any effect that reveals magic reveals the
the zone containing the pressure plate, secretly presence of the magical rune. A creature that
make a luck roll on the creature’s behalf. On a perceives the rune can make an Intellect roll with
failure, the creature triggers the trap, which 1 bane and, on a success, recognize the rune for
causes the ballista to gain the animated object trait what it is.
and attack immediately. The ballista can make ten Countermeasures Any effect that ends magic
attacks before it runs out of ammunition. It uses created by spells of the expert tier or lower
the following rules. disarms the trap. Destroying the object holding
Projectile Turret the writing also neutralizes the trap.
Level 1 Defense 10 Health 13
Strength 5 (–5) Agility 10 (+0)

37
Skinworm Colony with 1 bane. On a failure, the creature loses 2d6
Health and becomes immobilized. If the spear is
Parasites infest carcasses in warm, dark places. broken (Health 20), the creature ends the
When a creature of flesh and blood handles and affliction.
infested carcass, make a secret luck roll on that Clues Anyone searching the floor spots the trap.
creature’s behalf. On a failure, the skinworms gain Countermeasures It takes 1 minute of work
purchase in the creature’s flesh. At the end of each with a tool kit in the zone and a successful
round, the creature loses 1d6 Health from the Intellect roll to disarm this trap.
worms burrowing through its body.
A creature infested with worms that takes 15
damage or more from cold, lightning, or fire Spider Webs
overcomes this effect. Giant spiders stretch webs to obstruct borders.
Clues A creature that studies the carcasses for 1 The webs are nearly invisible such that any
minute or longer sees that something seems to be creature moving across the border makes a luck
moving under its flesh. For each minute the roll. If the creature is running or flying, it makes
creature watches, it can make a luck roll. On a the roll with 1 bane. On a failure, the creature
success, the creature sees a worm emerge from becomes immobilized by the webs, while on a
the carcass and then dig back in. success, the creature sees the webs first. A
Countermeasures Burning a carcass destroys creature immobilized by the webs can overcome
the infestation. the affliction with a successful Strength roll made
with 1 bane.
Smothering Rug Clues Anyone searching the border spots the
webs.
A magical rug covers half the floor in a zone. When Countermeasures Fire clears webbing away
a creature steps on the rug, the material gains the from a border.
animated object trait and attacks the creature
using the following rules. SYMBOLISM TRAPS
Many spells from the Symbolism tradition create effects
Smothering Rug that serve well as traps. Simply place the spell effect in
Level 2 Defense 12 Health 20
Strength 12 (+2) Agility 12 (+2)
the zone you would trap and resolve its effects when a
Immune asleep, blinded, controlled, dazed, deafened, creature triggers it.
frightened, poisoned, stunned, unconscious, weakened; fire;
deprivation, exposure, infection, suffocation
Awareness The projectile turret knows the location of each Teleporter Trap
creature and object in its zone. Magic protects an object. When a creature touches
Ranged—Pseudopod Strength with 1 boon against Agility. On it without speaking the magic word first, the
a success, the target takes 1d6 damage, falls prone, and
becomes grabbed until it overcomes the effect. While magic teleports the creature to the top of a stack of
grabbed, the target cannot stand up, is weakened, and loses up to six zones somewhere in the environment,
1d6 Health at the end of each round. The rug uses an action where the creature then falls to the bottom.
on each of its turns to maintain the grab. Clues The magical word ought to be findable in
a nearby zone.
Clues Any effect that reveals magic reveals the Any effect that reveals magic reveals magic
magical rug. A creature that perceives the magic affecting the object. A creature that perceives the
can make an Intellect roll with 1 bane and, on a magic can make an Intellect roll with 1 bane and,
success, recognize the rug for what it is. on a success, recognize the trap’s effects.
Countermeasures Destroying the rug disarms Countermeasures Any effect that ends magic
this trap. created by spells of the master tier or lower
disarms the trap.
Spear Trap
Stepping on a tile on the floor causes a metal spear Terror Skull
to shoot up from below to impale the creature that A human or animal skull floats in the air or has
triggers this trap. Whenever a creature enters or been affixed to a wall in plain view. When a
moves in the zone containing this trap and the creature enters the zone containing the skull, the
trap has not yet been triggered, make a luck roll skull’s jaw drops open and the skull shrieks. Each
secretly on the creature’s behalf. On a failure, the creature within three zones of the skull that can
creature triggers the trap and makes an Agility roll hear it makes a Will roll with 1 bane. On a failure,

38
the creature becomes frightened of the skull (luck white flower. The leaves appear dewy, dotted with
ends). While frightened in this way, the creature beads of moisture.
must run away from the skull. If it can’t run any The plant gives off an alluring scent. A creature
farther, it becomes stunned until it is no longer of flesh and blood that moves to within six zones
frightened. of the trapper plant makes a Will roll. On a failure,
Clues Any effect that reveals magic reveals the creature becomes Intellect impaired (luck
magic affecting the skull. A creature that perceives ends). While Intellect impaired in this way, the
the magic can make an Intellect roll with 1 bane creature must end its turn closer to the trapper
and, on a success, recognize the trap’s effects. plant than where it began or lose 1d6 Health. Once
Countermeasures The skull can be destroyed. it enters the plant’s zone, the creature becomes
It has Health 10. Destroying the skull disarms the stunned for as long as it remains Intellect
trap. impaired.
A deafened creature is immune to the trap’s When a creature moves into the plant’s zone, the
effects. sticky leaves cause the creature to become
immobilized until the trapper plant is
Three Lever Trap incapacitated or the creature overcomes the
affliction with a successful Strength roll made with
A lowered portcullis blocks the way, but a set of
1 bane. At the end of each round an immobilized
three levers jut from a nearby wall. The levers are
creature is in the plant’s zone, the creature loses
all in a middle position when found. A three lever
1d6 Health.
trap requires a combination of lever positions to
Clues Any creature with professional
raise the portcullis, such as left up, middle down,
knowledge of nature that sees the plant
right up. Moving any individual lever produces no
automatically identifies it.
effect, but once the third lever has been moved
Countermeasures Alcohol or acid removes the
into a position, either the portcullis lifts up into
immobilized affliction from a creature in the
the ceiling, or a barrage of darts fly from the walls.
plant’s zone.
Each creature in the zone of flying darts makes a
The plant has Health 40. Destroying it
luck roll. On a failure, the darts strike the creature,
neutralizes this trap.
which causes the creature to lose 1d6 Health and
become poisoned (luck ends). On a success, the
darts miss the creature.
The trap can launch the darts three times before
Diseases
it exhausts its supply. Many plagues, illness, and other infections pose
Clues Characters searching the floor of the zone grave danger to people in the world. Chapter 1
might find, with a successful luck roll, a spent dart. explains how diseases work and the rules serve
Those examining the walls find round openings well for the normal kinds of infections characters
from which the darts are fired. Somewhere nearby, might contract as they explore unclean and toxic
there ought to be a hint about the proper environments. The following diseases offer a few
arrangement of levers. specific examples that use the basic rules for
Countermeasures The characters can destroy infection unless otherwise specified.
the portcullis, but its construction renders it Eye Blight: A disease infamous for its ability to
immune to damage from all but heavy weapons. A cause blindness, it spreads through contaminated
character with a 16 Strength or higher can attempt water. A creature affected by the disease cannot
to bend the bars by making a Strength roll. Finally, see outside of its zone. In addition, each time it
a character with a tool kit can attempt to disarm fails a roll to resist the infection, the creature
the trap, an effort that takes 1 hour and a becomes blinded for 24 hours. If the creature fails
successful Intellect roll made with 1 bane at the three rolls, the blindness becomes permanent.
end of this time. Fool’s Folly: One of the more insidious diseases,
the infected lose the ability to have coherent
Trapper Plant thoughts and they become disagreeable, aggrieved
about everything, and suspicious of others. The
A sickly-sweet odor betrays the presence of a disease spreads through proximity to carriers. A
trapper plant long before anyone can see it. The creature infected with this disease reduces its
plant grows from a central root and has six to Intellect by 6 until it overcomes the infection.
eight leaves that lay flat around a central yellow-

39
 Control and Behavior
Hateful Ends: A brutal stomach ailment, the
afflicted find themselves gripped with cramps,
high fevers, and explosive diarrhea. The disease Players in control of their characters decide how
spreads through contaminated food and drink. A their character behave, act, and react to situations.
creature makes rolls to resist the disease’s effects Unless under some magical or supernatural effect,
with 1 bane. the players decide what they think is true, what is
Shuddering Pox: The high fever that comes false, how they feel, and how they interpret their
from this foul disease causes the sickened to shake perceptions. Never tell the players that their
uncontrollably. Itchy red blisters pop up all over characters are angry, feel love or affection, or any
the skin and burst to drain and spread the other emotion unless some outside effect forces
infection to others. A creature that survives this them to feel in a particular way. Furthermore, the
infection after loses 10 Health to it or more is rules for social interaction allow the players’
permanently scarred by it. characters to modify opinions and attitudes of the
Soul Sickness: The infection responsible for characters you control, but does not work the
creating orcs, it spreads by physical contact. other way around. You do not make rolls against
Rather than make a Strength roll to avoid the players’ characters in social situations.
infection, the creature makes a Will roll. While
infected, a creature does not lose Health from
failed rolls. Instead, the creature regards all other Conversational
creature not infected with soul sickness as
enemies. After three failed rolls, the effect
transforms the creature into an orc.
Roleplaying
When many hear “roleplaying,” images of people
Stone Scale: A strange ailment believed to
sitting around and talking in funny voices come to
source from the Jungles of Za, the afflicted develop
mind. While it’s perfectly fine to alter your voice to
thick, scaly patches that harden into stone unless
match what you imagine your character sounds
treated with small doses of acid on the patches
like or use expressions you think reflect the
that appear. While suffering from this infection, a
fantastical nature of the game, such performances
creature must either give up an action or a move
represent only a fraction of how roleplaying
on each of its turns, makes rolls to resist the
shakes out in a session. People might explain what
disease with 1 bane, and loses twice as much
their characters say in the same manner that they
Health with each failed roll. A creature reduced to
explain what their characters do in combat, or
0 Health dies and becomes a stone statue.
they might adopt a conversational tone, using
Zombie Plague: A vile disease, it kills its
their normal voices and idioms, or go all the way
victims and turns their corpses into zombies. The
in by wearing costumes and demonstrating their
disease spreads by biting. A creature makes rolls
full thespian skills, or lack thereof. You might have
to resist the infection with 2 boons and loses 3d6
a preference, but everyone has different comfort
Health each time it fails a roll. A creature that dies
levels when it comes to roleplaying their
rises up as a zombie a few minutes later. As a
characters and so long as they remain true to the
zombie, it uses none of its original rules.
characters they play, there’s no wrong way to do it.
Conversational roleplaying then describes the

Roleplaying
Roleplaying touches every aspect of game play.
dialogue that occurs between characters in the
game, whether those characters are controlled by
the players or you. The point of these interactions
depends on the scene. The characters might play
You and the players are roleplaying whenever you through a minor scene that involves ordering a
make decisions in the game based not on what you meal in a roadside inn or engage in a complicated
would yourselves would do, but rather what the scene wherein their characters hope to sway a
characters you play do. When a player chooses for noble into raising troops to help defend a rival
their character to attack a foe threatening a friend, lord’s holdings from an imminent invasion of
or a player opts to haggle with a merchant over beastmen. Characters use conversational
the price of a sword, or even when players make roleplaying to gain information, to persuade
selections about what paths to choose from story others into performing some activity, deceive
reasons over optimization, they’re roleplaying. people, intimidate, interrogate, woo potential

40
romantic partners, and foster goodwill that might thus never smile, while others reject the ideas of
blossom into lasting friendships. ownership and share everything they have.
Communities also place expectations on its
SAFE SPACES members. One town might expect military service
The play part of this game means people should be
from every abled bodied person, while another
having fun when it’s all said and done. To have fun,
people need to know they are in a safe place, a place
permits no one to carry weapons larger than
free from anything they might find offensive, disturbing, knives. Some refuse to permit certain animals,
or otherwise upsetting. It’s crucial that you respect while others might allow livestock to roam freely
others’ boundaries and to enforce those boundaries through the streets.
even with other players. For example, I don’t enjoy Each also sets aside days for celebration. Holy
graphic scenes of animal harm, so I don’t explore this in days, anniversaries of historical events, days
my games and encourage others to respect my tastes. If marking the change of seasons, celestial events,
the game goes in a direction that is particularly dark, if and more. Communities might have great festivals,
you see any signs of distress retreat and take the story in involving feasting and parades, during these times,
a different direction. If you’re unsure, periodically pause or hold special religious gatherings, or expect that
to gauge the players’ comfort levels. Keeping the game no commerce be conducted during these times.
safe and fun makes you one of the best Sages you can Dress: The clothes people wear can also help
be. you establish a group identity. Trousers and shirts,
with cloaks, shawls, capes, or coats might be the
Extras norm, but color, cut, and style can add an
interesting level of detail without a great deal of
The characters have opportunities to encounter work. Dyes, for example, depend on access to
other people wherever the group goes in the materials. Some places might have drab colors,
game. When they enter an inhabited town, all the using grasses, flowers, rust, and charcoal to stain
townspeople are assumed to be every bit as real their clothing, while a coastal settlement might
and dynamic as the characters under the players’ have access to a beautiful purple dye gained from
control. Such ordinary folk have goals, the ink of a squid that swims in nearby waters.
motivations, secrets, regrets, hopes, passions, Some places might have a modest style of dress,
along with connections to other people such as in which no one shows any skin beyond their eyes,
their coworkers, friends, family, and while others go about in little more than
acquaintances. However, it’s unrealistic to expect breechclouts and sandals. Style of dress reflects
you to know the story of even a few of these social mores, but also climate and geography.
bystanders and “extras” that make up the people Trust: When it comes to how people in a
living in a random town in the borderlands or community deals with strangers, it’s a matter of
elsewhere. Rather, the goal ought to be creating trust. Many people never travel more than a few
the illusion of a vibrant, thriving community made miles from their village and thus never see people
up of individuals. who don’t look like their own social circles. In
large, cosmopolitan cities, people of all ancestries
Group Identity gather and mingle, so someone coming from a
Large groups of people tend to have group identity faraway place and in unusual dress and with an
in additional to their personal identities. The odd way of speaking would hardly warrant a
group identity defines certain expectations about raised eyebrow.
belonging to the community and delineates the Often, trust arises from local history. A
boundaries between acceptable behavior and community that has had bad dealings with
unacceptable behavior. When you plan to brigands might have good reason to be cautious
introduce an urban environment of any size, around strangers. Add to this the possibility of
establish some or all of the following view shape-changing faeries, hideous undead,
commonly held by the people in the community. monsters, people might close their doors to
Customs: A community’s customs describe the newcomers, if they don’t chase them out of town.
overall common behavior one might expect from Restrictions: Communities all have their own
the people living there. People might use a ideas about what a person can do and can’t. As a
particular greeting or farewell, might shake hands general rule, people frown on or punish those who
or kiss cheeks, or never touch at all. Some peoples violate the most basic and commonly held beliefs
might consider it rude to show their teeth and about law—murder, wanton acts of destruction,
theft, assault should be criminal offenses in most

41
places. Some communities have strange ideas characters might meet and with which they might
about what is done. One town has a strict curfew interact. Note that these tables assume human
starting at nightfall. A village has a law against peoples. You should adjust entries to suit
drinking water from the creek. A hamlet makes it a members of other ancestries. Roll a d6 to find the
punishable offense to harm a pig, enter a table and a d20 to find the entry on that table.
graveyard after dark, or even speak in the
presence of a religious leader. There’s no need to TABLE 1: APPEARANCE
d20 Appearance Trait
come up with an exhaustive set of freedoms and 1 Ugly
restrictions, but adding one or two adds color to 2 Short
the places visited. 3 Hairy
Religion: Another aspect of community building 4 Birthmark
involves the sharing of beliefs about the gods. 5 Missing digits or appendage
Large communities might have two or more active 6 Thin
religions, but many smaller ones revere a 7 Missing facial feature
pantheon of related gods, a subset of those gods, 8 Unusual coloration
or even just one particular deity who watches over 9 Tattoos, scars
them. Communities with strict religious views 10 Grubby
might disallow priests of other faiths from 11 Clean
practicing their religion, displaying symbols, or 12 Piercings
speaking of it, lest they offend the local deity. 13 Plain
14 Attractive facial features
Current Events: Finally, people in a community
15 Corpulent
talk about important events that affect directly
16 Extra digit
their lives and livelihoods. A people might be 17 Pockmarks
worried about a hostile tribe of wargs who keep 18 Hairless
stealing their livestock, the earl’s newest round of 19 Tall
taxes, a family who suffered a recent, public 20 Beautiful
disgrace, or some strange sign spotted in the sky.
People don’t often know much more about the TABLE 2: POSITIVE PERSONALITY
lands beyond their towns and villages; one would d20 Positive Personality Trait
have to travel to a large city to get a better sense of 1 Patient
regional news. 2 Generous
3 Positive
Current events can inform the players about the
4 Friendly
locals’ worries and their hopes for the future. If a 5 Compassionate
nearby town succumbed to the soul sickness and 6 Honest
the people there turned into orcs, the locals will be 7 Gregarious
helpful to characters who have come to combat 8 Brilliant
the orc threat. The same is true for any trouble 9 Charming
that might cast a shadow on a people. 10 Good
11 Honorable
Individual Traits 12
13
Clever
Funny
Once you determine the general nature of the 14 Bold
people in a community, you should have a good 15 Eager
idea about how people will behave when they 16 Tolerant
meet strangers or travelers and portray them in an 17 Upbeat
appropriate manner. People are often more than 18 Present
their tribal association. They have individual traits 19 Helpful
that set them apart from others. 20 Kind
You don’t need a detailed background for
bystanders and extras, but it is good to have one TABLE 3: NEGATIVE PERSONALITY
d20 Negative Personality Trait
element to make the character more memorable
1 Impatient
and one that you can build upon if the character
2 Rude
becomes more important as the story develops. 3 Afraid
You can use the following tables to general 4 Aggrieved
individual traits for the various people the 5 Sarcastic

42
6 Gruff 19 Irritating laugh
7 Stubborn 20 Substance-dependent
8 Sneaky
9 Cruel TABLE 6: WEIRDNESS
10 Evil d20 Weirdness Trait
11 Erratic 1 Has a tooth growing out from skull
12 Witless 2 Root vegetable blindness
13 Superior 3 Haunted
14 Disgusting 4 Cursed
15 Angry 5 Possessed
16 Cringing 6 Casts no shadow
17 Melancholic 7 Disappears on nights of a full moon
18 Disinterested 8 Has an invisible friend
19 Petty 9 Odd diet
20 Aggressive 10 Has weird religious beliefs
11 Has too many pets
TABLE 4: DISTINCTIVE IDENTITY 12 Can’t tell the truth
d20 Distinctive Identity 13 On a quest
1 Criminal 14 Has a bad case of the faeries
2 Healer 15 Total amnesia
3 Scholar 16 Living a lie
4 Religious leader 17 On the run
5 Student of magic 18 Misanthrope
6 Vagabond 19 Is a ghost
7 Former soldier 20 Has a weapon stuck somewhere in their body
8 Grave digger

Supporting
9 Aristocrat
10 Foreigner
11 Beggar
12
13
Noted entertainer
Noted artist or writer
Characters
14 Philosopher Above the bystanders and extras are the
15 Spy (roll again) supporting characters. These characters are the
16 Former adventurer groups’ contacts, nemeses, allies, and enemies.
17 Skilled artisan Their importance requires additional information
18 Hermit rules beyond a single trait to help you portray
19 Failed entrepreneur them in a pinch and might even require you to
20 Wastrel or gambler create rules for them. Typical supporting
characters follow.
TABLE 5: QUIRKS
d20 Quirks Trait
1 Always looks over shoulder Villains
2 Close talker A villain acts as a foil to the group and might be
3 Walks with a limp responsible for the circumstances leading to one
4 Overuses a word quest or several. A villain opposes the characters
5 Has a speech impediment in all that they do and orchestrates events to
6 Raps or cracks knuckles thwart their progress and prevent them from
7 Has a persistent cough completing a quest. A villain might be the
8 Perpetually clean adversary in a single quest or the primary
9 Irreligious antagonist for an entire campaign.
10 Delusions
11 Dramatic Contacts
12 Obsessed
As described earlier in this chapter, contacts, or
13 Secret devotion to obscene power
connections, are friendly characters who aid the
14 Falls asleep when under stress
15 Flamboyant characters in their quest in a particular manner.
16 Silent For more information on these characters, see
17 Gabbles page #@.
18 Disguising habit

43
Patrons Goals: Come up with the one thing the character
A patron can be anyone who recruits the group to wants more than anything. Examples include
undertake a quest and fulfills some or all of the wealth, fame, security, and revenge.
rewards for the completion of the quest. Patrons Motivation: Determine the driving force behind
are friendly to the characters and want them to the character’s goal. Possibilities include grief,
succeed in their quests, so they lend what aid they love, a false belief, love, hate, peace, and hope.
can. The characters might have a different patron Methods: The methods describe what the
for each quest, for a tier of quests, or for an entire character does to achieve the goal. The method
campaign. should be something distinctive—sabotage,
murder, charitable acts, performances, and the
Hirelings like. Beyond coming up with the primary method
The characters might employ hirelings to help the character uses, think too about specific
them on their quests. Hirelings can be examples.
mercenaries, porters, torchbearers, scholars, and Physical Details: Like the extras, the
anyone else with a desirable profession. Hirelings supporting character needs a few descriptive
might have any disposition toward the characters, hooks to make the character more memorable. You
but remain in service for as long as they are can use tables above for inspiration, but it’s best to
compensated for doing so. come up with distinctive qualities that make the
character stand out. Focus on body and posture,
Scene and Recurring Characters style of dress, distinctive features, mannerisms,
Finally, all other important characters count as and how the character might speak.
scene or recurring characters. A scene character Assets: A supporting character’s assets describe
plays an important part to a particular scene or what the character can use to secure goals. For
series of scenes in a quest, while a recurring hirelings, these might be nothing more than the
character might feature in scenes across multiple items they carry. For patrons and contacts, these
quests. Scene and recurring characters might be could be shops, strongholds, soldiers and guards,
promoted from extras. and coin. Villains might have underlings who
handle tasks in the field, each of which might be a
supporting characters, minions such as cultists,
Creating Supporting flagellants, orcs, beastmen, or undead to carry out
Characters their orders, as well as artifacts, magic, and
Each supporting character needs definition to 44anything else that you choose. You need not
fulfil its function in the quests. This details goes have a comprehensive list of assets, since ongoing
beyond what you give to extras since the players’ villains might acquire and lose assets as the
characters interact with supporting characters in a characters play through quests, but have a robust
more meaningful way. However, detail does not selection can give you the tools you need to have
have to be exhaustive. You need just enough to these characters play their parts in the story.
understand the character’s past, motivations, Rules: You need rules for supporting characters
behavior, and physical details so you can present if you intend for them to appear in combat. A
the character to the players. villain might not have rules if the character stays
Background: Like the players’ characters, in the shadows and meddles with the group
supporting characters come from somewhere and through operatives and underlings. But if you
had experiences prior to their introduction in a intend for the characters to confront the villain,
quest. Come up with at least one major obviously you will need rules for such an
background event that can have contributed to the encounter.
character’s role in the quest—villain, scene If you need rules fast, simply find an enemy
character, hireling. described in chapter 10 that most closely matches
A villain might have been imprisoned by one of the supporting character you made. There are
the characters’ family members. A patron could plenty of options in that chapter, from
have gone on adventures with someone the group necromancers to demonists, pirate captains to
knows. A hireling might have fought in a battle devils, highborn faeries, hags, and more. Using the
about which a character heard. guidelines in that chapter, adjust the rules to fit
the secondary character. Or, you can “reskin” an
enemy by changing its name, the names of its

44
talents, and the story elements from its various significant risk to the character in question impose
abilities. 1 or more banes. If players act out what their
If you must create a character from scratch, you characters say, judge the performance not on the
can use the rules for creating characters in this delivery but on the content. Remember, some
book. Double the increases to Health from expert people are better actors than are others.
paths, and quadruple the increases to Health from Also, a target disposition also affects the roll.
master paths. Friendly targets might grant additional boons or
automatic successes, while unfriendly targets

Conversation impose additional banes or produce automatic

failures.
Most interactions involve conversations, banter,
and other basic verbal exchanges that might Objective
transmit information, greetings, farewells, and A social interaction has an objective, which it the
commerce. Since these exchanges produce little or desired outcome. Common objectives follow.
no meaningful development to the story, you can Perform an Activity: The goal is for the target
resolve them through description or to perform a specific activity that requires physical
conversational roleplay. effort. This might something as simple as opening
Off-hand Knowledge: After an extended period a door or as complex as going to the marketplace,
of conversation and banter in a social event, such finding a particular object, and bringing it back.
as a party or evening spent carousing, you can Gain Consent: The goal is for the target to agree
have the player involved make a luck roll and, on a to something or grant permission to do something.
success, the character learns something This might mean permission to take something or
interesting. The information might be germane to to enter a restricted space.
the current quest, foreshadow or plant the seeds Gain Something: The objective is for the target
for a future quest, or provide one or more world- to offer something—information, an amount of
building details to help the players become coin, or an object in the target’s possession.
immersed. Alter Disposition: The objective is for the
Complications: Conversation can run into target’s disposition toward the character or
complications, which might result in a social someone or something else to either improve by
interaction. A social gaffe might sour opinions of one step or worsen. A character might use the
the character, requiring quick wits and soothing social interaction to make the target friendly or to
words to repair the breach in conduct. Or, some bit turn the target against one of their friends.
of off-hand knowledge might lead to a deeper Limits: There are limits to what social
conversation that could produce an outcome that interaction can accomplish. Targets can be
affects the story’s development. convinced to take risks to themselves, but will not
put themselves in situations resulting in certain
Social Interaction death, the harm of loved ones, or a disastrous loss
of personal property. Magic might compel targets
More complex than conversation, simple social
to take such risks, but simple interactions cannot.
interactions occur to produce a clear outcome
using a particular conversational technique.
Essentially, the character aims to make a creature
Methods
act or behave in a way not normally consistent When deciding what attribute rolls the characters
with the way the character would act or behave. should make in social interaction, consider what
Examples include getting a guard to take a bribe, the player says during conversational roleplay and
securing a drink for free, extracting information find the method that best matches it.
from a prisoner. Deception: A character attempts to gain a
To accomplish this feat, you and the players desired activity under false pretenses or through
involved use a combination of conversational lies. The character outright lies, shades the truth,
roleplaying and attribute rolls. The players tell you or has no intention of upholding the bargain. The
what their characters say or act out their player’s character makes an Intellect roll against
characters and you call for a roll to see if their the target’s Intellect.
efforts worked. Solid logic, a convincing argument, Intimidation: A character attempts to produce
or favorable circumstances grant 1 or more boons the desired activity through threats, which might
to the roll, while faulty logic, a poor argument, or include bodily harm or harm to the target’s
friends, family, property, or reputation. The

45
player’s character makes an Intellect toll against get the truth might produce the desired
the target’s Will. information or lead to a social interaction as you
Persuasion: A character attempts to convince choose.
the target to perform an activity through logic,
diplomacy, or promise of reward. The character
makes a Will roll against the target’s Will.
Seduction: The character attempts to woo the
Combat
Often, the players’ characters meet enemies that
target by promising rewards in return for the want to harm, capture, or kill them. In such cases,
desired objective. The character makes a Will roll the players decide whether their characters fight,
against the target’s Intellect. flee, or surrender. If they fight, combat begins.
Chapter 1 describes the combat rules in full, so
Outcomes what follows here are tips for running successful
A successful roll gains the character the desired combats.
objective, while a failed one means the target
resists being influenced in this way. A result of 20
or higher might produce greater than expected
results, such as providing more information than
Setup
Prior to the combat’s start, you setup the scene.
requested or going above and beyond what was You do so by establishing the group’s starting
requested. A result of 0 less, though, means the positions based on what they were doing in the
target does the opposite of what was being time leading up to the combat and you do the
requested. same for the enemies. This can be as simple as
A failed roll typically makes the target immune having all the combatants start in the same zone
to further efforts of social interaction to achieve or in adjacent ones, or as complex as having the
the same objective, though you might allow a battle take place across a great many zones.
player to try again using a different method. A Be mindful of perception limitations. Poor
character might try the carrot first, attempting to lighting, obscurement, and intervening obstacles
seduce the target, but, when that fails, use the
stick by threatening the target’s family.
Other characters might also make the attempt in
place of the one who failed too. But, multiple
Enemies
A combat features one or more enemies. The
attempts to secure the same objective impose a number of enemies present depend on the group’s
cumulative 1 bane on rolls or might just fail as you tier and the enemies’ levels. You can find
decide. guidelines for typical encounters in the “Enemies”
chapter, which give you the baseline numbers of
Suspicion and foes for a combat of average difficulty. The game
expects groups to survive combats with a such a
Insight degree of difficulty. As the characters run through
their resources, these combats might become
When you engage in conversational roleplaying more and more difficult until the combat’s become
with the players’ characters, the players might impossible.
become suspicious of what you say, based on the You can make combats easier or harder by
content of what you say, and the players will reducing the number of enemies or adding more
invariably seek some way to determine if you are enemies, or treating the group as if it were at a
lying to them. Whenever the player asks if you are lower tier or a higher one. Since the aim is not to
lying to them or hiding something from them, you butcher the players’ characters, you should be
resolve this by making a roll for the character who prepared to make adjustments to the enemies as
is talking. Whether or not you are hiding you play through the quest. If it has been some
something or telling the truth, secretly make an time since the characters rested and they have
Intellect roll against the Intellect of the character depleted their resources, you can halve or even
who voiced their doubts. On a success, you can tell quarter the number of foes if they stumble into a
the player anything you choose. On a failure, you dangerous scene. Similarly, if the characters seem
must tell the character the truth: you were to be having too easy a time, add additional foes,
withholding information or something your one or two at a time.
character said sounds untrue. Further question to

46
Reinforcements some other unit of measurement. A combatant can
move up to 30 feet when walking or 60 feet when
New enemies might join a combat after it has running.
begun. In. the direction from which the For zones, simply assign them dimensions based on
reinforcements come, place the new enemies in their appearance and function. A typical zone covers a
the farthest zone from the closest character that space 30 feet on a side. When the rules enable an effect
this character can see at the end of the round in to occur when someone enters a zone, the effect occurs
which they are revealed. The new combatants when the creature moves to within 30 feet of the effect
then take their turns when they next can. to be triggered.

ABSTRACT ENGAGEMENT
Incapacitated Characters Engagement, as described in chapter 1, enable
Enemies ignore incapacitated characters. Avoid combatants to have some degree of battlefield control,
finishing off a player’s fallen character unless you but you can ignore this rule for faster and simpler play,
have good story reasons for doing so. especially when you do not use props to track
positioning. In abstract engagement, you just assume

Fleeing and Surrendering

each combatant can reach each other combatant in the
same zone. If a creature uses a weapon with the reach
Many enemies fight to the death only when they property, the creature can make melee attacks against
have no other choice. If a combat becomes targets in adjacent zones—for story purposes, the game
unwinnable for the enemies, they might flee or assumes the attacker moves the edge of the zone.
surrender. Enemies opt to flee first. If prevented
from doing so they fight on unless they have an
Intellect score of 10 or more. Such enemies weigh Dynamic Battlefields
their choices. If they think they will be spared by Combats can be exciting on their own, but can
surrendering, they drop their weapons and do so. become even less predictable and more exciting
Otherwise, they fight to the bitter end. when they take place in dynamic and interesting
Note, some enemies break these guidelines by environments. Certainly, fighting a giant in a wide-
dint of their nature. Demons, mindless or nearly open field can be fun, but battling a flock of
mindless undead, animated objects, enemies with vampire bats while crossing a rope bridges that
the Aggressive trait, all fight to the death. If an stretches from one side of the chasm to the other,
enemy has the Leadership trait, each ally is far more exciting. You might have the group
benefiting from this trait fights regardless of the battle a handful of orcs in an underground
circumstance until they no longer benefit or the chamber, but would this fight not be more
enemy with the trait surrenders. interesting if it took place on a crumbling staircase
while hidden archers take shots at the characters

Maps and Miniatures from the shadowed gallery?

Combats can become complex, with multiple Interesting Terrain

combatants moving from zone to zone, spells An interesting terrain includes any that requires
producing ongoing effects, and other some form of movement other than walking or
developments, so you might benefit from at least running. Navigating interesting terrain should
sketching out the various places where the require the combatant to make an attribute roll,
fighting happens. You can use a piece of paper and such that making one’s way across a slippery log
draw the various zones. Then, using chits, dice, to reach the far bank of a fast-flowing river would
beads, or toy soldiers to represent the various require an Agility roll, while an ascent up the vines
characters, you can track where each combatant to reach a platform holding the sniper might
happens to be. You might prefer a more elaborate require the character to make a Strength roll.
arrangement in which you use miniatures, wet- Cramped Spaces: Characters might have to
erase maps, scenery, or other props to track the squeeze through sewer passages, narrow fissure,
action. This is fine too. and other obstructed openings.
GRIDS AND MOVEMENT Narrow Surfaces: A narrow surface might be a
If you prefer, you can use gridded maps and movement ledge, tightrope, or a board lain across a pit. A
points in place of the abstract system of zones. If you do character moving across the surface must either
so, decide the space each square or hex covers. I prefer crawl or walk and make an Agility roll. On a
3-foot or 1-meter squares, but you might prefer 5-foot or

47
failure, the character makes no progress. On a MULTITARGET DAMAGE OR ONGOING DAMAGE
failure by 5 or more, the character falls. Level Minor Major
Slippery Surfaces: Ice and oil can make a Lethal
surface treacherous. A character moving across Starting — 1 1d6
the surface makes an Agility roll to maintain Novice 1 1d6 2d6
balance. A failure indicates no movement, while a Expert 1d6 2d6 4d6
failure by 5 or more means the character slips and Master 2d6 4d6 8d6
falls. Standing up from such surfaces might also
require a successful Agility roll as you decide. Aerial Combat
Unstable Surfaces: The deck of a storm-tossed Combat that takes place between flying
ship, a rope bridge in a high wind, and similar combatants uses the same rules as those that take
surfaces can send a character on them sprawling. place on the ground, with a few special
Not only should these surfaces count as considerations.
challenging terrain, the surface should move at the Three Dimensions: While combat on the
end of each round, forcing each standing creature ground can involve zones above the battlefield,
on them to make an Agility roll and, on a failure, aerial combat can see combatants flying up to
fall prone. higher zones and down to lower ones.
Dangerous Terrain: Pools of acid, caltrops, Wind: Strong gusts can scatter fliers. In windy
spikes, brambles, toxic gas, and other damaging conditions, roll a d6 at the end of each round. If
terrain might force characters to look for other you roll a 6, a gust blows through the zones
routes or contend with the terrain. For involved in the combat from a direction you
appropriate damage, see the Damage-Dealing choose. Each flying combatant makes a Strength
Features below. roll. On a failure, the combatant moves into an
adjacent zone in the direction the wind blows. If
Useable Features the result was 0 or less, the character falls one
Combatants can make use of features in their zone and can catch itself using the normal rules.
terrain. They might tip over a table to cover them Clouds: Clouds obscure zones as mist or fog.
against a volley of arrows, pull down a tapestry
onto an enemy’s head, leap to a chandelier and use Aquatic Combat
it to swing over to the balcony on the other side of Like aerial combat, aquatic combat makes use of
the room. Introducing these elements encourage all three dimensions, with the surface being the
the players to seek other ways of contending with topmost zone. Creatures lacking the Aquatic trait
their challenges than what they have recorded on find combat in aquatic zones more difficult as
their sheets. noted in chapter 1.
Some examples of useable features include Currents: Water currents can snag combatants
furniture, columns, statues, basins, torches, and drag them into adjacent or farther zones. In
braziers filled with burning coals, tapestries and turbulent conditions, roll a d6 at the end of each
banners, rigging and sails, and machinery. round. If you roll a 6, the water moves with sudden
Damage-Dealing Features: You can resolve the force, forcing all combatants to make Strength
use of these features by calling for attribute or rolls. On a failure, a combatant is pulled with the
luck rolls. If the feature would deal damage, you water into an adjacent zone. If the result was 0 or
can use the following chart to help you determine less, the combatant is carried 1 to 3 zones away.
the appropriate amount of damage by tier. Use this Cloudy Water: Sediment, kelp, bubbles and
table also for features characters under your froth, ink, and blood can obscure zones of water in
control use, sudden hazards, and other combat the manner of fog, gas, and similar effects on the
developments. surface.
SINGLE-TARGET DAMAGE
Level Minor Major Combat in Motion
Lethal A combat might occur during a chase. The group
Starting 1 1d6 2d6 might be in a wagon that’s being pursued by riders
Novice 1d6 2d6 4d6 or vice versa. Attacks between combatants depend
Expert 2d6 4d6 8d6 on relative positions. Attackers might leap from
Master 4d6 8d6 16d6
their mounts to land on a vehicle they pursue, or
attack the steeds that their enemies ride. You can

48
resolve these scenes as you normally do, but art objects, trade goods, and other valuables. The
impose banes when conditions are more difficult. following table shows typical treasure awards per
And, if a combatant falls off the moving vehicle, it character based on the tier of play.
takes damage (see Damage-Dealing Features) and
falls out of the combat as the rest of the TREASURE REWARDS
Tier GP per Character
combatants keep moving away. Starting 5 gp
Novice 10 gp
Random Developments Expert 25 gp
There’s nothing to prevent circumstances in Master 50 gp
combat from changing. In fact, the more the
circumstances change, the more exciting the Distributing Treasure
combat becomes. A Pyromancy spell might set a If you’re making your own quest, be sure to
zone on fire, forcing combatants to contend with distribute the treasure so that the characters find
the smoke and the flames. A loud noise might it throughout the quest. Most treasure rewards
cause the ceiling to give way, while an earthquake ought to come at the end of an act, with the largest
might cause sections of the floor to fall into share coming at the quest’s end.
darkness. A crumbling staircase might break apart
while the characters fight on it, or a ship might
founder in the storm, scattering everyone on deck. Valuables
You can introduce these developments Although the table above presents the treasure in
whenever if feels appropriate, but unless one side coin, you can freely change out the coin for other
has been prepared for the happening, the valuables. Maybe instead of finding 50 gp, the
development ought to affect everyone in the group finds a big, fat emerald, or a famous painting
affected zone. To resolve these developments, that has been long lost, or a sculpture of exquisite
simply use the existing rules. Maybe when blocks beauty. When distributing coins, also be sure to
start falling from the ceiling, you have each mix up the denominations. Giving more copper
combatant make an Agility roll at the end of the pieces at lower levels makes the rewards seem
round to avoid taking damage. If there’s fire, you more substantial. Even though 500 cp is the same
can fill the zone with obscuring smoke. If water as 5 gp, 500 sounds like a whole lot more.
suddenly rushes into a zone, maybe call for
Strength rolls to see if the characters avoid being Equipment
swept away. You can award equipment, including consumables,
inscriptions, and magical items, in place of

Rewards treasure. Any piece of equipment contributes half

its price toward the expected treasure reward. If
When the characters undertake quests, they the characters sell the item, half its price is usually
expect some reward for the risks they undertake. what they gain.
This final section explores some of the rewards
you might give to successful groups.
Optional: Reputation
Level Increase If you like, you can make use of reputation
rewards to describe the characters’ growing
The game expects that the group’s level increases notoriety in the lands they travel. Reputation
by 1 each time they successfully complete a quest. rewards come in addition to other rewards.
Successful completion means not only reaching Each member of the group starts with 0
the end of the quest, but also completing the reputation, which means no one outside their
quest’s objectives. If the group gives up, fails, or circle of friends, family, and acquaintances know
only achieves some of the objectives, their level who they are. As the characters complete quests
does not increase unless you decide otherwise. and perform notable deeds in front of witnesses,
their reputation grows. Eventually, master
characters are known wherever the group goes.
Treasure Each time the group’s level increases, the
The group should find treasure on their quests. member’s reputation also increases by 1. If the
Treasure can take the form of coins, gemstones, group does something notable, for good or bad,

49
 Oddities
and people can learn about it, you might increase
the group’s reputation again.
Recognition: Whenever a member of the group All across the known lands and beyond one finds
meets someone, roll a d20. If the number rolled is the remnants of past peoples. One might find
equal to or less than the reputation score, the arrowheads in a field or near a creek bed, some
character is recognized, which might grant 1 boon pottery left in a shallow cave, or other remnants.
or impose 1 bane depending on what the Since magic pervades the world, finding unusual
character has done. A villainous reputation makes magical items becomes possible. Oddities
people more suspicious and less willing to help, represent a category of magical item whose
while a heroic one might win characters friends. methods of creation, purpose, and history have
Reputation wanes the further the characters been lost.
travel from home. For each environment the You can distribute oddities among other
characters are distant from wherever they treasure rewards, but limit such finds to one per
performed their last noteworthy deed, their character per tier beyond the starting tier.
reputation is 2 lower (minimum 0). Oddities can sometimes offer enhancements to the
characters beyond what they gain from their
Optional: Fortune paths, which can make the groups both more
dynamic and powerful.
When the group does something particularly Identification: A character can identify an
heroic or interesting, you can grant the group oddity’s properties after 1 hour of rest. An oddity
fortune. The group either has fortune or it doesn’t. might have secret properties, though, in which
Granting this reward encourages good roleplaying case the characters might have to experiment with
and investment in the story as expending fortune it, inspect it using magic, or have a supporting
can tip the scales in the players’ favor. character identify it through research.
Any member of the group, with everyone’s Buying and Selling: Characters can purchase
permission can expend fortune to produce one of oddities only if you let them. An oddity sells for
the following effects. whatever price the characters can get for them,
Automatic Success: When a character would usually 1d6 ´ 10 gp.
make an attribute roll or luck roll, the character Limited Use: An oddity might have a specific
can expend fortune to replace the number rolled number of charges. Unless the property regains
on the die with a 20. charges, the oddity loses its magic after the last
Heal Damage: A character can expend fortune charge has been expended and becomes just an
to heal all damage. ordinary object of its kind.
Maximize Damage: A character can expend Ownership: An oddity belongs to whichever
fortune to maximize the amount of damage dealt creature wields, carries, or wears it. If the oddity is
by an attack, talent, or spell to a single target. too big to be used in these ways, ownership goes
Get a Clue: You give the group an important to the creature touching it. If two or more
piece of information that pertains to their quest. creatures touch the oddity, no one owns the
Bend Reality: The player changes a oddity.
circumstance in a useful manner. The character
might bump into someone with the information
they need, cause an unfriendly character to
Creating Oddities
suddenly become friendly, or find the lever to You create an oddity by rolling dice and finding
disarm a particularly nasty trap. their results on the following tables. First, you roll
a d20 to determine the oddity’s form. Second, you
roll a d6 to determine the property table. And
Gain Connections third, you roll a d20 and find the number rolled on
the appropriate property table.
The characters might also make connections as a
result of events in a quest. When they do so, they ODDITY FORM
add the connection to their list of other d20 Form Examples
connections, noting what benefits the connection 1 Armor Leather, mail, plate armor
offers. For more information on connections, see 2 Melee weapon Sword, axe, dagger
page $@. 3 Ranged weapon Bow, crossbow, flintlock
4 Container Backpack, sack, bucket
5 Clothing Hat, shirt, trousers

50
6 Jewelry Necklace, ring, locket While cursed, the owner makes attribute rolls
7 Furniture Chair, table, wardrobe with 1 boon while not injured and 1 bane while
8 Art object Statuette, idol, painting injured.
9 Coin Gold, silver, copper 14 The oddity has 1 charge and regains its charge
10 Tool Hammer, wrench, awl 24 hours after it has been expended. When the
11 Instrument Lute, pipes, owner becomes injured, the owner can use a
12 Inscription Book, scroll, tablet reaction to heal 10 damage.
13 Implement Chalice, wand, staff 15 The owner cannot catch fire and takes half
14 Toy Doll, ball, blocks damage from fire.
15 Accessory Mask, perfume, cosmetics 16 The owner takes half damage from cold and
16 Vehicle Boat, rickshaw, wagon ice.
17 Miscellaneous Key, paperweight, bauble 17 The owner takes half damage from lightning.
18 Religious Icon, symbol, holy book 18 The oddity has 5 charges. When the owner
19 Detritus Shard, bent nail, old shoe would lose Health, it can expend 1 charge to
20 Weird Animal paw, bezoar, head in reduce the loss of Health by 1d6.
a jar 19 The owner can use an action to transform into
a level 1 creature of your choice.
TABLE 1: ODDITY PROPERTIES 20 The owner can use an action to transform into
d20 Property a level 2 creature of your choice.
1 Choose one attribute. The oddity grants 1 boon
on rolls made using the attribute and impose 1 TABLE 2: ODDITY PROPERTIES
bane on rolls made against the attribute. d20 Property
2 Choose one attribute. The oddity’s owner can 1 The owner can use an action to transform into
use this attribute in place of luck rolls. a level 3 creature of your choice.
3 Impose 1 bane on rolls made against the 2 While the owner is blinded, it has the
owner’s Defense. Awareness trait—The owner knows the
4 When the owner makes a roll with at least 1 location of each creature and object within
boon or bane, it can reroll 1 boon or bane once three zones of it.
per roll. 3 The oddity has 1 charge. As an action, the
5 The oddity has 3 charges. When the owner fails owner can expend the charge and choose one
a luck roll, the owner can expend a charge and creature it can see. The target makes a luck roll
turn the failure into a success. and, on a failure, becomes controlled by the
6 The oddity has 3 charges. When the owner owner for 1d6 hours.
would make an attribute roll or luck roll, the 4 The oddity causes the owner to be cursed. The
owner can expend a charge and add 5 to the owner cannot be rid of the item without
result. performing some service that you decide.
7 The oddity has 1 charge and regains its charge 5 The owner can hear loud noises from ten zones
after 24 hours. When the owner makes an away, conversation from five zones away, and
attribute roll or luck roll, the owner can expend whispers from anywhere in its zone. If the
the charge to roll an additional d20 and use any owner becomes deafened, it also loses 1d6
result. Health.
8 The oddity has 1 charge and regains its charge 6 When the owner is frightened of a creature or
after 24 hours. When the makes luck roll to end object, the owner makes rolls to attack the
an ongoing effect and fails, the owner can source of its fear with 1 boon instead of 1 bane.
expend the charge turn the failure into a 7 The oddity has 5 charges. As a reaction when
success. the owner becomes immobilized, the owner
9 The owner increases its Health by 5 while can expend 1 charge to end the affliction.
carrying the oddity. 8 The oddity has 3 charges. As a reaction when
10 The first time the owner dies, the oddity the owner becomes poisoned, the owner can
disappears, the owner returns to life with full expend 1 charge to end the affliction and
Health and no damage. become immune to poison for 1 hour.
11 The owner can use an action to change its 9 The oddity has 3 charges. When the owner
appearance in any way it chooses, within the becomes controlled, dazed, or stunned, the
normal limits of its ancestry. The change lasts oddity expends 1 charge and teleports the
for 1d20 hours. owner to a surface in a zone of the owner’s
12 While owner is injured, the owner makes choice within six zones.
attribute rolls with 1 boon. 10 The owner takes no damage for forgoing sleep.
13 The owner becomes cursed and cannot rid
itself of the object until it’s level increases.

51
11 The oddity has 3 charges. When the owner
takes the initiative, it can expend 1 charge to
regain the use of the reaction.
12 The oddity confers knowledge of one
language.
13 The oddity has 3 charges. As an action, the
owner can expend 1 charge to gain the ability
to move by flying for 1 hour.
14 The oddity has 3 charges. As a move, the
owner can jump to and land safely in a zone
within three zones.
15 The oddity has 1 charge. It regains its charge 24
hours after being expended. As an action, the
owner can transform the oddity into a horse
and it remains in this form for 24 hours. If
incapacitated before then, the oddity
disappears.
16 The oddity has 1 charge. As an action, the
owner can expend the charge to end all
infections affecting it and become immune to
infection for 1 year and 1 day.
17 The oddity has 1 charge. As an action, the
owner can expend the charge to become
immune to the effects of exposure for 1 year
and 1 day.
18 As an action, the oddity emits bright light until
the owner loses ownership of the oddity or
ends the effect as a minor action.
19 The oddity has 1 charge. It regains its charge 24
hours after it has been expended. As a minor
action, the owner can remove the frightening
trait from all creatures in its zone for 1 hour.
20 The oddity causes the owner to rise 1 inch in
the air and remain there. The owner can move
normally and ignores the effects of moving
across challenging terrain.
TABLE 3: ODDITY PROPERTIES 14
d20 Property the oddity must make a luck roll each time it is
1 The oddity grants the owner 1 boon on rolls
made to sneak.
2 As an action, the owner can reduce the
intensity of all light sources within ten zones by
one step so that bright light sources produce
dim light, and dim light sources produce faint
light.
3 The oddity grants the owner the Climber trait.
When the owner uses a move to climb, it can
climb into an adjacent zone; it can climb across
ceilings and overhangs; it grants no boons on
rolls to attack it; and it makes rolls to climb
with 1 boon.
4 The oddity grants the owner the Swimmer
trait. The owner can move one additional zone
when it swims, ignores the effects of
swimming on its attribute rolls and on rolls
against its Defense, and makes rolls to swim
with 1 boon.
5 The oddity grants the owner the Night Vision
trait. The owner treats dim light as bright light.
6 The oddity protects the owner from being
observed by magic.
7 If the oddity is a container, it can hold up to
four times its apparent volume. Otherwise,
when the oddity is placed in a container, it
multiplies the number of objects the container
can hold by four.
8 The oddity prevents its owner from ever
getting dirty or wet.
9 As an action, the owner can cause the oddity to
sprout legs and become a controlled level 2 foe
with the Animated Object trait for 1 hour. If
incapacitated, the oddity is destroyed.
10 The oddity has 24 charges. As an action, the
owner expend 1 charge to can cause the oddity
to emit heat that raises the temperature in its
zone by 30 degrees for 1 hour.
11 When placed in a liquid, the oddity causes the
liquid within 3 feet of it to freeze solid.
Removing the frozen liquid from the
surrounding liquid causes it to melt as normal.
12 The oddity has 1 charge. It regains the
expended charge after 24 hours. As an action,
the owner can place the oddity on a flat
surface and it stays there, turning the surface
down to a depth of ten feet transparent until a
creature uses a minor action to remove the
oddity from that surface.
13 The object has 1 charge. It regains the
expended charge after 24 hours. As an action,
the owner causes the oddity to emit flames for
1 hour. The flames emit dim light and deal 1d6
damage to anything that touches them. If the
oddity it a weapon, attacks with it deal an extra
1d6 damage.
The oddity exudes poison. Anyone handling
touched with the skin. On a failure, the
creature becomes poisoned. If placed in food
or drink, it makes the food or drink poisonous.
15 The oddity has 1 charge. It regains the
expended charge after 24 hours. As an action,
the owner can cause the oddity to radiate
menace until the end of the round. Each enemy
in the owner’s zone makes a Will roll and, on a
failure, becomes frightened of the owner (luck
ends).
16 As an action, the owner can place the oddity on
a surface or in the air and the oddity stays put,
unable to be moved until the owner uses a
minor action to retrieve the oddity or the
owner dies.
17 The oddity is invisible.
18 The oddity vibrates when there is a giant, ogre,
or troll within ten zones of it.
52
19 The oddity turns green whenever it is in the
same zone as poison.
20 The oddity has 3 charges. As an action, the
owner can cause all doors and similar objects
within three zones to open. The effect unlocks
locked doors and ends magical effects that
would hold doors shut.
TABLE 4: ODDITY PROPERTIES one casting for a novice or starting spell the
d20 Property owner knows.
1 The oddity has 1 charge. As a reaction when the
owner heals damage, the owner can expend
the charge to heal all damage.
2 The oddity has 1 charge. As an action, the
owner can expend the charge to become
invisible for 1 hour.
3 The oddity has 3 charges. As an action, the
owner can release a blast of energy from the
oddity at one creature or object within three
zones. The target takes 2d6 damage and the
owner makes a roll using an attribute of the
owner’s choice against the target’s Agility. On
a success, the target takes an extra 2d6
damage.
4 The oddity has 3 charges. As an action, the
owner can target one creature within three
zones of it. The owner makes an attribute roll
using an attribute of the owner’s choice
against the target’s Will. On a success, the
target becomes controlled (luck ends).
5 The oddity has 3 charges. It regains expended
charges 24 hours after the last charge has been
expended. As a minor action, the owner can
expend a charge to gain a move.
6 The oddity has 1 charge. It regains the
expended charge after 24 hours. As a move,
the owner can fly to and land in a zone within
twenty zones.
7 The oddity has 1 charge. As an action, the
owner can toss the oddity to a spot in its zone
or an adjacent one and the oddity transforms
to become a controlled bear for 1 minute or
until it becomes incapacitated.
8 As a minor action, the owner can cause the
oddity to play music as soft as a whisper or as
loud as a shout. The oddity plays this music
until the owner dies or uses a minor action to
end its effects.
9 The oddity has 1 charge. It regains the
expended charge after 24 hours. As a minor
action, the owner grants itself and each ally
within its zone 1 boon on the next attribute
they make before the end of the round.
10 The oddity has 1 charge. It regains the
expended charge after 24 hours. As an action,
the owner causes fog to obscure its zone and
each adjacent one for 1 hour or until dispersed
by wind.
11 The oddity has 1 charge. It regains the
expended charge after 24 hours. As an action,
the owner causes the ground in its zone or an
adjacent one to become challenging terrain for
1 minute.
12 The oddity has 1 charge. It regains the
expended charge after 24 hours. As an action,
the owner can expend the charge to regain
13 The oddity has 1 charge. It regains the
expended charge after 24 hours. As an action,
the owner can transform the oddity into a
different object worth 1 gp or less and remain
in that form until the oddity regains the charge.
The new form can be that of any non-magical
object. If the oddity is destroyed while
transformed, it is lost.
14 The oddity has 1 charge. It regains the
expended charge after 24 hours. As an action,
the owner causes the oddity to produce 1
gallon of clean water anywhere in its zone.
15 The oddity has 1 charge. It regains the
expended charge after 24 hours. As an action,
the owner causes a permeable, opaque barrier
to form across each border of the zone. The
barrier obstructs sight, but anything can pass
through it. The barrier remains until the oddity
leaves its zone or it regains its charge.
16 The oddity has 1 charge. It regains the
expended charge after 24 hours. As a minor
action, the owner targets one zone within ten
zones and, for 1 minute, can hear from that
zone as if it were in it.
17 The oddity enables the owner to communicate
telepathically with any creature in its zone or
an adjacent one. The communication is one-
way only.
18 The oddity enables its owner to ignore the
effects of moving across challenging terrain.
19 The oddity enables its owner to breathe when
submerged in any liquid.
20 The oddity has 1 charge. It regains the
expended charge after 24 hours. The oddity
enables its owner to use an action and expend
the charge to clear fog, mist, smoke, and
similar forms of obscurement from its zone.
TABLE 5: ODDITY PROPERTIES
d20 Property
1 The oddity has 3 charges. The oddity enables
its owner to expend 1 charge to discard any
banes it has on the next roll it makes before
the end of its turn.
2 The oddity has 1 charge. It regains the
expended charge after 24 hours. The oddity
enables the owner to place the oddity in an
extradimensional space where it remains until
the oddity regains its charge or the owner uses
53
 a minor action to retrieve it. The owner can
retrieve the oddity from anywhere.
3 The oddity has 1 charge. It regains the
expended charge after 24 hours. The oddity
enables its owner to use a move to disappear
and reappear in the space it left 1d6 rounds
later.
4 The oddity enables its owner to regain 1 Health
each hour its owner rests.
5 The oddity enables its owner to move across
and stand on liquid surfaces.
6 The oddity has 3 charges. As a reaction when
the owner takes damage, the owner can
expend 1 charge to take half damage from all
sources for 1 minute.
7 The oddity emits faint light whenever a
creature in its zone knowingly speaks an
untruth.
8 The oddity has 1 charge. As an action, the
owner can teleport itself and each ally in its
zone to a different zone anywhere in the same
environment. The destination zone must be
one the owner has seen or visited before.
9 The oddity grants the owner the Magic
Resistance trait. The owner takes half damage
from magical sources, imposes 1 bane on rolls
made against it from magical effects, and
makes rolls to resist or end magical effects
with 1 boon
10 The oddity has 1 charge. It regains the
expended charge after 24 hours. As an action,
the owner can use the oddity to produce one
consumable that remains until consumed or
the oddity regains its charge.
11 The oddity grants its owner the Fearsome trait.
Impose 1 bane on rolls made to attack the
owner. A creature immune to the frightened
affliction is immune to this trait.
12 The oddity imposes 1 bane on luck rolls made
by its owner’s enemies that are in its owner’s
zone.
13 The oddity causes injured creatures in its
owner’s zone to take an extra 1d6 damage
when they take damage.
14 The oddity has 1 charge. It regains the
expended charge after 24 hours. As an action,
the oddity grants its owner the Stench trait. A
foul smell emanates from the owner, causing
enemies of flesh and blood in its zone to
become weakened for as long as they remain
there.
15 The oddity grants its owner the Fast trait.
When the owner runs, it increases the number
of zones it can move by 1.
16 The oddity has 1 charge. It regains the
expended charge after 24 hours. As an action,
the owner expends the charge and gains the
Insubstantial trait. The owner can move
through or end its movement inside a solid
object. While inside a solid object, the owner
ignores all harm until the object is destroyed.
The owner also ignores challenging terrain and
wind.
17 The oddity grants its owner the Ferocious trait.
When the owner is harmed, it makes rolls to
attack with 1 boon until the end of the next
round.
18 The oddity has 1 charge. It regains the
expended charge after 24 hours. As an action,
the owner can cause magic to explode in one
zone it can see within six zones. The explosion
deals 3d6 damage to each creature and object
in the zone. A creature makes a Strength roll
and, on a failure, takes an extra 3d6 damage.
19 The oddity holds 1d6 castings of a novice spell
and enables the owner to cast this spell.
20 The oddity holds 1 casting of an expert spell
and enables the owner to cast this spell.
TABLE 6: ODDITY PROPERTIES
d20 Property
1 Choose one attribute. The owner increases its
score in this attribute by 1.
2 The oddity has 1d6 charges. The oddity enables
the owner to cast the expect the unexpected
Chaos spell from it.
3 The oddity grants 1 boon Strength rolls made
to break objects.
4 The oddity has 1 charge. It regains the
expended charge after 24 hours. As an action,
the owner can cause the object to emit a sound
so loud that it causes all creatures within ten
zones of it to become deafened for as long as
the noise persists while they are within range.
While deafened, creatures are also Intellect
impaired and Will impaired. The noise lasts for 1
minute or until the owner ends the effect early
as a minor action.
5 The oddity has 1 charge. It regains the
expended charge after 24 hours. As a minor
action, the owner expends the charge and
deals an extra 1d6 damage from its attacks for 1
minute.
6 The oddity is buoyant and never sinks.
7 A formless demon haunts the oddity. The
demon grants the owner 1 boon on luck rolls. If
the owner becomes incapacitated, the demon
causes the owner to heal 3d6 damage and
become controlled by the demon for 1 minute.
8 The oddity grants 1 boon on rolls made for
social interaction.
9 The oddity makes its owner immune to
deprivation.
10 The oddity makes its owner immune to
suffocation.
11 The oddity makes its owner immune to the
frightened affliction.
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12 The oddity grants its owner 1 boon on rolls
made from casting spells or using magical
talents and imposes 1 bane on rolls made to
resist its owner’s spells and magical talents.
13 The oddity enables its owner to use any
attribute for rolls made to attack with weapons
and the owner can make use of weapon
properties without having to meet the
requirements.
14 The oddity has 3 charges. It regains the
expended charge 24 hours after the last charge
has been expended. Whenever the owner casts
a starting or novice spell, it can expend a
charge from the oddity rather than expend the
casting.
15 If the object is a weapon, it grants 1 boon on
rolls made to attack with it and attacks with it
deal an extra 1d6 damage. If the oddity is not a
weapon, the owner can use an action to
transform it into a weapon of its choice and the
oddity retains this form until its owner uses this
property to change its form again.
16 The oddity has 1 charge. It regains the
expended charge after 24 hours. As an action,
the owner can transform the oddity into a
carriage with six horses and it remains in this
form until the owner uses an action to return it
to its normal form or one or more horses die.
Variations might have the oddity turn into a
sailboat or a galleon.
17 The oddity has 1 charge. As an action, the
owner causes a dragon named Jeremy to
appear in a zone of the owner’s choice within
six zones. The dragon is hostile and treats all
creatures as its enemies.
18 The oddity has 1 charge. As an action, the
owner can release its magic in a destructive
burst that deals 5d6 damage to each creature
and object within 1d6 zones. Each creature
makes a Strength roll and, on a failure, takes an
extra 10d6 damage.
19 The oddity has two properties. Roll twice more,
ignoring further rolls of 19 or 20 on this table.
20 The oddity has three properties. Roll three
times more, ignoring further rolls of 19 or 20 on
this table.
Items of Power should be able to raze a city or grant a wish. Either
The most powerful magical items occupy a could make a mortal immortal or transform a
category of their own. Such items are either character into demigod strong enough to
artifacts, items of grave magical ability, or relics, challenge one of the old gods or an ancient one. In
objects infused with supernatural power. These short, you have the freedom to make any kind of
items are so dangerous that the ones already artifact or relic you like.
recovered have been hidden away, locked and
sealed in vaults so that none of their baleful
influence can wreak havoc in the world. Still, many
more artifacts and relics might be uncovered in
the ruins of old civilizations and await discovery
so they can resume their ultimate purpose.
Items of power have long and tangled histories.
Their presence defies the Fates, making short
work of the destinies they spin for mortals. They
can elevate unnoteworthy people to greatness and
allow the mighty to challenge the gods themselves.
Items of power have been behind the creations of
nations and the eradication of entire peoples. An
item of power’s history reveals who made it, the
purpose for which it was made, and examples of
how the item has changed history’s course.
Both artifacts and relics make mighty the people
who claim them, but such powers as they afford
always come at a terrible price and nearly every
item of power includes stories of those people
destroyed by claiming them. For this reason, an
item of power can be a potent tool, but one that
should see use tempered by wisdom and care.
Gaining Items of Power
Finding an artifact or relic should be the objective
of one or more quests and the acquisition should
always test the limits of the characters can do and
survive. Seeking such an item smacks of hubris.
When the characters finally reach their objective,
they should do so with blood-stained hands and
heavy hearts. While you might be tempted to favor
each member of the group with an artifact or relic,
no groups should have access to no more than one
at a time, and ought to rid themselves of the one
they find by the time the campaign ends.
Creating Items of Power
It is the nature of artifacts and relics that they
break the rules, so either can do whatever you
want them to do without needing to limit the item
in any meaningful way. Certainly, making certain
activities always successful and granting access to
the upper echelons of magic are great places to
start, but you should think beyond game rules and
consider having these items create lasting,
shocking changes to the world. A relic should be
able to raise a mountain or level one. An artifact
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Sample Items of Power the results of the intensified light upon increasing its step to
a maximum of step 6.
You can use the sample items of power in your • Step 1: Each creature other than you that is in your
campaigns or let them serve to inspire items of zone takes 1d6 damage.
• Step 2: Each creature other than you that is in your
power that you create. zone takes 2d6 damage and each creature in
adjacent zones take 1d6 damage.
Golden Panoply • Step 3: Each creature other than you that is in your
No suit can equal the Golden Panoply in terms of zone takes 4d6 damage, each creature in zones
adjacent to yours takes 2d6 damage, and each
its craftsmanship and protectiveness. A suit of full creature in a zone beyond adjacent ones but within
plate armor, its pieces all being hammered from four zones take 1d6 damage.
shining gold, powerful magic flows through the • Step 4: Each creature other than you that is in your
armor to reinforce the metal so that it can stop zone takes 8d6 damage, each creature in zones
adjacent to yours takes 4d6 damage, and each
almost any blow. The helmet’s visor resembles the creature in a zone beyond adjacent ones but within
face of a roaring lion and the suit comes with a eight zones take 2d6 damage.
golden fur cloak, with individual hairs made from • Step 5: Each creature other than you that is in your
gold. zone takes 16d6 damage, each creature in zones
adjacent to yours takes 8d6 damage, and each
The cyclops, Azadorax, forged the armor at creature in a zone beyond adjacent ones but within
Baen’s orders to be a gift to an elf lord, Galarad eight zones take 4d6 damage.
Melazrian, who had gained much fame and • Step 6: Each creature other than you that is in your
notoriety for slaying trolls and felling a giant in zone takes 32d6 damage, each creature in zones
adjacent to yours takes 16d6 damage, and each
single combat. Azadorax despised the faeries, creature in a zone beyond adjacent ones but within
finding kinship with the trolls who sometimes sixteen zones take 8d6 damage.
made offerings to the cyclopes, and so he When the combat ends, this effect ends.
whispered a foul curse to the metal as he shaped
it, one that would bring doom to whomever Ring of Arnox
donned the armor. Fiends crave mortal souls and go to great lengths
Baen presented the armor to the elf lord who to harvest them. The Ring of Arnox, appearing as a
took it with gratitude. Donning the armor at once, simple silver band, has condemned more than one
he shone like a beacon and wherever he went, the soul to the fires of the Netherworld. Forged by a
light of Mother Sun fell upon him, causing his mighty fiend named Arnox, who counts among the
armor to glitter and shine. He gathered his forces most powerful lords of Hell, Arnox imbued the
and marched across the lands to bring battle to his band with all his rage, all his hatred, while
hated enemies. There, he hacked and hewed, whispering poisonous words into the metal. When
spilling black troll blood to stain the land to all he finished, he flung the ring into the Well of Sighs,
sides. But, the more furious he fought, the brighter tumbling down until it passed from the
he shined, until the radiance pouring out from him Netherworld and into the mortal world, where it
burned to ash all around him. He was victorious, could do its work seducing, corrupting, and,
but at the cost of his own forces. ultimately, destroying the mortal who found it.
The armor drifted into legend from that point, Again and again has the Ring of Arnox found its
surfacing first in the Empire and later across the way onto the finger of the vain, the ambitious, and
Sea of Fear, where it was believed to have been lost the deranged. Each time, the Ring worked its
somewhere in the wastes surround Aegus, and dread influence on the wearer’s mind, so that
might have had a hand in ruining the landscape. friends became enemies and love spoiled into
Many seek out the armor, for it’s believed that it hatred. Such victims include General Rantak of the
makes the wearer invulnerable, and it seems those Empire, who turned against his liege, slaughtering
who crave it ignore the dire warnings about the the imperial court until he himself was burned to
light that blazes from it. cinders by magic. The warlock, Anzerai, found the
A creature wearing the Golden Panoply has the ring and wore it until her paranoia became too
following traits. great to withstand and flung herself from the
Forever Cliffs to die, broken on the rocks below.
Ultimate Defense Your Defense becomes 25 if it is lower than Currently, the Ring of Arnox rests on the finger
25. In addition, when you take damage from an attack and
the result of the roll was 30 or less, you take half the
of Camillia Shen, the captain of a mercenary
damage. company known as the Lost Daughters. She has
Shining Armor The armor emits bright light. been fighting the minor lords of the Great
Burning Radiance At the end of each round in combat, roll a Kingdom with the intent of conquering the entire
d6. On a 4 or better, the light intensifies by one step. Apply

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realm for some nameless master who remains in
the shadows.
A creature wearing the Ring of Arnox has the
following traits.

Infernal Curse You are cursed until you die or a fiend uses an
action to touch the ring and lift the curse or you cut off the
finger on which the ring sits. While cursed, you cannot
remove the ring from your finger. In addition, if you become
incapacitated, you teleport to the Netherworld where you
become a prisoner of the fiends.
Fiendish Strength Your Health increases by 100, you Strength
score increases to 20 if it is lower than 20, and your melee
attacks deal an extra 2d6 damage.
Cold Resistance You take half damage from cold.
Paranoia After each full night’s rest, make a Will roll. On a
failure, you permanently reduce your Will by 1 and you treat
all creatures as enemies for 24 hours.

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