FIRMAMENT is an action-fantasy RPG about warriors that

draw power from the celestial bodies in the vault of the sky. In
FIRMAMENT, you tell the story of a group of Champions, members
of an ancient order, dedicated to protecting the realm of Rakama.
You root out corrupt magic and those that use it, keeping the world
safe from it.

Written and designed by Erin Tierney

Art by Rilee Horowitz
Other art assets:
Warm_Tail on Shutterstock
Pikisuperstar on freepik.com
Rawpixel on freepik.com
Macrovector on freepik.com

2
 What You Need
You don’t need a lot to get started playing FIRMAMENT. All you
need is:
AAA pencil
A
AYour character sheet
A4A 6-sided dice for each player
AAA pile of 6-sided dice for the table, a different color than any
player’s dice
You can alternatively use a dice roller in place of physical dice.
Players
One player is the GM. The rest are Champions.
The Champions are elite warriors that defend Rakama from
the corrupt magic of Affliction. They go on expeditions to places
where Affliction is found and eliminate it. Players control their
Champion, making decisions on how they go about completing
each expedition.
The GM crafts the story that the Champions explore. They
design and run the expeditions, including the locations the
Champions venture into and the enemies they fight. They also
describe the results of the Champions actions according to the
rolls of the dice.
Gameplay is a back-and-forth between the Champions and
the GM, where the GM creates a world and its obstacles and
Champions change the world and overcome obstacles through
their actions.

3
The Order of the Firmament
Long ago, magic in the realm of Rakama came from the Firmament, the celestial
sphere that overlooked the world and contained the sun, moon, and stars.
Mortals harnessed this magic and used it to great effect. They created great
works and unraveled the knot of understanding that obscured the universe.
This golden age was brought to an end by Affliction. Affliction was
another type of magic, a corruption of the power of the Firmament. Its origins
were lost to time; some claim it was a twisted work of mortals, others assert
that it was a dark mirror of the Firmament itself. What was clear was that it was
a weapon, one that was devastating to both those who used it and their victims.
Worse, it could be used to ensnare the minds of others, bewitching them into
committing acts against their will.
As Affliction proliferated across Rakama, a group of heroes formed an
organization to combat this corruption. They drew upon the power of the
Firmament as the mortals of old did. They also learned how to use the power of
the Firmament to fashion weapons of their own, weapons that could only harm
those that wielded Affliction or channeled the Firmament themselves.
These original Champions fought a long campaign. They took on empires
and armies that embraced the destructive power of Affliction. After years
and many losses, they ended the widespread use of Affliction. Mortals began
developing their own magical traditions, and the power of both the Firmament
and Affliction were forgotten by many.
The Champions formed the Order of the Firmament to make sure that
Affliction would never be used again. They formed disciplines to pass down
their knowledge and philosophy of combat, to make sure that the past was not
forgotten.
Generations later, you are Champions of this order. You are no longer an
army against Affliction, but a strike force that finds where it has taken root and
destroys it.

4
 Rules
Gameplay in FIRMAMENT is a back-and-forth between the players
and the GM. It includes uptime consisting of tense expeditions
punctuated by action-packed combat, and downtime of recovery,
training, and growth.
Most of the rolls players make are during uptime, during
the dangerous, high-stakes expeditions that the Champions of
the Order of the Firmament undertake. Champions are highly
competent warriors, and they only have to roll if there is both
a chance of success and failure, and failure would be both
meaningful and interesting. This could be blasting an enemy with a
beam of light, leaping from one catwalk to another, or convincing
someone of your cover story.
During downtime, players will roll less; downtime is mostly
for activities that will affect the characters or the next expedition.
However, if an action fits the requirements for a roll—potential for
meaningful and interesting failure—a roll can be made. In general,
actions Champions take during downtime are actions they can
reasonably succeed at or make progress on in the time available.

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 Core Mechanic
When a Champion takes an action that requires a roll, the GM
describes what Attribute—Glare, Flash, or Glow—they use based
on the action being performed and how the player described what
their Champion is doing. Each Attribute covers a different style of
action, as outlined on page 8.
The Champion rolls a number of d6 equal to the Attribute
(Glare, Flash, Glow) and takes the highest result.

1-2: Failure, with a consequence

3-4: Success, with a consequence
5-6: Total Success, full effect with no consequence

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 Consequences
Consequences happen as a potential result of actions.
Consequences are difficulties that are appropriate to the situation
and action. For example, a consequence for a Champion that is
defusing a magic ward on a door might be that they set off an
alarm rune connected to the ward or that they took too long and
were discovered. On the other hand, a Champion that kicks down
the door might take Harm from the ward on a poor roll.
In combat, consequences can include enemy actions outside
of the GM turn (see Combat for more on the GM turn). Enemies
can inflict Harm, activate a move they have, or change their tactics
to deal with the players.
Powers do not require a roll. Powers are abilities granted to
Champions by the Firmament through their discipline. Powers
allow Champions to do something with no chance of failure. The
only exception to this is when Powers or styles allow a Champion
to make an attack as part of a Power; they still must make an
attack roll.

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 Attributes
Attributes represent approaches that Champions take when they
take actions. Attributes are not a measure of an inherent quality,
but of the training and experience Champions have with taking
certain types of actions. For example, Glare does not mean that
a Champion is physically strong, but it does mean they are good
at taking powerful, sweeping actions—which can include social
actions as well as physical ones.
A Champion has a number associated with each of their
Attributes. When they roll, they roll a number of dice equal to the
Attribute the GM applies to the roll.
Below are some examples of which Attributes can be applied
to various situations in and out of combat.

Glare Flash Glow

Powerful, sweeping, or large
actions
Out of Combat
Kicking open a door, lifting a
heavy weight, scaling a wall,
speaking with conviction,
causing a big distraction.
In Combat
Knocking an enemy back,
wrestling a foe to the
ground, smashing a foe with
a powerful swing, firing an
intense light blast without
recoil.
Reactive, sharp-thinking, or
quick actions
Out of Combat
Jimmying open a window,
vaulting a wall, losing a
pursuer, coming up with an
excuse, making repartee.
In Combat
Dodging between enemies,
hip firing a beam pistol,
throwing a dagger, making a
disarming flourish.
Patient, expert, or methodical
actions
Out of Combat
Carefully picking a lock,
blending into a crowd,
crafting a calculated lie,
finding information in a
library, disabling a ward.
In Combat
Aiming a precise shot,
striking a weak point, setting
up an ambush, attacking
from the shadows.

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 Champions
You are a Champion of the Firmament, a member of an ancient
order dedicated to combating Affliction, a harmful magic
harnessed for evil purposes. Your order is part of no nation,
recognized by no king. You and your fellow Champions strike out
into the world to fight Affliction where it appears, harnessing the
powers of the Firmament to root it out and repair the pain it leaves
behind.
Features
Each Champion has several features in common that represent
how they fight, act, and use their powers.
Attributes: Three attributes determine how a champion acts in
the world.
A
AGlare: powerful, hot, emotional, broad
A
AFlash: fast, quick-witted, reactive, agile
A
AGlow: calm, practiced, cool, exact
Health: Amount of harm a Champion can take before dying
Celest: Magical resource that allows Champions to use their
powers.
Styles: A collection of options that amplify your Champion’s
powers.
Powers: Abilities unique to the Champion that they use to fight
Affliction.

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 Powers and Celest
Champions have unique powers that come in two types, passive
and active. Passive powers are always in effect. Active powers
are marked with a number, and require that amount of Celest to
activate as an action.
Active Powers do not require a roll. The Firmament is a
powerful force and when Champions channel it through their
powers, whatever they want to happen, happens. The Champion
spends the listed Celest and does whatever the power says.

10
 Combat
Rounds and Turns
The progress of combat in FIRMAMENT is tracked with Rounds
and Turns. Each round, every Champion gets a turn in the order
they choose, during which they get the chance to act. After every
Champion has taken a turn, the GM takes a turn, then the next
round begins.
On each Champion’s turn, they can move and take an action.
Action
An action is anything other than moving that a Champion does
during their turn. Actions are singular and complete, something
that can be done in the short time of a turn in fast-paced combat.
There are two special types of actions, Attacks and Powers:
Attacks are rolls made to attempt to deal damage with a
weapon; an Attack Action is an action used to make an attack.
Attacks function the same as any action roll, but on a success they
deal the weapon’s damage. Additionally, some Powers interact with
attacks and Attack Actions.
Powers are special actions that are granted by your discipline
(see the Character Creation section for the different disciplines).
They cost Celest and do not require a roll to use. A Champion has
access to all the Powers granted by their discipline, as well as any
granted from other sources like legendary weapons.

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 Range
In FIRMAMENT, range is abstract rather than absolute. Weapons
and Powers have ranges defined by relative distance to a location
or enemy. There are 4 ranges that Champions can operate at:
5
5Engaged: In melee, or a few steps away.
5
5Near: Across a room, a short sprint away.
5
5Far: Across a grand hall, down a street, or down a long
corridor.
5
5Beyond: Anything beyond Far, outside of a Champion’s range.
Movement
In addition to an action, a Champion can move on their turn. When
a Champion moves, they can move one range closer to or further
from an enemy or location. For instance, a Champion can move
from being in Far range to being Near an enemy.

Example of Play
Nova sees two enemies on the horizon, a scouting party.
The enemies see Nova and their fellow Champions, and turn
to alert reinforcements. Nova decides to stop them, so as
they take an aggressive action, combat begins. The group
decides that Nova goes first, because they took the action
that instigated combat.
The enemies are currently Beyond Nova, so they
move toward them, sprinting into Far range, still past the
range of their beam pistols. They spend 1 Celest to use their
Power Solar Shift to move Near the enemies. Nova’s Passive,
Sunslinger, lets them make attacks when they use an ability,
so they make an attack with each of their beam pistols
against an enemy.

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 Harm and Health
Each Champion has an amount of Health, which represents
how much punishment they can take in battle. As heroic figures
powered by the Firmament, they can shrug off wounds that would
be fatal to a normal person. Many of their enemies use Affliction
for their own purposes, which makes them dangers to the world,
as well as to the Champions in large enough numbers.
A wound that would be lethal or incapacitating to a normal
person is tracked as Harm. When a character takes Harm, it is
subtracted from their Health. Enemies at 0 Health are dead or
incapacitated. Afflicted enemies—those who are being controlled
through the power of Affliction by other parties—are cleansed of
Affliction and regain their free will.
When a Champion is reduced to 0 Health, they fall
unconscious. They can spend 1 Celest to regain half their Health
and regain consciousness. If they do, they mark 1 Affliction. If they
have no Celest to spend, an ally can take an action to revive them
instead, spending 1 Celest and marking Affliction instead of the
downed Champion. Alternatively, an ally can activate a downed
Champion’s Recall as an action, teleporting them back to the
Armillary to recover, removing them from the expedition.
If a Champion has no Celest and no allies can revive or recall
them, they die a final death. On death, a Champion gains one last
burst of energy, and can use a Power for no Celest cost, going out
in a blaze of glory.

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 Affliction
Affliction is a corruption of the power of the Firmament.
Champions gain Affliction by reviving themselves or their allies, or
as a result of consequences in certain circumstances.
Affliction allows Champions to deal more damage to their
enemies, but at cost to themselves. For each point of Affliction,
you add an Affliction die to your attack rolls. If you’re using
physical dice, choose dice that you can distinguish from the rest of
them, if you’re using an online dice roller, count the last dice rolled
as your Affliction dice.
If any Affliction dice are the highest roll of your attack, you
inflict extra Harm equal to your current Affliction. You also take
Harm equal to your Affliction.
When you finish an expedition, you regain all of your Health
and Celest, and erase all Affliction.

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 Anatomy of a Round
Champion Turns
The Champions Nova, Izoldur, Asperata, and Bran are on an expedition against
Braxon Alchemical. Izoldur has taken a perch on top of a nearby building, while
Nova, Asperata, and Bran prepare to storm a Braxon laboratory, which has a
heavily defended front entrance with six enemies standing guard. When they
decide to attack, combat starts. The players decide on a turn order; Izoldur
goes first because he was waiting up in his sniper nest. Izoldur takes a shot
with his sniper rifle and hits with no complications. Since Izoldur follows the
Discipline of Midnight, he adds his Umbra to his attack, and since he has the
General Style “Always Cloaked,” he always starts combat with 2 Umbra. He
deals 5 damage; one of the door guards is down.
Bran charges in next, using his movement to close the distance to the
other guards from Far to Near. Since he’s still too far away to use his weapon,
he spends a Celest to use his Discipline of Dawn Power “Charge” to rush to a
location Near him—the middle of the biggest group of enemies. His charge hits
three enemies, dealing 1 damage to each. The GM notes which enemies took
damage and the turn passes to the next Champion.
Nova takes their turn, moving from Far to Near to the enemies. They
take an Attack Action with their beam pistol against one of the enemies Bran
damaged. They roll a 3, so they hit, but gain a complication. They deal 2
damage to the enemy and kill it, but one of the other guards turns and runs to
get reinforcements.
Asperata takes her turn last. She spends 2 Celest to use her Discipline of
Dusk Power “Flurry.” She teleports to two enemies within Far range or closer
and deals 2 damage to each of them; she chooses the remaining two enemies
that Bran damaged, and kills both of them. Because she killed two enemies
with Flurry, the Power lets her repeat the teleportation and damage to two
more enemies. She teleports to the enemy running to get help, then teleports
to an enemy on a catwalk inside, dealing two damage to each. Since this
doesn’t kill either of them, her action ends.

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 GM Turn
After each Champion has had a turn, the GM takes the following
actions as part of their turn.
1. Enemy Actions: Choose one enemy per Champion and
activate one of its moves or deal Harm (see page 68 for more on
enemies and how they work). An enemy can also move on its turn.
2. Describe a meaningful change to the fight. This can
be anything that affects the flow of the fight as a whole and
potentially forces the Champions to change tactics—a change in
enemy tactics, the activation of a huge spell, an alarm ward being
triggered, or anything else that would cause a major change. This
stage is also when any Lair Actions from Elite enemies also happen
during this step.
3. Generate Drops: Drops are resources created by downed
enemies that Champions can siphon to replenish their spent
resources. For each enemy downed, roll a d6 to see what drop they
generate.
1-2: No drop
3-5: 1 Celest
6: 1 Health
The Champions decide who wants to claim the drops
generated that round; a Champion must be Near a downed enemy
to claim a drop from them. Any drops not claimed that round
disappear.
After the GM’s Turn, the round ends and a new round begins.
The Champions choose the order in which they want to act, and
the Champion turns begin again.

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 GM’s Turn
After Asperata’s turn ends, the GM takes a turn. Since there are four
Champions, four enemies take actions. The enemy that was already
running to get help uses the move “Call for Reinforcements.” The
enemy next to Asperata has a range of Engaged, so he deals his 2 Harm
to her, and another enemy in the laboratory below takes a shot at
Asperata as well, inflicting 1 Harm. The last enemy guarding the front
entrance moves toward Bran and activates her “Knock Over” move. In
mechanical terms, it means she deals her Harm to him and applies her
“Wound” keyword that lets her cause an effect whenever she inflicts
Harm. Bran takes 2 Harm and is knocked to the ground.
Then, the GM creates a major change. Since an enemy called for
reinforcements, more enemies arrive inside.
Four enemies have died this round, so the GM rolls a d6 for each,
rolling a 1, 2, 4, and 6. Two of the door guards do not produce drops,
one produces 1 Celest, and one produces 1 Health. Bran has spent
Celest and taken damage, so he siphons both drops. Unfortunately,
Asperata, who could use both the Health and Celest, is too far ahead to
siphon any drops back at the door.
The players decide that Asperata should probably go first this
round, since she needs to get out of her bad position.

17
 Character Creation
Focus the Firmament
Induct Your Champion

Choose a Discipline
Your Discipline is your strategy, your philosophy, and your
training. Before becoming a Champion, you have dedicated
yourself to a discipline and become an expert in following it. Your
discipline grants you a passive power that interacts with how you
play and active powers that you can spend Celest to use. You can
find descriptions of the disciplines on the following pages.
Take a moment to describe what your Discipline means to you,
and how you came to follow it.
Train Your Champion
Every Champion starts with a value of 1 in Glare, Flash, and Glow.
In your training, spend up to 4 points in total to increase your
Attributes. No Attribute may have more than 4 points at the end of
training.

18
 Every Champion also starts training with a value of Health and
Celest of 2 each. In your training, spend up to 8 points in total to
increase those values.
As you train, you are granted Firmament Weaponry by the
Champions of the Firmament. Note down the starting weapons you
are granted by your discipline. You can choose a single weapon or
two weapons with the dual tag (see page 43).
Take a moment to describe what your training was like, and
how it made you the Champion you are now.
Choose Styles
Each Champion has Styles to amplify their abilities. Styles are
techniques that are unique to each Champion, specific ways
that they interpret their discipline through combat. They amplify
Champions, boosting their features and powers, and changing how
they perform in action. Choose any two Style options and take
note of them.
Take a moment to describe your Styles and what they look like
in action.
Create the Person Behind the Champion
Your Champion is a larger-than-life hero, but there is still a person
behind the power of the Firmament. Describe your character’s
appearance and personality, and write identifying information on
your character sheet.

19
 Noon
The purest expression of sunlight, the Discipline of Noon was one
of the first Disciplines created in the Order of the Firmament. Its
strategy is simple and effective—move fast, burn out Affliction,
keep going. It is unsubtle and effective, and it was instrumental
to helping the first Champions burn back the Affliction that ran
rampant in the early days of the Order.
The philosophy of Noon is one of grim determination.
Violence is to be done quickly and over soon, but it is to be done
nonetheless.

20
 Weapons
You can use sunlight weaponry.
Passive
Sunslinger. Whenever you use an active power, you can make an
attack using Flash with every weapon you are wielding.
Active Powers
Solar Shift (1). Move up to two range distances closer to or
farther from an enemy.
Beam-Splitter (1). Deal 2 Harm to an enemy at Near or
Engaged range, then 1 Harm to up to two enemies Near them.
Solar Charge (1). Supercharge your weapons, dealing an extra
2 Harm on a hit for the next two attacks you make.
Solar Flare (2). Deal 1 Harm to each injured enemy in range
of at least 1 of your weapons. Until the end of your turn, whenever
you first injure an enemy, deal this damage to them as well.

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 General Styles
Bright: +1 Glare
Strobe: +1 Flash
Strobe: +1 Flash
Strobe: +1 Flash
Font: +1 Celest
Tough: +1 Health
Power Styles
Quick-Draw: First time this power is
used in combat, it doesn’t count as an
action.
Quick-Draw: First time this power is
used in combat, it doesn’t count as an
action.
Ingrained: First time this power is used
in combat, it costs no fuel.
Ingrained: First time this power is used
in combat, it costs no fuel.
Brilliance: Your weapons have +1
effective range for the Sunslinger
attacks triggered by this power.
Swift: You can take another move
immediately after using this power.
22
Rapid Attack: Sunslinger activates when
you miss with an Attack Action.
Strafe: When you move, you can make
an attack as part of your move.
Barrage: You can make an extra attack
with one of your wielded weapons as
part of Sunslinger.
Momentum: After Harming an enemy, you
can move to be in Near or Engaged
range with another enemy.
Speed Strike: If you end up Engaged with
an enemy after using Solar Shift, deal
Harm equal to Flash to them.
Amplifier Prism: All Harm dealt to enemies
by Refraction equals Flash instead of
2 or 1.
Super Charged: Charged attacks you make
with Solar Charge automatically hit.
Coronal Loop: Solar Flare remains active
until the end of your next turn,
instead of the current one.
 Midnight
The Discipline of Midnight was created as a counterpart to Noon
by the original Champions of the Order of the Firmament. The
moon to Noon’s sun, the Discipline of Midnight was created to be
an alternative to its sister discipline’s scorched-earth tactics.
The philosophy of Midnight is one of patience and practice.
Champions who follow this discipline are most at home waiting in
the dark for the perfect moment to take action. They believe the
dark is a soothing balm in a world tormented by the Affliction.

23
 Weapons
You can use moonlight weaponry.
Passive
Umbra. You can see in the dark, even in pitch black. At the
beginning of each of your turns, if you are in darkness, you gain
one Umbra, to a maximum of your Glow. If you end your turn out
of darkness, your Umbra resets to 0. Your weapon damage gains a
bonus equal to your Umbra.
Active Powers
Orb of Night (1). You create a stationary orb of darkness
that extends from you out to Near range. The orb lasts for three
rounds.
Disengage (1). Deal 2 Harm to an enemy Engaged with you
and move up to two zones away from them.
Grasping Shadows (1). Surround an enemy in weapon range
or closer with a tangle of shadows. The enemy and all enemies in
Engaged range with it are shrouded in darkness and cannot move
until the end of your next turn.
Penumbra (2). You fire a piercing beam of moonlight up to
Far range. All enemies in the path of the beam take damage equal
to your Umbra. Any allies within Near range of enemies that are
damaged by the beam heal 1 Harm.

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 Persistent Styles
Bright: +1 Glare Powerful Shade: Your maximum
Umbra is equal to your Glare
Luminescent: +1 Glow instead of your Glow.
Umbral: Your maximum Umbra
Luminescent: +1 Glow is 2 greater.
Font: +1 Celest Always Cloaked: You always start
combat with 2 Umbra.
Font: +1 Celest Persistent Umbra: Your Umbra does
not reset for the first turn you
Tough: +1 Health start in light.

Power Styles
Farsight: +1 Range
Ingrained: First time this power is used in
combat, it costs no Celest.
Shroud: After you use this power, you
are shrouded in darkness until the end
of your next turn.
Shroud: After you use this power, you
are shrouded in darkness until the end
of your next turn.
Shadowy: Umbra increases by 1 after
using this power.
Shadowy: Umbra increases by 1 after
using this power.
Dark Mantle: Orb of Darkness stays
centered on you, instead of being
stationary.
Keep Distance: Your weapon damage gains
+1 for each Range Distance between
you and the target of the attack for 2
rounds after using Disengage.
Murk Bog: Grasping Shadows effects
all enemies within Near range of the
target instead of Engaged.
Cleanse: Penumbra heals allies that are in
darkness Harm equal to your Umbra
instead of 1.

25
 Dawn
The Discipline of Dawn was created generations after the first
Champions of the Firmament. It combined elements of Midnight
and Noon, obscuring and confusing enemies not with Midnight’s
darkness, but with Noon’s dazzling light. It embodies the rising
sun and the setting moon, a brilliant force that charges onto the
battlefield and protects fellow Champions.
The philosophy of Dawn is one of action and power. Only by
being proactive can a Champion defend the world from Affliction.

26
 Weapons
You can use sunlight and moonlight weaponry.
Passive
Dazzle. Enemies in Engaged range are affected by your radiance.
If they would deal harm to you or affect you with one of their
moves, it has a 50% chance of failing.
Active Powers
Bash (1). Your next weapon attack that hits stuns the target,
they cannot act for the rest of the round. Make a weapon attack
against an Engaged enemy.
Charge (1). Rush unstoppably toward a Near location, pinning
the first enemy in the path and dealing 1 Harm to all enemies in
your way. If your path collides with a solid object, deal 3 Harm to
pinned enemy.
Guard (1). Gain a temporary 2-Health ward until the beginning
of your next turn. Then, deal damage equal to the ward Health
remaining to all enemies in Near range or closer.
Challenge (2). Issue a brilliant challenge to your enemies. All
Near and Engaged enemies must attack you until the start of your
next turn. As long as you remain above 0 Health, regain Health
equal to all Harm taken while this effect is active after the effect
ends.

27
 General Styles
Bright: +1 Glare Radiant: You gain 1 damage reduction
from enemies affected by Dazzle.
Bright: +1 Glare Hamstring: When you hit an enemy with
an attack, they cannot move until end
Font: +1 Celest of the round.

Tough: +1 Health Brilliant: Dazzle effects enemies within

Near range as well.
Tough: +1 Health Painful Light: Enemies that fail as a result
of Dazzle take 1 Harm.
Tough: +1 Health

Power Styles
Ingrained: First time this power is used
in combat, it costs no Celest.
Quick-Draw: First time this power is
used in combat, it does not require an
action.
Rejuvenating: After using this power,
regain 1 Health.
Rejuvenating: After using this power,
regain 1 Health.
Steady: When you use this power, you
can make an attack if you forgo your
movement this turn.
Steady: When you use this power, you
can make an attack if you forgo your
movement this turn.
Shining Smash: When you stun an
enemy with Bash, then are
affected by Dazzle until the
end of the combat.
Strong-arm: You can pin the first
two enemies in your path
with Charge.
Advanced Wards: Guard produces
a 4-Health ward instead of 2.
Shield Up: You have 1 Harm
reduction while Challenge is
active.

28
 Dusk
The Discipline of Dusk was created as a counterpart to Dawn, a
quick duelist that can move around a battlefield faster than sight.
Dusk emphasizes precision and speed, striking with a flurry of
attacks against unaware opponents.
The philosophy of Dusk is one of perfection through practice.
Champions that follow this discipline believe that the key to
defeating the Affliction is the through training, discipline and
surprise. Even the smallest cut against Affliction is enough if it is
done a hundred times.

29
 Weapons
You can use sunlight and moonlight weaponry.
Passive
Practiced. While you are unseen by any enemies, rolls of a 1 or 2
count as a success with a consequence.
Active Powers
Vanish (1). Turn invisible until the end of your next turn.
Blink (1). Teleport to the opposite side of an enemy Near or
closer, then deal damage to it equal to your Flash.
Riposte (1). Deal damage equal to your Flash to a creature
within weapon range that has already damaged you. Then, turn
invisible until the beginning of your next turn.
Flurry (2). Teleport to Engaged range with an enemy in Far
range or closer, then deal 2 damage. Then, repeat with another
enemy. For each enemy that dies from using this power, you can
repeat with an additional enemy.

30
 Persistent Styles
Strobe: +1 Flash
Luminescent: +1 Glow
Luminescent: +1 Glow
Font: +1 Celest
Font: +1 Celest
Tough: +1 Health
Power Styles
Lethal: +1 Harm
Lethal: +1 Harm
Vorpal: +Glow Harm
Parry: Negate the first instance
of damage you take after using
this ability.
Quick-Draw: First time this power
is used in combat, it doesn’t
count as an action.
Ingrained: First time this power
is used in combat, it costs no
fuel.
31
Phase: When you take your movement,
you can teleport one range unit
instead of your normal movement.
Perfect Blade: While unseen, +1 to weapon
damage.
Momentum: After Harming an enemy, you
can move to be in Near or Engaged
range with another enemy.
Ambush: You can take two actions on the
first turn of combat.
Ghost: Remain invisible for three rounds
when you use Vanish.
Nothing Personal: Deal weapon damage and
apply weapon effects to the target of
Blink.
Feint: When you use Riposte, the target
goes on the defensive, and does not
attack or use any of its moves on the
GM’s turn.
Torrent: When you use Flurry,
automatically hit with your weapon
instead of doing 2 damage.
 Eclipse
The Discipline of Eclipse is the last discipline created by the order.
The Champions of the order worried about what would happen
to the world if something ever prevented them from carrying on
the fight against the Affliction. They built a series of automatons
designed to assist the Champions and to continue the mission of
the Order of the Firmament in the event of a total collapse of the
order.
The philosophy of Eclipse is one of duty. The automata are
created with a specific purpose, and many have to grapple with the
weight of their predetermined existence.

32
 Weapons
You can use sunlight and moonlight weaponry.
Passive
Syzygy. You are an elegant machine, combining both the powers
of the sun and moon in harmony. You gain Occultation when
you alternate between sun and moon attacks and abilities. Any
attack made with a sunlight weapon counts as sun and any attack
made with a moonlight weapon counts as moon. If you break this
pattern, it resets to 1.
Active Powers
Web (1). Choose two spaces in Near range and create a line of
light—your choice of sunlight or moonlight—between them. Repeat
this for each point of Occultation you have. Then, create planes
of light between any of the lines; two lines can create a wall, three
can create a corner, and so on. Sunlight lines and planes deal 1
damage to enemies that pass through them and planes of sunlight
obscure sight with blazing light. Lines and planes of moonlight are
solid and cannot be physically passed through. This ability counts
as sun or moon depending on the type of light and lasts until the
end of your next turn.
Orb (1). Create an orb of solid light around an enemy. The orb
prevents the enemy from taking any actions other than dealing
their harm to the orb. It has a number of hit points equal to your
Occultation. This ability can count as sun or moon.
Transit (1). You swap places with an enemy. This ability can
count as sun or moon.

33
 Equivalence (2). Make a number of attacks equal to your
Occultation. For the rest of combat, all enemies that you attacked
with this ability are linked. Anything that affects one of them
affects all of them. This ability counts as sun if you used a sunlight
weapon and moon if you used a moonlight weapon. If you used
both (for example, dual wielding), you choose which.
General Styles
Bright: +1 Glare Partial Eclipse: The first time you break
your Syzygy pattern in combat, your
Strobe: +1 Flash Occultation does not reset.
Machine Learning: If you roll a 1, you can roll
Luminescent: +1 Glow 1 die and take that result instead.
Font: +1 Celest Occult Blast: On rolls of 5-6, you can add
your Occultation to your attacks.
Tough: +1 Health Heightened Precision: If an ability would
use your Occultation, it uses your
Tough: +1 Health Occultation plus 1 instead.

Power Styles
Ingrained: First time this power is used in
combat, it costs no Celest.
Ingrained: First time this power is used in
combat, it costs no Celest.
Quick-Draw: First time this power is
used in combat, it does not require an
action.
Eldritch: First time this power is used in
combat, it adds 1 extra Occultation.
Eldritch: First time this power is used in
combat, it adds 1 extra Occultation.
Eldritch: First time this power is used
in combat, it adds 1 extra Occultation.
Lasting Web: Web lasts a number of turns
equal to your Occultation.
Containment Unit: If you have more than 3
Occultation, create two orbs when you
use Orb.
Rapid Transit: When you use Transit, you
transfer your momentum to the enemy
you swap with.
Balanced Connection: When you use
Equivalence, you can choose to have
each attack contribute to Occultation
if it would continue the Syzygy
pattern.

34
 Astra
The Discipline of Astra is the only discipline not created by the
Order of the Firmament. Generations ago, a society of mages
discovered how to replicate the power of the Firmament through
magic. They amassed a great body of research into sunlight,
moonlight, and the Affliction. Eventually, some mages left
the society to join the Order of the Firmament, bringing their
knowledge, skill, and power to the order.
The philosophy of Astra is one of innovation and adaptability.
Champions who follow this discipline learn from their experiences
and excitedly acquire new information that can be used to combat
the Affliction.
35
 Weapons
You cannot use sunlight or moonlight weaponry.
Passive
You have a magic staff that is made to channel the power of the
Firmament. Your staff can absorb the essence of light weaponry
that you find, infusing the staff with the powers of the weapons.
As a new Champion, the staff is as untrained as you are.
You know two spells from the list below. Additionally, the staff
can be used to make attacks. These attacks can target enemies
at Engaged, Near, or Far range (chosen when you build your
character); deal 1 damage; and count as light weapons, but neither
sunlight or moonlight.
You can absorb light weapons to increase the power and
utility of your staff. As you absorb weapons, you learn spells
based on the tags of that weapon (see page 43). Additionally, your
staff’s attacks gain the range of weapons absorbed, deal damage
equal to the highest damage of any absorbed weapons, and count
as sunlight or moonlight if you have absorbed that type of light
weaponry.
Before you go out on a expedition, assign a spell that you
know to each active power.
When you make an attack against a creature that you have
targeted with a spell, deal 1 extra damage.

36
 Active Powers
Powerful Spell (1). Cast assigned spell using Glare.
Quick Spell (1). Cast assigned spell using Flash.
Careful Spell (1). Cast assigned spell using Glow.
Amplified Spell (2). Cast assigned spell using the attribute of
your choice and applying the Amplified effect.
General Styles
Bright: +1 Glare Percussive Magic: Gain +1 staff damage
Strobe: +1 Flash against enemies in Engaged range.
Luminescent: +1 Glow Spell Sling: Gain +1 staff damage against
Font: +1 Celest enemies in Near range.
Font: +1 Celest Arcane Sniper: Gain +1 staff damage against
Tough: +1 Health enemies in Far range.

Power Styles
Intensity: Uses Glare instead.
Alacrity: Uses Flash instead.
Composure: Uses Glow instead.
Lethal: +1 Harm
Augment Runes: Spend 1 extra
Celest to Amplify the spell.
Augment Runes: Spend 1 extra
Celest to Amplify the spell.
Overcharge: When you cast your Powerful
Spell, your staff damage increases by 1
until the end of your next turn.
Brandish: When you cast your Quick
Spell, you can also make a staff attack
during the same turn.
Weave: When you cast your Careful
Spell, you can bind an enemy affected
by the spell. They cannot act this
round.
Magnify: When you cast your Amplified
Spell, you can cast the non-Amplified
version next turn for no Celest.

37
 Spells
Arcane Burst
(learned from Burst)
Deal damage equal to the casting
Attribute to an enemy. If it dies, it deals
that damage to all enemies Near it.
Amplify: All enemies that die from the
burst deal the same damage to any
creatures Near them.
Bright
(learned from Dazzle)
You make a number of lights equal to
your casting Attribute in spaces in your
staff range until the beginning of your
next turn. Enemies in Engaged range of
the lights cannot see.
Amplify: Enemies in Engaged range of
the lights take 1 damage.
Brutal Stagger
(learned from Brutal)
Deal Harm equal to the casting
Attribute to enemy in staff range. That
enemy cannot move or deal damage
this round.
Amplify: If you cast this spell with
Glare, deal staff damage as well.
38
Burn
(learned from Searing)
Enemies Engaged with you take 1 Harm
when you cast this spell or when they
become Engaged with you until the end
of your next turn.
Amplify: The spell lasts for a number
of turns equal to your casting Attribute
instead.
Direct Intent
(learned from Focused)
The next attack an ally makes against
an enemy within your staff deals extra
Harm equal to your casting Attribute.
Amplify: If cast using Glow, this effect
applies for a number of attacks equal to
your Glow.
Enhance Power
(learned from Powerful)
Your Attributes all increase by 1 for
a number of rounds equal to your
unmodified casting Attribute.
Amplify: If you only attack one enemy
each turn, your staff damage increases
by 1 for that turn.
 Far Shot
(learned from Reach)
Deal your staff damage to an enemy
you can see beyond your staff range.
Amplify: Add your casting Attribute.
Fling
(learned from Thrown)
Launch an enemy in your staff range at
another point in your staff range.
Amplify: The launched enemy takes
Harm equal to your casting Attribute.
Gather Energy
(learned from Charge)
The next time you use the power this
spell is assigned to, you can use it to
cast a spell that you have not assigned
to a power.
Amplify: You can cast the amplified
version of the unassigned spell.
Hone Attack
(learned from Ideal)
Choose a range. Your staff damage
against enemies in that range increases
by 1 for a number of rounds equal to
your casting Attribute.
Amplify: Your staff damage increases
by your casting Attribute instead of 1.
39
Invisibility
(learned from Subtle)
Become invisible to enemies that are
not Engaged with you until the end of
your next turn.
Amplify: The invisibility lasts for a
number of turns equal to your casting
Attribute.
Last Resort
(learned from Desperate)
Deal damage equal to your missing
Health to an enemy.
Amplify: If you have less than half
your Celest, regain Celest equal to the
casting Attribute.
Lay Bare
(learned from Revealing)
Choose a point in your staff range.
Fill the area Near that space with
moonlight. Shapeshifters in that
area return to their natural form
and enemies gain no benefit from
invisibility.
Amplify: Enemies in that area cannot
use their enemy keywords.
 Precision Defense
(learned from Precise)
You are immune to all Harm until your
next turn.
Amplify: If you would take Harm, you
can redirect it to an enemy in staff
range.
Prismatic Ring
(learned from Prism)
Choose a range in your staff range.
Each enemy in that range takes 1
damage.
Amplify: Deal 2 damage to each enemy
instead.
Quick Draw
(learned from Swift)
Deal your staff damage to enemy
within staff range. If this is your first
spell cast this combat, double the
damage.
Amplify: Deal damage equal to your
casting Attribute instead of staff
damage.
Restore Health
(learned from Paragon)
You regain Health equal to your casting
Attribute.
Amplify: An ally in your staff range
regains the same amount of health.
40
Restore Energy
(learned from Restoring)
An ally in staff range regains Celest
equal to your casting Attribute.
Amplify: If the ally has no Celest, they
regain all Celest instead.
Root
(learned from Stationary)
An enemy in your staff range and all
enemies Engaged with them cannot
move until your next turn.
Amplify: Instead, root a number of
enemies equal to your casting Attribute
in your staff range.
Shadow Slash
(learned from Shadowy)
Dash to an enemy that is unaware of
you in your staff range and deal your
casting Attribute to them.
Amplify: Repeat the effect with another
enemy, even one that is aware of you.
Stalker’s Mark
(learned from Marking)
Your attacks deal extra damage equal
to your staff damage to an enemy for a
number of turns equal to your casting
Attribute.
Amplify: Each time an enemy with the
mark dies, apply the mark to another
enemy.
 Starlight Lance
(learned from Piercing)
Deal Harm equal to your staff damage
to all enemies in a line out to your
maximum staff range.
Amplify: Add your casting Attribute to
the spell.

Twin Shot
(learned from Dual)
Deal damage equal to the casting
Attribute to two enemies in staff range.
Amplify: Add your staff damage to the
spell.

Vampiric Blast
(learned from Thirsting)
Deal your staff damage to an enemy in
your staff range. If the enemy dies, you
regain 2 Celest.
Amplify: Regain Celest equal to your
casting Attribute instead.

Zephyr
(learned from Nimble)
Deal 1 Harm to every enemy you enter
into Engaged range with. You can move
twice this turn.
Amplify: If cast with Flash, deal your
staff damage instead.

41
 Advancement
Every Champion is an powerful force fighting for the Firmament,
but even they grow stronger with experience. As a Champion goes
on expeditions, they gain new weapons and refine how they can
use their powers.
Styles
As a Champion gains experience, they learn how to make their
discipline their own. Every Champion has a unique connection to
their discipline and use their powers in new ways as they figure
out what it means to them.
Styles represent the evolution of a Champion as they refine
their discipline. Each style allows them to customize their abilities.
During character creation, each player adds two of these styles to
their Champion. As they return from each expedition, Champions
gain a style.
General Styles provide ongoing benefits to a Champion.
These include bonuses to Attributes, Health, and Celest. Other
styles augment a discipline’s passive power or changes how the
Champion can act in combat.
Power Styles are applied directly to Powers. They increase
a Power’s effectiveness or change the ways that Champions can
use them. Some Power Styles can be applied to any Power, while
others modify specific Powers. A Power Style can only be taken
once, even if it could apply to multiple Powers. If a Power Style
doesn’t specify which Power it applies to, note the Power when
you pick the Style.

42
 Weapons
Weapons are a vital part of the Order of the Firmament. They are
the instruments through which Champions carry out their will.
Champions use sunlight or moonlight weaponry, depending on
their discipline.
A weapon is made up of several elements:
1. Damage—the base damage that the weapon deals on a hit.
2. Range—all the ranges at which the weapon is effective.
3. Light—whether the weapon is a sunlight or moonlight
weapon.
4. Tags—descriptors that affect how the weapon functions.
5. Name—all light weapons are legendary artifacts and all have
names befitting their history.
The type of weapon is only relevant in that it is a shorthand
for a collection of damage, range, and tags. The only mechanical
difference between a rapier and a rifle is the fact that these
elements are different on each weapon.
Additionally, tags on a weapon type are not set in stone. A
player could attempt to mod a rapier to have a range of Near in
addition to Engaged, which could be explained by ribbons of light
that emit from its edge. A GM could also create a similar modified
weapon as a reward for players to find on their expeditions.
Some weapon tags can only be found on sunlight or only on
moonlight weapons. Otherwise, tags can be found on any weapons.

43
 Base Weapon Stats
5
5Bow: 2 Harm, Near/Far, Subtle
5
5Beam Pistol: 2 Harm, Near, Dual
5
5Broadsword: 2 Harm, Engaged, Burst
5
5Dagger: 1 Harm, Engaged, Dual, Thrown
5
5Glaive: 2 Harm, Engaged, Reach
5
5Lightcannon: 3 Harm, Near, Charge
5
5Rapier: 1 Harm, Engaged, Dual
5
5Runic Rifle: 2 Harm, Near, Far
5
5Scatterpiece: 1 Harm, Engaged/Near, Ideal Engaged, Refracting
5
5Scythe: 2 Harm, Near, Thirsting
5
5Sniper Rifle: 3 Harm, Far, Powerful, Stationary
5
5Spear: 2 Harm, Engaged, Thrown
Tags
5
5Brutal: +1 Harm when used with Glare.
5
5Burst: Deals an additional Harm if you roll a 6 on the attack.
5
5Charge: Must charge a short time before firing.
5
5Desperate: +1 Harm while you are at less than half of your
Health.
5
5Dual: Can be wielded in one hand with another dual weapon.
5
5Focused: +1 Harm when used with Glow.
5
5Ideal: +1 to Harm and attack at designated range.
5
5Nimble: +1 Harm when used with Flash.
5
5Paragon: +1 Harm while you are at full Health.
5
5Piercing: Damages a foe behind the target within range.
5
5Powerful: +1 Harm if you harm only one enemy this turn.

44
 5
5Precise: Suffer no consequences from rolling a 3-4 on your
attack.
5
5Prism: Can affects multiple targets at once in exchange for -1
to attack.
5
5Reach: Can increase range by 1 in exchange for -1 to attack.
5
5Stationary: Must be still for a short period in order to use.
5
5Subtle: Silent and not flashy.
5
5Swift: +1 Harm against enemies that haven’t acted yet.
5
5Thirsting: Regain 1 Celest the first time it kills an enemy during
a combat.
5
5Thrown: Can be thrown to a Near range, and teleports back to
your hand after.
Sun Weaponry Tags
5
5Dazzling: Enemies harmed by this weapon cannot act against
you this round.
5
5Marking: Allies get +1 to attacks against creatures harmed by
this weapon until your next turn.
5
5Searing: Every round, enemies hit by this weapon take 1 Harm
until dead.
Moon Weaponry Tags
5
5Restoring: Regain 1 Celest when you roll a 6 on an attack.
5
5Revealing: Shapeshifters harmed by this weapon revert to
their natural forms; enemies gain no benefit from being invisible
against this weapon.
5
5Shadowy: Deals double Harm against enemies that aren’t
aware of you.

45
 Legendary Weapons
All light weapons are powerful tools, but there are weapons
out there that surpass the standard Champion kit. These are
Legendary Weapons, storied pieces of art from ages past. Often,
these are weapons crafted or modified by the order that have
been lost to time. They have a Legendary Effect, a persistent
effect, ability, or Power that is unique to that weapon outside of
the normal tags. They are best suited as a reward for an especially
dangerous expedition. Here are some examples.
Armor-Light Joy
Runic Rifle, Sunlight, Prism Glaive, Sunlight, Paragon
Light Barrier: Spend 1 Celest Joyful Acts: While at full
to project a light barrier from Health, roll twice the number
the front of your gun that of dice for rolls with your
blocks the next 2 Harm, then lowest Attribute. If two
make an attack. Attributes are tied for lowest,
this effect applies to both.
Go Quiet
Lightcannon, Moonlight, String of Pearls
Shadowy, Subtle, Swift Bow, Moonlight, Piercing,
Go Loud: When you deal Reach
damage with Go Quiet to an Exponentiality: For each
enemy that is not aware of enemy that you damage with
you, deal weapon damage to all this weapon in a single turn,
enemies in Engaged range with the weapon’s damage doubles
it too. against each subsequent
enemy hit on that turn.

46
 Ring Upgrades
The Order of the Firmament is based out of the Armillary, a huge
structure made up of concentric rings around a central core. Your
team of Champions is based out of one of the rings, and you can
customize and improve the ring as you complete expeditions.
During downtime between missions, you can work building
upgrades to your ring. Each upgrade takes a certain number of
downtimes to complete, as denoted by the number next to the
name. This time represents the amount of time spent working to
gather the supplies and build the improvements. However, since
most of your foes also use a corrupted form of the same magic you
do, you can sometimes appropriate improvements in enemy bases
for use in your ring.
List of Upgrades
Oculum weapons. You can add or
A system of lenses and mirrors remove a tag from a weapon.
that focus light. They can Library
change a weapon from sunlight A collection of knowledge on
to moonlight, or vice versa. topics relevant to the order.
Light Forge You can research hidden or
All the supplies and equipment esoteric knowledge here.
needed to create light Training Room
weapons. You can create base A more extensive training
weapons using this upgrade. room than the basic order
Workshop facilities. You can exchange
A room full of tools and magic one style you already have for
supplies for tinkering with another.

47
 Experts
Experts are specialists in using one of the ring upgrades you have.
You can gain an expert by helping a faction out, rescuing one from
an enemy, or making a convincing argument to join the Order of
the Firmament. These experts work for the order in a support role,
and can do the work required as part of using an upgrade. You
don’t have to spend your downtime using the upgrade, and can do
other activities instead.
An expert can only use an upgrade for one activity at a time.
If two Champions both want to add a tag to a weapon, a workshop
expert can only do the work for one of them in a single downtime.
The other Champion must still use the workshop themself.
Asks
Another way that Champions can advance is by completing Asks.
Asks are additional challenges that more senior members of the
order can issue to individual Champions outside of their normal
duties. These challenges can be asked for the good of the order, as
a personal favor for the asker, or purely for amusement.
Other members of the order will sometimes give Asks to
the Champions on their own, especially if they have a strategic
purpose for the order. For instance, a member of another team that
is hunting the Raven Hundred might ask for any information you
can find on a certain high-ranking member, if you happen to find
any on your own missions.

48
 Otherwise, Champions can spend their downtime convincing
a member they know to issue an Ask to them (see page 56 for
information on downtime). Each Champion can only have one Ask
at a time; the order does not want their attention divided from
their duties at hand.
Here are some members of the Order of the Firmament that
might give Asks and the types of challenges they might issue.

Alba
A competitive, no-nonsense follower
of the Discipline of Dawn. Trains new
Dawn Champions for the order.
55 Get a certain number of final
blows against enemies
55 Recover lost melee weapons for
the order
55 Survive an expedition with no
deaths
Dai
A grim, studious Astra mage.
Maintains the order’s archives on the
history of Affliction.
55 Free people Afflicted by the
Constellary
55 Recover artifacts from the
ancient war
55 Find information for the archives

Ophelia
A serene devotee of the Discipline
of Midnight. Has a near-obsessive
interest in Golden Age weapons.
55 Recover moonlight weapons
from before the Age of Affliction
55 Eliminate a Liege from the Raven
Hundred
55 Survive an expedition with no
Affliction
Capek
An Eclipse automaton and head of
reclaiming and recovery. Strategic
mastermind.
55 Rescue fellow Champions from
behind enemy lines
55 Return the weapons and supplies
of fallen Champions
55 Bring blueprints or maps of
important areas

49
 Before the Game
During or before your first game of FIRMAMENT, you might want
to establish some details about the setting, characters, and game
in order to make later sessions run more smoothly. You don’t have
to use all of them, but for new players it can be a good way to
introduce the game and how it works.

Establishing the Game

Safety Tools
Tabletop games are collaborative storytelling, and part of that
collaboration involves making sure everyone at the table is
comfortable. FIRMAMENT is an action RPG, and fantasy violence
is expected as part of the core gameplay. You can host a Session 0
to determine how you want to portray violence in FIRMAMENT in
a way that everyone agrees with.
You can also establish other safety tools using whichever
combination of tools your group feels fits best with your style of
play. There are a number of safety tools and resources available
online. The TTRPG Safety Toolkit (bit.ly/ttrpgsafetytoolkit) is a
good place to get started. You can use these resources and others
as your group sees fit to create an ideal experience for everyone.

50
 The Campaign
FIRMAMENT is split into expeditions, missions that Champions go
on with a specific goal in mind. A FIRMAMENT campaign is made
up of alternating expeditions and downtime, in which Champions
recover, train, connect, and improve the Orrery.
Expeditions are fast-paced, and a single mission can be as
short as an hour. If you want to run a whole game in a single
session, you can begin with a quick brief on the expedition, run it,
and then a short conclusion at the end.
If you want a campaign that runs longer than a single session,
decide as a group how long of a campaign you’re interested in. As
powerful Champions, you are capable of changing the world, and
each expedition will build on your past successes and failures.
The World
FIRMAMENT takes place in the realm of Rakama. Rakama is vast,
and most information on it will be discovered through gameplay.
There’s too much to include in a game book, and the GM will fill in
most of the world between the broad strokes, but on the following
pages there are a few things that may be good to know before
starting:
Rakama is a fantasy world. Many things in Rakama are different
from our world. The sky in Rakama is a solid dome over the world,
and is the closest thing on Rakama to a higher power. There are no
mechanically-distinct races in FIRMAMENT, but many on Rakama
have non-human features—pointed ears, oddly-shaped pupils, or
vestigial horns.

51
 Rakama is a world in which magic is common. Most magic is
learned through study and practice, except for magic that is drawn
from the Firmament, including Affliction, which is a corruption
of the Firmament’s magic. Most of the Champions’ powers are
considered to be magic.
Champions are elite warriors. The Order of the Firmament is
ancient, and Champions that join have undergone rigorous training
by the time they go on expeditions with a team. Many already have
storied pasts when they join the order.
Light weapons only affect certain things. They have no effect
against regular folks, only against anyone who wields the power
of the Firmament themselves, or the corrupt Affliction. Such
magic changes those who wield it, making them vulnerable to the
otherwise harmless light weapons.
More about the world. There is a lot about the world of
Rakama that can be found in the GM section of this book, and
more that the GM can create as part of the world. The GM can
share any information about the world with the players to help
them make characters that are grounded in Rakama.
The Armillary is home base. The Armillary is a huge structure
of interlocking rings around a central core. Each team of
Champions lives and trains in one ring. The phaserings in the core
are a smaller set of interlocking rings that allow a team to teleport
to where they need to go.

52
 Creating Characters
Before you go on your first mission, everyone needs to create
their Champions. This is best done as a group, so that players get
to know each others’ characters before the game. Champions in
the same team may have gone through training together, and they
share a ring on the Armillary, living and working in the same space.
When you create your characters (as found on page 18), you can
ask questions to get to know your fellow Champions.

What was your life like before you became a

Champion?

What drew you to your discipline above any

others?

Why did you join the Order of the Firmament?

Did you leave anything behind when you joined the

order?

53
 Missions and Downtime
Champions travel to all corners of Rakama to root out Affliction
and keep it from spreading. They strike out on expeditions, tracing
rumors of Affliction and hunting those who abuse it. Expeditions
can be many things, and Champions are trained in various types of
action. A team may go on an infiltration and elimination mission,
a rescue mission, and a frontal assault one after another if the
circumstances call for it.

Mission Phases
Every expedition has a preparation phase, an active phase, and a
conclusion phase.
Preparation
Before the Champions set off on an expedition, they are presented
the mission. The order shares relevant information with the
Champions, including the location, the enemy factions involved,
and the purpose of the expedition. They should also know the risks
at hand. What are they hoping to achieve? What might happen if
they fail?
Once the Champions know the expedition details, they can
prepare their equipment. Champions can bring two weapons on
an expedition, or three if two of them have the dual tag. There’s
no hard limit to other equipment that the Champions can carry,
but the general rule is “a reasonable amount,” however your group
defines that.

54
 Once the Champions are ready to go, they report to the
phaserings in the core of the Armillary. FIRMAMENT doesn’t
include long overland travel; Champions can teleport to the rough
area of the target of their expedition using the device in the core.
Active Phase
This phase of the expedition is where most of the gameplay in
FIRMAMENT takes place. Champions arrive at the target location
and try to complete their mission to the best of their ability.
This is where Champions will make rolls and use powers. When
they complete their mission (or reach a state where the mission
is unsalvageable) they can recall to the Armillary and begin the
conclusion phase.
Conclusion Phase
After the Champions return to the Armillary, they regain all Health
and Celest as they rest and recover from the expedition. At this
time, you can advance your character (see page []). They choose a
style to learn and take stock of any rewards they earned or found
during the expedition—weapons, ring upgrades, or specialists to
staff the Armillary.
Champions can also reflect on how the expedition went. What
did you set out to do? Did you succeed? What are the effects of
your actions on the expedition? What will this mean for future
missions going forward?
Now that the expedition is finished, Champions can spend
some much-needed downtime.

55
 Downtime
In between missions, Champions can spend their downtime on
a variety of activities. There are usually a few days in between
expeditions in which the Champions can relax, improve,
investigate, and connect with one another.
It is assumed that at least some of the time during downtime
is spent training. Champions need to stay in top form, and the
time training also represents the new styles gained after each
expedition. If you like, you can describe your team training
together, developing the new techniques they will use in battle.
You can also explore the world around the Armillary. The
Armillary is located in a busy hub in Rakama and you can easily
go do other activities. Characters can investigate leads that they
uncovered on expeditions, interact with local factions, or just
enjoy some time in the town. You can read more about the area
around the Armillary in the GM section.

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You can also use your downtime to do one large activity per
downtime. A large activity is an activity that causes a significant
change or improvement to your situation. These include:

Using a ring improvement

Working on a ring improvement

Gaining an Ask from another Champion

Calling in a favor for completing an Ask

Other actions can be considered large activities if they are
significant or complicated enough. Your GM will tell you if your
proposed activity counts as a large activity.

57
 GM Section
n this section GMs will find tools for creating

I expeditions, filling them with enemies, and populating

the world. The GM can use as many or as few of these
tools as they want, but they give a guideline for how to
run FIRMAMENT smoothly.

Designing Expeditions
As a GM, you create the challenges that Champions face. This
section includes tools you can use for designing expeditions and
guidance for how expeditions operate.
Difficulty
First, decide on a relative difficulty for the expedition. Difficulty is
measured by a Health pool of all enemies that will be encountered
on an expedition. A relatively easy difficulty should go no lower
than 50 combined Health; any lower and it does not present a
challenge for the Champions. A very difficult challenge can be
as high as 150 Health. For very advanced players, you can have a
slightly higher Health pool, but too much higher might turn into a
slog for the Champions.

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 Mission Type
As Champions, your players might go on any type of expedition
that the Order of the Firmament needs them to do in the fight
against Affliction. There are multiple types of tasks that help in the
fight, from reclaiming some of the ancient legendary weapons of
past Champions to a frontal assault on those who wield Affliction
as a weapon.
There are five types of expeditions: Assault, Defense,
Infiltration, Recovery, and Support. Assault expeditions are
focused on eliminating threats that wield Affliction. Defense
expeditions are based around blocking or repelling enemy actions.
Infiltration expeditions are expeditions that require a little more
subtlety than usual. Recovery expeditions involve gaining some
sort of asset or resource. Support expeditions cover a variety of
tasks that involve helping other factions.
When designing a mission, choose one of the types of
expeditions or roll on the table below.

1. Assault 5. Support
2. Defense 6. Roll
3. Infiltration Twice and
4. Recovery Combine

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Assault missions are often more straightforward than other
expeditions and can be a good first expedition for players and
GMs. For Assault expeditions, choose a reason for why the
Champions are attacking an enemy or eliminating a threat, or roll
on the table below.
1. Eliminate an 4. Destroy a
enemy stronghold powerful Affliction
2. Meet an enemy weapon
on the battlefield 5. Break a
3. Retake an blockade
occupied city 6. Roll Twice and
Combine
For defense expeditions, choose how the Champions are defending
a location, person, or group from an enemy, or roll on the table
below.
1. Defend a city from an 4. Keep a captured
invasion outpost safe until order
reclaimers can purge it of
2. Protect a caravan Affliction
carrying supplies 5. Keep an order trainee
alive during their first
3. Escort someone mission
targeted by an enemy 6. Roll Twice and
faction Combine

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For infiltration missions, choose what type of mission requires a
little more subtlety, or roll on the table below.

1. Assassinate an 4. Find evidence of a

enemy leader faction’s plans using
2. Learn information Affliction
from a faction meeting 5. Capture a location
or event without alerting the
3. Sabotage a weapon larger force nearby
or magic device 6. Roll Twice and
Combine
For recovery missions, choose what you are trying to recover and
why, or roll on the table below.

1. Rescue a captured 4. Save Afflicted from

Champion an enemy
2. Recover a legendary 5. Clear a path for
light weapon another team behind
3. Liberate supplies enemy lines
from an enemy 6. Roll Twice and
transport Combine

61
For support missions, choose who you are helping, or roll on the
table below (see page 95 for more information on these groups).
Then, roll on one of the other tables to see what you are doing to
help.
1. The Astra 4. The Concord
Mages of Goodwill
2. The Cyclics 5. Friendly
3. Kythera Hexhunters
Locals 6. Roll Twice
and Combine

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 Expedition Enemies
Once you have an idea for the purpose of the expedition, you need
to decide on what enemies will be there. In FIRMAMENT, enemy
factions provide a force for the player characters to go up against.
There are 5 enemy factions found in FIRMAMENT, which can be
found on page 68, but you can also create more factions that exist
in the realm of Rakama. When you create a faction, keep 3 things in
mind.
1. The faction has to use Affliction. Champions’ powers and
weapons will have no affect against them if they don’t.
2. The faction has to pose a threat to the order. If the
Champions can get them to stop using Affliction by asking sternly,
that’s not worth playing through.
3. The faction has to have various enemies. The faction needs
to have both powerful bosses and weak grunts to provide variety
to the Champions.
Choose an enemy that the players will be facing on this
expedition, or roll on the table below.

1. The Raven 4. The

Hundred Constellary
2. Braxon 5. The Sun Cult
Alchemical 6. Roll Twice
3. Hexhunters and Combine

63
Then, decide if there are any special enemies or roll on the table
below.
1. No special 4. One Afflicted
enemies
2. No special 5. Multiple
enemies Afflicted
3. No special
enemies 6. Elite

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 Expedition Locations
After you’ve decided on an enemy, you can choose a location
where the expedition will take place. Each enemy faction has its
own aesthetic and strongholds in Rakama, and you can roll on one
of the tables below to determine what the target location is like.
For example:
Braxon Alchemical
Theme Location
1. Industrial 1. Factory
2. Scientific 2. Silo
3. Toxic 3. Laboratory
4. Affluent 4. Pumping
5. Warped Station
6. Grimy 5. Foundry
6. Warehouse

65
 The Raven Hundred
Theme Location
1. Opulent 1. Mansion
2. Abandoned 2. Ballroom
3. Underground 3. Catacombs
4. Ruined 4. Temple
5. Moonlit 5. Mausoleum
6. Shadowy 6. Palace

Sun Cult
Theme Location
1. Blazing 1. Solarium
2. Holy 2. Cathedral
3. Blinding 3. Mountain
4. Mathematical Peak
5. Celestial 4. Stone Circle
6. Incandescent 5. Rotunda
6. Wasteland

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 The Constellary
Theme Location
1. Mystical 1. Library
2. Unmoored 2. Study
3. Starry 3. Sanctum
4. Enchanting 4. Observatory
5. Refracting 5. Tower
6. Experimental 6. Crystal
Cavern
Hexhunters
Theme Location
1. Overgrown 1. Tunnel
2. Abandoned 2. Neighborhood
3. Wild 3. Cistern
4. Hidden 4. Courtyard
5. Haunted 5. Outpost
6. Unnatural 6. Rooftops

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 Enemies
The Order of the Firmament has many enemies. Anyone who
wields Affliction is someone that the order is dedicated to
opposing. Sometimes these are only individuals dabbling in the
magics of Affliction, but often they organize into groups. These
groups are the primary recurring foes that the Champions will face
in battle.
Enemies are made up of the following characteristics, but they
might not have all of them.
A
AHealth: How much Harm they can take before dying.
A
AHarm and Range: Amount of Harm they can inflict, and at
what range.
A
AMoves: The actions, reactions, motives, and tactics that
enemies use in combat. These are narrative descriptions of what
they do when they inflict Harm or use their Keywords.
A
AKeywords: Special rules or effects. See the list of keywords on
page 70.
A
AVariants: Optional alternative versions of an enemy.

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 Elites
Elites are the most advanced enemies that Champions face during
expeditions. Elites are individually unique enemies, even more than
the other powerful enemies in a faction. They have an important
role in an enemy faction and may be present at pivotal events
when dealing with the faction.
Elites act the same as normal enemies, but are among the
most powerful among them. Otherwise, they have the following
features:
A
AFollowers: These are enemies that are always with the Elite,
the most loyal among the faction. Their purpose is to defend the
Elite above all else, and will use the most effective tactics to do so.
A
ALair: An elite has a lair with a specific structure and theme
(see page 65), as well as other possible effects, either persistent
effects or lair actions that occur on the GM Turn. Not every Elite is
encountered in their lair, but they are most powerful there; if given
the chance, they will encounter enemies where they can control
the battle.
A
AFollower Effects: Persistent Effects that apply to all Followers
listed.
A
ALegendary Effect: A single effect or ability that changes a
battle in a major way.

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 Keywords
A
AAura: Persistent effect in a listed range
A
ABloodied: Effect caused when enemy is dealt more than half
their health rounded up in a single turn
A
AConstrain: Prevent Champion from spending Celest during
their next turn
A
ADrain (X): Target Champion loses X Celest
A
AEnraged: Bonus gained when enemy takes damage
A
AFlight: Can move vertically, attacks at Near or Far range have
-1 dice
A
AHinder: Prevent Champion from moving during their next turn
A
AImmune: Cannot be harmed until a condition is changed
A
ALast Gasp: Effect triggers when enemy dies
A
AMiasma: Effect in a listed range activated as an action
A
ARestore (X): Enemy recovers X Health
A
ASiphon: Enemy steals a drop during the GM turn
A
AStun: Target Champion cannot act during their next turn
A
AWard (X): Block next X Harm to listed enemies
A
AWound: Effect that triggers when enemy causes harm

70
 Braxon Alchemical
The shadiest of many admittedly shady industrial organizations in
Rakama, Braxon is a business with no qualms as to the practices
it will engage in. It has countless contracts with dubious figures
and uses Affliction to both power industrial processes and protect
assets.

71
72
73
74
75
 The Raven Hundred
The Raven Hundred was once an ancient society of nobles that
drew power from the moon. They once numbered a hundred
among them, and now count over a hundred families, plus their
retainers and courts. As they have sought ever-more power and
influence, they abandoned the power of the Firmament in pursuit
of Affliction instead, using the dangerous power to extend their
own lives.

76
77
78
79
80
 Sun Cult
This fanatical cult worships the sun to excess. Their devotion is so
intense that they have delved into solar Affliction. They ultimate
goal of the cult is to use Affliction to create an artificial sun on the
surface of Rakama in an ultimate act of devotion.

81
82
83
84
 The Constellary
The Constellary is an offshoot of the Astra mages that abandoned
the study of the Firmament for a study of Affliction instead. These
highly secretive mages hoard information even from one another,
and only cooperate against forces like the Order of the Firmament.

85
86
87
88
 Hexhunters
Hexhunters have a similar mission to the Order of the Firmament,
to wipe out Affliction wherever they find it. Unlike the order, they
use Affliction themselves in their hunt. While tenuous allies in the
best of times, the order and the Hexhunters come into conflict
often. Additionally, Hexhunters use of Affliction puts them at
risk of being Afflicted by others, and enthralled Hexhunters are
sometimes found among other factions.

89
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91
92
93
 The Realm of Rakama
The world of Rakama is a fantasy world covered by a solid dome,
the Firmament. The Firmament is a dispersed mind, the closest
thing Rakama has to a god. It does not communicate directly
with the people of Rakama, but has at times made its will known
through indirect means.
The Firmament originally gave magic to Rakama. Warlords and
weaponsmiths warped this magic into Affliction, a more dangerous
and harmful version of the magic. A group of devotees to the
Firmament waged war against Affliction for years, in an event
now known as the ancient war. These warriors then formed the
Order of the Firmament to stand vigil against the Affliction. Later,
the people of Rakama developed their own form of magic, less
dangerous and less powerful than Affliction.
The Firmament occasionally sends meaningful dreams
to members of the order and occasionally outsiders. You can
incorporate Firmament dreams as a potential aspect of downtime
in your game. Usually the Firmament chooses a specific person to
receive these dreams; in the order such a person is known as an
oracle.

94
 The City of Kythera
The headquarters of the Order of the Firmament, the Armillary,
is located in a city called Kythera. Kythera has been under the
shadow of the Armillary for generations, and its locals are used
to the presence of Champions. Most of Champions’ downtime
that doesn’t take place in the Armillary will take place in Kythera.
There are local gathering places like taverns and coffee houses,
and any supplies that aren’t light weapons the Champions have to
obtain from Kythera shops on the order’s credit. Kythera is their
community, and how they interact with the locals will affect how
the locals interact with them.
Kythera Factions
Kythera also has factions that exert influence on the city. They
have motives and plans themselves, and can be a resource or a
hindrance to order activities at home.
Astra Mages
A few Astra mages join the Order of the Firmament, but the
rest are still an important faction in Kythera. They focus on an
academic study of the Firmament and the magic granted by it that
goes beyond the fight against Affliction. They can be an important
resource in the knowledge or practical application of magic and of
the power of the Firmament. They can be found in the Lighthouse,
a tower full of mirrors and lenses.
They are generally friendly and helpful toward the order, as
their mages are among the order’s numbers. They often help with
reasonable requests, but may ask for help with research in return.

95
 The Cyclical
The Cyclical is a sect of calendar-keepers and prophets. They
study the cycles of history and the movement of the celestial
bodies of the Firmament, believing they can use this knowledge to
predict the future. Their predictions are vague, inconsistent, and
shockingly accurate.
The Cyclical remain holed up in their archives, but will
sometimes deign to help Champions if they offer something
valuable in return, usually star charts or accurate historical
records.
The Concord of Goodwill
The Concord of Goodwill is the self-proclaimed government of
Rakama. While they don’t have the reach to impose their will
on most of the lands they claim, they have a strong influence in
Kythera.
The Concord often comes into conflict with the Order of the
Firmament, as they operate outside of the Concord’s decrees. The
one thing they agree on is Affliction. Still, they do sometimes ask
Champions to do things for them that they either don’t have the
resources to accomplish or do not want associated with them.
These tasks are often even more dubious than the Concord’s
regular activities, and there is little silver lining to them outside of
a quid pro quo arrangement.

96