Play
P is narrated by a neutral facilitator called the referee. They
control all the non-player characters (NPCs), describe the details
of the world, and make rulings during play. The other players
control their own player characters (PCs). If any of the rules of the
game are in dispute, the referee has the final say.
Actions
A that players want their PCs to perform must be
described to the referee, who will determine and narrate the
outcome. Risky actions, actions where failure has negative
consequences for the PC, require support, expertise, and time ("set").
If the PC has the necessary gear or assistance they have support.
If they have a relevant skill or an advantage they have expertise.
If the action is neither urgent nor time sensitive they have time.
If a PC has all 3 set, they accomplish their action.
If they have 2 set, they must make a normal save.
If they only have 1 set, they must make a critical save.
If they have 0 set, they cannot accomplish their action.
This is called setting the save.
Saves
S are a combination of ability and luck which characters use
to avoid the negative consequences of risky actions. They are made by
rolling a d20. If the result is equal to or under the relevant
temperament, the PC successfully saves. If not, they suffer the
consequences, but don't necessarily fail to accomplish their action. A
result of equal to or under half the temperament is a critical save.
A result of 1 is always a success and 20 is always a failure. The
consequences of failure must be made obvious to the players before
they commit to an action.
Consequences can simply be part of the current narrative, such as an
item breaking or taking too long and being caught, or they be a relevant
ordeal or, severely, a temperament imbalance.
Temperaments
T are the four types of human behaviour
determined by the balance of bodily fluids, called humours. Each
temperament is used for saves in different circumstances.
Choleric (Cho), from yellow bile, represents one's dominance,
decisiveness, and ambition. It is used for saves requiring strength,
athleticism, martial might, or a threatening presence.
Phlegmatic (Phl), from phlegm, represents one's precision,
steadiness, and coordination. It is used for saves requiring dexterity,
balance, poise, or steady hands.
Melancholic (Mel), from black bile, represents one's calculation,
logic, and contemplation. It is used for saves requiring intelligence,
perception, or knowledge.
Sanguine (San), from blood, represents one's energy, enthusiasm,
and soul. It is used for saves requiring persuasion, deception,
likeability, or social presence.
Skills
S are the areas that a PC has experience in, usually derived
from their background, profession, training, or natural talent. If a PC
has a skill that is relevant to their current action, then they are
considered to have expertise in it.
Skills are described by a single word or two. When inventing skills,
keep them simple and specific. Example skills; ale brewing, carpentry,
dancing, fire starting, heraldry, item concealment, leather working,
persausion, sailing, swimming, trapping, weapon smithing, etc.
PCs can learn new skills by spending a bit of coin and a few months
with a trainer to teach them. Learning a new skill that is related to a
skill they already have will be quicker and cheaper.
Items
I are placed in one of the PC's inventory slots. Handy slots are
for items they have immediate access to. Most items take time to
retrieve, whereas items in handy slots can be used instantly. Carried
slots are for items a PC is wearing or carrying on their person.
Stowed slots are for items stored in a pack or bag. These storage
containers are required to stow items. Stowed items are subject to the
condition of the pack or bag they are stowed in.
Most items fill a single slot, but cumbersome items can take up
multiple. Roughly 100 coins (100c), 3 small items, or 9 tiny items can
fit in a single slot. PCs have 2 handy, 4 carried, and 6 stowed slots.
They also have access to 4 extra slots, but become encumbered if 1
or more are used. Being encumbered means the PC cannot run,
cannot instantly access handy slots, and cannot make critical saves.
Ordeals
O are negative effects suffered by the PC due to specific
situations or as a consequence of failure. They must be placed in an
inventory slot, replacing items if none are empty. PCs can suffer
multiple of the same ordeal. Ordeals can be removed if their removal
requirements are met. PCs die if they have 6 or more ordeals.
Ordeals are very obvious to other people, unless the PC tries to hide
them. Folk may behave differently around a PC suffering from certain
ordeals. For example, a drunk may be refused entry into a church and a
sick PC may scare simple folk away.
Stress Deprivation
Suffered from critical failure or Suffered if the PC hasn't eaten a meal
traumatic situations in a day
Cannot improve temperaments Cannot benefit from resting
Removed after stress relief Removed after eating a meal
Exhaustion Injury
Suffered from physical exertion or a Suffered from a physical accident or
day without a full rest violent attack
Unconscious at 3 or more slots Cho & Phl saves are exhausting
Removed after resting Removed after medical attention
Sickness Drunkenness
Suffered from poison or illness Suffered by consuming alcohol
Cannot recover temperaments Ignore stress & cannot use skills
Removed after consuming medicine Becomes deprivation after 3 hours
Imbalances
I in the PC's temperaments are the result of a
serious consequence to failure. Bodily harm or dominance causes a
Cho imbalance. Ailments or physical stresses cause a Phl
imbalance. Mental stresses or self-doubt causes a Mel imbalance.
Shame, guilt, or humiliation causes a San imbalance.
Imbalances are dealt in the form of a d4, d6, or d8, depending on
the severity. Subtract the result from the affected temperament.
Once a temperament is reduced to 0, the PC's story ends. How their
story ends is up to the PC, but it should be related to the situation
that led to it. Death is the common end, but it can be anything that
restricts the PC from continuing with the rest.
When a PC 's story ends, the player should make a new PC, or take over
an NPC, and rejoin the game as soon as possible.
Imbalances inform players how their PC is feeling. Low Cho makes
them aggressive or irrational. Low Phl makes them overcautious or
hesitant. Low Mel makes them depressed or forgetful. Low San makes
them overwrought or awkward.
Recovery
R of temperaments or removal of ordeals is done in a
number of ways, chief among which is with rest.
A quick rest, of a few minutes, after some physical activity will
stop one from suffering a slot of exhaustion.
A full rest takes a night's sleep to restore d4 of each temperament
and remove up to 3 exhaustion slots.
A safe rest is a week-long break at a safe haven, usually costing a
fair bit of coin, restoring all temperaments to full and removing all
ordeal slots.
PCs only receive half the rest benefits if their rest is interrupted.
A snack allows the PC to ignore, but not remove, their deprivation
slots for 3 hours and a meal can remove up to 3 deprivation slots.
A snack is a quick bite to eat or something to drink and a meal is a
full plate or bowl of cooked food with something to drink.
PCs should also recover if certain fictional criteria are met, such as
engaging in a stress relieving activity, or paying a surgeon for a
bloodletting to balance one's temperaments.
Improvement
I
can be made to a PC's temperaments over
time. Temperaments are incrementally improved as they are used,
unless the PC is stressed. To increase a temperament by 1, a PC must
take a full rest after doing any 3 of the following using that
temperament: fail a save, fail a critical save, roll a 20 on a save, or
roll a 1 on a save. Players should make marks adjacent to their
temperament to indicate their progress.
Temperaments cannot be increased beyond 18.
Character
C creation requires a player to first roll 3d6 for
each temperament, in order, adding the results together to get the Erstwhile
E requires two or more players, a handful of common
total for each temperament. Swap any two temperaments. Then roleplaying dice (d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, d20), pencils, and paper.
roll a d12 on each of the tables to get their starting items and skills.
The setting resembles an abridged medieval "dark ages" (476 AD - 1000 AD).
Common Items While based on the early middle ages, the game is an interpretation of
1 bottle of ale 2 wooden bowl 3 charcoal sticks history, therefore real places, names, and events needn't be known.
4 wicker basket 5 hammer 6 fishing net Historical accuracy isn't paramount.
7 knife 8 cook pot 9 wooden holy pendant
10 wood axe 11 spear 12 +1 uncommon item The world is old and broken. The loss of progress and a collapse of
Uncommon Items the old powers has caused a societal decline. It is a time of ignorance,
1 1d4 common item 2 1d6 common item 3 1d8 common item savagery, and superstition.
4 blank book 5 tea leaves 6 prayer book
7 psaltery 8 book of hymns 9 iron holy pendant Vast swathes of godless wilderness stretch out forever, surrounding the
10 bow & arrows 11 bottle of wine 12 +1 rare item small bastions of civilised folk. The wilderness is an untamed and evil
Rare Items
place filled with vicious animals, madmen, and who-knows-what-else.
1 1d6 common item 2 1d8 common item 3 1d8 common item Overgrown remnants of a once great empire litter the landscape like
4 1d10 common item 5 1d10 common item 6 1d10 common item memories of a past age. The reach of their ruins suggests a much
7 sword 8 saint's bone 9 local area map greater and more sophisticated power than the current Kingdom.
10 spice pots 11 gold holy pendant 12 illuminated holy book Some towns still rely on this empire's architecture and infrastructure.
Social Skills
1 intimidation 2 persuasion 3 etiquette In the villages and towns, most folk live a meagre existence under their
4 deception 5 singing 6 reciting scripture lord's protection. They offer goods and services, work the land, and
7 encouraging 8 interrogation 9 impersonation attend the chapel sermons. People work roughly from dawn to dusk,
10 entertaining 11 bribery 12 +1 occupational skill ending work at the curfew bell and retiring to their beds when it gets too
Occupational Skills dark. A torch is required, by law, while wandering the streets at night.
1 animal handling 2 cooking 3 hunting
Whilst there is exchange of coin, it is mostly done by wealthy gentry
4 plant identification 5 black smithing 6 spear fighting
and the nobility. More often than not, peasants would trade their
7 reading & writing 8 animal tracking 9 carpentry
own produce or crafts for goods of similar value. Having a lot of coin
10 fishing 11 trapping 12 navigation
could earn one status, but it could not buy one's way into nobility.
Additionally, all PCs start with 3d6 coins, simple clothes, 3 snacks,
and a carry sack. Lastly, players should detail their PCs with a name Everyone speaks a common language, but usually only clergy and
and description. scholars can read and write. Most literature and holy texts are written
in the old language of the fallen empire of antiquity. Other languages,
Refereeing
R a game of Erstwhile should be straightforward beyond the Kingdom, are considered heathen.
and quick. Make common-sense rulings for unique situations and
do what is best to keep the game flowing. Most are peasants or craftsfolk, who have little say over the whims of
their liege lords. Likewise, the lords and vassals themselves have little
Provide the players with all the information they need and answer say over the King and his court. Though great and powerful as he is,
questions about the world honestly. Make risks known and obvious. the King must still follow the law of God.

If unsure of how to progress, use God's Will (1d6). Assign
outcomes, focusing on a specific character or group, to the results.
1-3 is unfavourable. 4-5 is concerning. 6 or more is favourable. If the
character or group in question is particularly virtuous or pious, roll
2d6 instead.
Erstwhile
The holy book dictates what is virtuous and what is sin. The church and
its clergy preach how folk should live their lives and warn of the
consequences for breaking holy law. The Pontiff is the highest office of
the church and often commands the King himself in holy matters.

The dark ages can be grim and hostile, but the game should be a All games of Erstwhile take place roughly 200 years after the warring,
welcoming place for everyone. Whilst the game draws on certain migratory tribes were unified under one holy Kingdom. A rules-light dark ages roleplaying game
themes from the era, it does not condone its values. Hatred, Erstwhile v1 eucatastrophic.itch.io/erstwhile | Created by Jason Christopher Burrows by Jason Christopher Burrows
prejudice, and elitism at the table is unwelcome. Public Domain Images: getty.edu | Free Fonts: Crimson Text, Germania, & Blackwood Castle