Block, Dodge, Parry – Lars Huijbregts, 2022

Table of Contents
Basic Principles ............................................................................................................................................. 3

Time, Gear & Skill.......................................................................................................................................... 4

Character Creation ........................................................................................................................................ 5

Rules........................................................................................................................................................... 7

Social Conflict............................................................................................................................................... 9

Combat ...................................................................................................................................................... 11

Weapons .................................................................................................................................................... 15

Careers & Skills ............................................................................................................................................ 17

Magic........................................................................................................................................................ 25

Acknowledgements ...................................................................................................................................... 29

Appendix A: Gear Tables................................................................................................................................ 30

Appendix B: Making NPCs .............................................................................................................................. 31

Appendix C: Practical Magic Tags.................................................................................................................... 32

Appendix D: Divine Domains .......................................................................................................................... 33

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Basic Principles
Neutrality
The Warden’s role is to portray the rules, situations, NPCs, and narrative clearly while acting as a neutral arbiter.

Classless
A character’s role or skills are not defined by their class. Instead, a character defines themselves by their experiences,
equipment, background, and by their own ingenuity.

Death
Characters may be powerful, but they are also vulnerable to harm in many forms. Death is always around the corner, but it
is never random or without warning. Combat is not necessarily a fail state, but this game hopes to gain just as much tension
out of the moments before swords are drawn, as the ones in which arrows fly, blades strike and spells singe.

Fiction First
Dice do not always reflect an obstacle’s difficulty or its outcome. Instead, success and failure are arbitrated by the Warden
in dialogue with the players, based on in-world elements. However, some systems in this document use dice as prompts to
inform the fiction.

Growth
Characters are changed through in-world advancement, gaining new Careers, Skills, and abilities by surviving dangerous
events and overcoming obstacles.

Player Choice
Players should always understand the reasons behind the choices they’ve made, and information about potential risks
should be provided freely and frequently.

Principles
The Warden and the players each have guidelines that help foster a specific play experience defined by critical thinking,
exploration, and an emergent narrative.

Shared Objectives
Players trust one another to engage with the shared setting, character goals, and party challenges. Therefore, the party is
typically working together towards a common goal as a team.

Expanding The Foundation

This document is meant as an expansion of Cairn - I hope to provide several systems and toolkits to make it feel like an
interpretation of Advanced Cairn. Many basic building blocks from Cairn are included - enough to hopefully make this
document able to stand on its own - but not all. Should some parts be missing or lacking context, check out the full Cairn
rules by Yochai Gal.

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Time, Gear & Skill

Performing actions involves time, gear, and skill.

• Generally, if you have none or one of the three, a task is impossible.

• If you have all three, you do not need to roll - it just succeeds.
• If you only have two, the task might involve a Save, with time or your gear at stake if you fail.

Example: Lockpicking
Lockpicking a door requires no roll if you are skilled at lockpicking, are not in a hurry and have lockpicking tools available.

Lockpicking a door might require a DEX Save if you're in a hurry yet have the skills and tools, with the risk being not
finishing the task in time. It could also involve a WIL Save if you have time and skill, yet no tools, with you trying to
improvise your tools.

Lockpicking a door is impossible with only one of the three:

• You could stare at a lock all day with all the time in the world, but without gear and skill, nothing is going to
happen.
• You could be a skilled lockpicker, but in a hurry and without tools, there's not much you can do.
• You might have lockpick tools, but without the time to figure out how to use them, there's no way you'll manage it
without skill.

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Character Creation
Name, Careers, Background
First, choose your PC’s name, pronouns, appearance, and other such details. Next, make up to 4 Career Choices. A PC’s
career informs their potential knowledge and skills. See Careers.

Ability Scores
Player Characters (PCs) have just three attributes: Strength (STR), Dexterity (DEX), and Willpower (WIL).

When creating a PC, the player should roll 3d6 for each of their character’s ability scores, in order. They may then swap any
two of the results.

Hit Protection
Roll 1d6 to determine your PC’s starting Hit Protection (HP), which reflects their ability to avoid damage in combat. HP
does not indicate a character’s health or fortitude; nor do they lose it for very long (see Healing).

Fantasy Species
If desired, you can pick one of the following attributes, to play as a fantasy species of choice.

• Tough (dwarves, orcs, etc.) - once per day, when you would be reduced to 0 hp, you may choose to be reduced to 1
hp instead.
• Arcane (elves, demons, etc.) - once per day, you can attempt to perform a minor magical feat related to your
ancestry: Describe what you would like to happen. The Warden will decide who needs to make a WIL Save, if any.
• Cunning (halflings, goblins, etc.) - once per day, you may reroll any saving throw.
• Adaptable (humans, half-humans, etc.) - once per day, you may choose to use one attribute for a check instead of
another.

Inventory
Characters have a total of 10 inventory slots: a backpack with six slots, one slot for each hand, and two slots for their upper
body (such as the belt, chest, or head). The backpack can also double as an emergency sleeping bag but only if emptied of its
contents.

Most items take up one slot, and small items can be bundled together. Slots are abstract and can be rearranged at the
Warden’s discretion.

Bulky items take up two slots and are typically two-handed or awkward to carry. Anyone carrying a full inventory (e.g.
filling all 10 slots) is reduced to 0 HP.

A PC cannot carry more items than their inventory allows. Carts (which must be pulled with both hands), horses, or mules
can increase inventory. Hirelings can also be paid to carry equipment.

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Starting Gear
All PCs begin with:

• Three days’ rations (one slot)

• A torch (one slot)
• 3d6 gold pieces

Weapons
Your character can pick up any weapon and use it to hurt others - it’s not hard to apply the pointy end to your enemy’s soft
bits. Making full use of a weapon’s capabilities requires dedication and training (see the Weapons section for more).

When creating a character, choose one Damage Type Proficiency (bludgeoning, piercing, slashing) to be proficient in. This
means you gain the benefits that the damage type gives, such as bludgeoning ignoring 1 Armor. You can gain more Damage
Type Proficiencies by training, or picking a Career Skill that grants proficiency.

Choose one weapon to gain Weapon Skill Proficiency in, meaning you can use the weapon’s tag (Bleed, Brutal, Shock) right
away. You can also add this weapon to your inventory.

Boron the Brave intends to play a cleric-like character who reinforces his beliefs with his ornate mace. He picks
‘bludgeoning’ as his Damage Type Proficiency - meaning that any bludgeoning weapon he picks up ignores 1 Armor. If he
were to pick up a Longsword, he does not gain the benefits of ‘slashing’ - not until he trains with it. He chooses a mace for
Weapon Skill Proficiency. This means he can immediately use the ‘Shock (7)’ tag: if he rolls a 7 or higher on a damage roll,
the target must succeed on a STR Save or have all the wind knocked out of them, losing their next turn.

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Rules
Abilities
Each of the three abilities is used in different circumstances.

• Strength (STR): Used for saves requiring physical power, like lifting gates, bending bars, resisting poison, etc.
• Dexterity (DEX): Used for saves requiring poise, speed, and reflexes like dodging, climbing, sneaking, balancing,
etc.
• Willpower (WIL): Used for saves to persuade, deceive, interrogate, intimidate, charm, provoke, manipulate
spells, etc.

Saves
A save is a roll to avoid bad outcomes from risky choices and circumstances. PCs roll a d20 for an appropriate ability score.
If they roll equal to or under that ability score, they pass. Otherwise, they fail. A 1 is always a success, and a 20 is always a
failure.

Healing
Short Rests
Resting for a few moments and having a drink of water restores lost HP but leaves the party exposed.

Long Rests
Going without a night’s sleep will leave you Deprived.

• Sleeping in a perilous position (say, a fortified room in a hostile dungeon, a makeshift camp in a blizzard on a
mountainside) removes the Deprived status, but does not remove Fatigue.
• Sleeping in a normal position (a well-made camp in the wilderness in normal weather, a simple inn) removes the
Deprived status and removes all Fatigue.
• Sleeping in a comfortable position (next to a magical fey spring, a luxurious chamber) removes the Deprived
status, all Fatigue, and restores Ability Loss by 1d6.

Ability Score Loss

Ability loss (see Critical Damage) can usually be restored with a week’s rest facilitated by a healer or other appropriate source
of care and expertise. Some of these services are free, while magical or more expedient means of recovery may come at a
cost.

Deprivation & Fatigue

A PC deprived of a crucial need (such as food or rest) is unable
to recover HP or ability scores. Anyone deprived for more
than a day adds Fatigue to their inventory, one for each day.
Each Fatigue occupies one slot and lasts until they can
recuperate (such as a full night’s rest in a safe spot). PCs can
also gain Fatigue by blocking and dodging, casting spells, or
through events in the fiction.

Armor
Before calculating damage to HP, subtract the target’s Armor
value from the result of damage rolls. Shields and similar
armor provide a bonus defense (e.g. +1 Armor), but only while
the item is held or worn. No one can have more than 3 Armor.

Shields, gauntlets, and helms may provide additional benefits

according to their use.

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Morale
Enemies must pass a WIL save to avoid fleeing when they take their first casualty and again when they lose half their
number. Some groups may use their leader’s WIL in place of their own. Lone foes must save when they’re reduced to 0 HP.
Morale does not affect PCs.

Reactions
When the PCs encounter an NPC whose reaction to the party is not obvious, the Warden may roll 2d6 and consult the
following table:

2d6 Result
2 Hostile
3-5 Wary
6-8 Curious
9-11 Kind
12 Helpful
Wealth & Treasure
The most common coin is the gold piece (gp), which is equal to 10 silver pieces (sp) and 100 copper pieces (cp).

Treasure is highly valuable, usually bulky, and rarely useful beyond its value. It can be a lure, taking PCs to exotic and even
dangerous locations, and is often under the protection of intimidating foes.

Villages, strongholds, and ports of call barter and trade based on the local rarity and value of an item or commodity.

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Social Conflict
Not all matters are settled with violence. If interests between the players and NPCs are strictly opposed and violence is not
desirable, off the table, or just rude, the first step is, of course, talking it out. To prevent negotiations from boiling down to a
matter of opinion (with players and Warden both feeling like their side of the story is ‘correct’), you can use the following
system.

Social conflict has the following steps:

1. The Stakes
Both parties define what success and failure would look like. The players state what the desired outcome of the negotiation
would be (within reason), and the Warden will state what the outcome of failure would be.

The party wants the mayor to lend them some of his city guards to attack a nearby monster’s den. Success would mean
gaining the troops. Failure would mean that the mayor denies the request - and refuses to speak to the party in the future.

2. Determine Composure
Composure acts as the HP of negotiations. It is equal to one’s WIL. Loss of Composure does not mean loss of WIL.

If a side of the argument consists of multiple members (like a party of Player Characters), use the average WIL Score
(rounded up) as Composure.

The mayor has a WIL of 12 and thus 12 Composure. The party (Beatrice, Moralil & Trent) has WIL scores of 12, 7, and 14,
with an average of 11, and thus a Composure of 11.

3. Making A Point
Next, pick what type of argument you wish to make. There are 3 types:

• Attack. You accuse, argue, intimidate or challenge – anything to drive your opponent back.
• Defend. You use your best facts, logic, arguments, and rationale. You’re sticking to the core of the issue as best
you can.
• Flourish. You charm, flirt, seduce or taunt in an attempt to break your opponent’s focus (and perhaps to lighten
the mood, too).

The Warden is advised to determine which 2 types of arguments best fit the NPC. Expert negotiators might choose all 3.
Furthermore, the Warden should let the fiction inform the type of argument. If the party made a good Attack in the
previous round, the NPC might choose to Defend. Attentive players should be able to somewhat predict what is going to
happen!

Both Warden and Players pick their argument in secret and then reveal them at the same time.

The mayor is a veteran and lost his right thumb fighting monsters in the past. He’s protective of his troops and thus
reluctant to send more men to die. The Warden determines that the mayor is likely to Defend and Attack - he’s not likely to
be charming or witty, so no Flourish. He’s heard of the party stirring a ruckus about reinforcements before and opens with
Defend.
The party decides to open with an Attack.

4. Resolving The Round

Both sides reveal their arguments.

• Defend beats Attack. The other party is clearly trying to get under my skin, and it’s clear their arguments are weak.
• Flourish beats Defend. I know I have the facts on my si- did… did they just wink at me? Is it warm in here, or is it just me?
• Attack beats Flourish. You can flutter your eyes at me all you want, you’re still clearly a child pretending as they belong at the
grown-up’s table.

If one argument beats another, the winning side gets to deal 1d8 to the losing side’s Composure. The losing side still deals
1d4 damage – arguing always costs energy, concentration, and effort.

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If both sides choose matching arguments, the resulting shouting match (of insults, facts, or compliments) deals 1d6
damage on both ends.

Before you roll, look at the arguments and try to imagine what both parties might argue at each other, using the argument
types as prompts. Next, the losing side briefly acts out or describes their side’s argument and rolls the damage dice. Now,
the winning side gets to retort - they too describe or act out their counterpoint, and roll the damage dice.

The party, having barged into the mayor’s office and choosing to Attack, makes their point. Beatrice: “Listen here - while
you’ve been sitting here comfy in your office, the farmers have had to deal with another troll attack. It’s time to do
something about it!”. The party rolls 1d4: a 3.
The mayor retorts with his Defence: “You outsiders… what do you know about us? If I send my men out there, who will be
here to defend the village from other dangers? What if someone gets hurt?”. The mayor rolls 1d8: a 5.

It could be argued that both sides have a point in this example - which is why it’s nice that we have a procedure to arbitrate
this argument for us!

5. Repeat & Result

Repeat steps 3 and 4 until one side’s Composure has been reduced to 0. If both sides’ Composure reaches 0 in the same
round, you agree to disagree – and can return to the negotiation table when you’ve both cleared your heads. This generally
means that the status quo remains as-is. Feel free to interpret ‘losing composure’ in various ways; in some contexts, it might
mean nothing, but in others, it means you get thrown out of a fancy costumed ball.

Wardens should use the outcome of each previous round as input for the next. In our example, the mayor might be likely to
Attack next - he won the previous round, time to go on the offensive!

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Combat
Rounds
The game typically plays without strict literal time accounting. In a fight or circumstance where timing is helpful, use
rounds to keep track of when something occurs. A round is roughly ten seconds of in-game time and is comprised of turns.

Initiative
The following Initiative system is inspired by the one featured in the amazing Errant. This system works best in situations
where there are two or more parties with weapons drawn, seizing each other up. For more dynamic moments, a regular
“Make a DEX Save to go before the enemy” ruling (as in base Cairn) works perfectly fine.

At the start of a round, each PC must make a DEX save to act before their opponents. Also, all combatants must decide
whether to take a quick turn or a full turn.

After the DEX saves, the round proceeds as follows:

1. Players taking a quick turn and who succeeded on their DEX save
2. Enemies taking a quick turn
3. Players taking a quick turn and who failed on their DEX save
4. Players taking a full turn and who succeeded on their DEX save
5. Enemies taking a full turn
6. Players taking a full turn and who failed on their DEX save

This means that someone already locked in combat can opt for a quick first blow, or wait for the full turns to hit twice. It
means an archer can always fire an arrow at distant enemies since they’ll need to move + attack (full turn), and means
that by default spellcasters tend to go last - unless they invest in quick spells.

Turns & Actions

Depending on whether the combatant opts for a quick turn or a full turn, they can perform one or two Actions.

Example Actions:

• Making an Attack
• Moving one range band further or closer
• Casting a Spell, which takes both Actions of a full turn, unless the spell specifies otherwise
• Performing a gambit or a similar stunt or maneuver

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Each round, the PCs declare what they are doing before the dice are rolled. If a character attempts something risky, the
Warden calls for a save for appropriate players or NPCs.

Range Bands
Distances are measured as:

• Close: In your face. Within punch- or sword range.

• Near: In the same room as you: reachable within a few moments/quick paces. It takes one Move Action in combat
to get here.
• Far: A few rooms away: optimum range for most ranged weapons. It takes one or multiple Move Actions in
combat to get here.
• Distant: Barely visible in the distance. It might take many Move Actions in combat to get here.

Attacking & Damage

The Warden will declare which enemies will attack which character. The attacker
rolls their weapon die and subtracts the target’s armor, then deals the remaining
total to their opponent’s HP. Unarmed attacks always do 1d4 damage.

HP stands for your ability to protect yourself from hits. Unaware targets might be
unable to do so, meaning damage is done straight to their STR. Similarly, a
character with a full inventory (10 slots) is overburdened to a degree that they are
unable to defend themselves.

Block, Dodge, Parry

Before damage is rolled, a Player Character under attack has 4 options:

• Fight back. Choose one attacker and deal your damage against it - after
you’ve taken the incoming damage.
• Block. Any incoming fast or normal attacks become Impaired. Blocking
gives you 1 Fatigue.
• Dodge. Any incoming strong or normal attacks become Impaired.
Dodging gives you 1 Fatigue.
• Parry. Choose one attacking opponent that you can attack in return.
o If you roll higher attack damage than they do, their dice roll is invalidated, and you deal your damage
straight to their STR.
o If the opponent rolls higher, the damage is dealt to your STR instead.
o If the two rolls are equal, both weapons bounce off each other with a satisfying twing! and a rain of
sparks. No damage is done to either party.

The Block, Dodge, Parry from which this game derives its name is meant to give PCs meaningful tactical decisions: First,
do you fight back to inflict damage as retaliation, or do you try to mitigate damage by blocking or dodging? If you decide
to defend, are there multiple enemies attacking you, dealing different types of damage? Would you rather dodge the big
warhammer, or block the incoming arrows? Finally, is it may be so personal or dire that you opt for the all-or-nothing risk
of a parry, instead?

Multiple Attackers
If multiple attackers target the same foe, roll all damage dice and keep the single highest result.

Attack Modifiers
If fighting from a position of weakness (such as through cover or with bound hands), the attack is impaired and the attacker
must roll 1d4 damage regardless of the attack's damage die.

If fighting from a position of advantage (such as against a helpless foe or through a daring maneuver), the attack is
enhanced, allowing the attacker to roll 1d12 damage in addition to their normal die.

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Dual Weapons
If attacking with two weapons at the same time, roll both damage dice and keep the single highest result.

Gambits
When making an attack, you can choose to make a gambit. A gambit is a move such as stunning, shoving, disarming,
tripping, and so forth. Declare that you make a gambit as you declare your attack.

When making a Gambit, your attack deals 0 damage. Your damage roll is instead used at the difficulty of the Save made by
the target. The type of Save is determined together with the Warden, and the target must roll equal to or under their Attribute
but also above the damage roll.

If the target fails their Save, the gambit succeeds. If they succeed, they may immediately make an attack back.

Example: Harald wants to shove his opponent, and rolls a 5. The goblin now needs to roll equal or under their DEX of 12,
and above 5.

Gambits cannot be blocked, dodged, or parried. If multiple attackers attack a single target and one or more attackers
choose to perform a gambit, resolve those before checking who rolled the highest damage.

Critical Damage
Damage that reduces a target’s HP below zero decreases a target’s STR by the amount remaining. They must then make a
STR save to avoid critical damage. Additionally, some enemies will have special abilities or effects that are triggered when
their target fails a critical damage save.

Any PC that suffers critical damage must roll a d6.

d6 Result
1 You die.
2-5 Incapacitated - you die within the hour unless treated.
6 No. Not today. You instantly regain 1d4 HP.
Alternative Critical Damage: Hit Locations
Instead of a generic 1d6 roll, roll on the following table. Interpret the results within fiction (one might get disarmed, injured
in the leg, and thus find it harder to move, etc.)

Upon suffering critical damage, roll a d10.

d10 Result
1-5 Torso Lose an additional 1d4 STR.
6 Left leg Lose ability to move quickly; lose use of leg.
7 Right leg Lose ability to move quickly; lose use of leg.
8 Left arm Disarmament; lose use of arm.
9 Right arm Disarmament; lose use of arm.
10 Head Most likely lethal.
Failing a Critical Damage Save should still have dire consequences.

Being hit on your right leg might mean rolling the next Initiative with disadvantage. Being hit there again might mean a
near-amputation, meaning you automatically lose any Initiative rolls.

Add an Injury to your inventory, as a form of long-term fatigue.

Any creature that has Failed a Critical Damage Save but has not died, is Impaired in their attacks. Damage against them is
likely Enhanced – see what makes sense in fiction!

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Ability Score Loss

If a PC’s STR is reduced to 0, they die.

If their DEX is reduced to 0, they are paralyzed.

If their WIL is reduced to 0, they are delirious.

Complete DEX and WIL loss renders the character unable to act until they are restored through extended rest or by
extraordinary means.

Retreat
Some battles cannot be won - and running away should always be a viable option. Just like in base Cairn, a successful DEX
Save allows one to run away from a dangerous situation, as long as there is a safe place to run to.

For the sake of the quick turn/full turn system described above, running away requires a full turn of essentially moving away
from the enemy on both Actions. This means that running away from enemies that can reach you within one Move is not
without danger. See the example below:

Harald is facing two thugs with daggers in a dark alley. They can reach him in one Move, and thus opt for a Full Turn
(Move + Attack). Harald can choose to take a Quick Turn to move away from his opponents - but the relative distance to
his enemies would remain the same, as they also move on their turn. Harald needs to commit to a Full Turn of moving. If
he fails his DEX Save, it means they can still get a blow in, after which he would escape. The round would go as follows:

All players that pass their DEX Save and want to take a quick turn (no one)

All enemies that want to take a quick turn (no one)

All players that fail their DEX Save and want to take a quick turn (no one)

All players that pass their DEX Save and want to take a full turn (Harald, if he passes)

All enemies that want to take a full turn (The two thugs)

All players that fail their DEX Save and want to take a full turn (Harald, if he fails)

If Harald survives his Full Turn of running away, he can make a DEX Save to try and escape - which represents his best
efforts to run. If he fails, the thugs might catch up to him in a different alley.

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Weapons
Weapon Types
Weapons can deal 3 types of damage:

• Piercing. Rolling the maximum value on your damage roll makes your attack ignore all armor. This ability only
works if you use the regular damage die for the weapon (i.e., not on an Impaired d4 attack, for example.)
• Bludgeoning. Always ignores 1 armor.
• Slashing. Deals +1 damage against targets without armor.

Weapons take up 1 inventory slot unless marked as Bulky, which means they also require two hands to wield.

Weapons can be fast, balanced or heavy:

• Fast. These weapons strike fast but do not do a lot of damage. They all share a d6 damage dice.
• Balanced. These weapons are well-balanced between speed and weight. They all share a d8 damage dice.
• Heavy. These weapons are somewhat slower but pack a punch. They all share a d10 damage dice.

Weapon Skills
• Heavy X: Ignore X points of ARMOUR, but DAMAGE rolls of X or lower completely miss.
• Sweep X: DAMAGE rolls of X or higher grant one bonus attack on another target in reach. You can’t chain this
effect for multiple bonus attacks.
• Reach X: When charged with a weapon shorter than yours when fighting back, the attacker must roll X or higher
on their DAMAGE roll or else you get to attack them first.
• Counter X: DAMAGE rolls of X or less against you are bounced back against your attacker.
• Brutal X: CRITICAL DAMAGE resulting from a DAMAGE roll of X or more from this weapon is an instant kill, and
forces a morale SAVE on the enemy.
• Shock X: Damage rolls of X or higher trigger a STR Save - on a failure, the target loses its next turn.
• Bleed X: On a damage roll of X or higher, the target takes an additional 1d4 STR damage at the start of their next
turn. This STR damage does not incur a Critical Damage save.

Magic Weapons
Legends speak of magic weapons; forged by dwarves, enchanted by elves, cursed by demons. These weapons might have the
following properties:

• Eversharp X: Reroll damage rolls of X or lower.

• Magic X: Add X to any damage roll, without exceeding the maximum possible damage for this weapon.

Learning How To Use A Weapon

Weapons require training to be used effectively.

Damage Type Proficiency

To use a weapon’s Damage Type effects, such as bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing, you need to make 5 killing blows in lethal
combat with any weapon of that type.

When making a character, you can choose one Damage Type to be already proficient in.

Weapon Skill Proficiency

To use the weapon tag (Brutal, Sweep, etc.) of an individual weapon, you need weapon skill proficiency.

This is achieved by making 5 killing blows in lethal combat with that specific weapon.

When picking up a different weapon with the same tag (i.e., a Longsword and Scimitar both have Sweep), you’ll still need to
gain Weapon Skill Proficiency.

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Weapon List
Stars (★) indicate a weapon’s rarity. This indicates how rare it is to find such a weapon during your adventures, and is an
indicator of price.

Damage die ★ ★★ ★★★

d6 5 gold 10 gold 20 gold
d8 10 gold 15 gold 30 gold
d10 15 gold 20 gold 40 gold

Ranged
Ranged weapons are always fast for the purposes of defense (blocking or dodging), regardless of damage die.

• Bow (d6). Piercing, Bulky, Ranged. ★

• Crossbow (d8). Piercing, Bulky, Ranged. ★★
• Greatbow (d10). Piercing, Bulky, Ranged. ★★★

Piercing
• Ceremonial Dagger (d6). Bleed (5). ★★
• Dagger (d6). ★
• Parrying Dagger (d6). Counter (1). ★★
• Rapier (d8). Counter (2). ★★
• Spear (d8). Reach (3). ★
• War Pick (d8). Bleed (7). ★★
• Boar-Hunting Spear (d10). Bulky, Reach (4). ★★★

Bludgeoning
• Cudgel (d6). ★
• Sage’s Staff (d6). Reach (3). ★★
• Simple Staff (d6). Reach (2). ★
• Flail (d8). Shock (5). ★★★
• Mace (d8). Shock (7). ★★
• Spiked Mace (d8). Shock (6). ★★★
• Maul (d10). Bulky, Shock (6). ★★★
• Warhammer (d10). Bulky, Heavy (3). ★★

Slashing
• Shortsword (d6). ★
• Axe (d8). Brutal (7). ★
• Executioner’s Axe (d8). Brutal (5). ★★★
• Flamberge (d8). Bleed (6). ★★★
• Halberd (d8). Bulky, Reach (3), Sweep (8). ★★★
• Longsword (d8). Sweep (7). ★
• Scimitar (d8). Sweep (6). ★★
• Greataxe (d10). Bulky, Brutal (6). ★★
• Greatsword (d10). Bulky, Sweep (6). ★★

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Careers & Skills

The following list serves 2 purposes:

At Character Creation, choose up to 4 previous careers. Choosing a career means you spend at least some time in this
capacity - maybe it was your actual job, maybe a side gig, maybe a personal interest. You can choose a career multiple
times. Every time you pick a career, you can choose a single skill from this career and add it to your character.

Example 1: Story to Career to Skills

Halsted wants to play a Noble turned Destitute turned Mercenary. He decides to pick Noble twice. He can now pick 2 Noble skills, 1
Destitute skill, and 1 Mercenary skill. He chooses to be a Provocateur Socialite (both Noble skill) with Friends in Low Places (Destitute) who
has quite a bit of Bloodlust (Mercenary Skill)

Example 2: Skills to Career to Story

Jace wants to play as a paladin-type character. He picks Devotion (Priest) twice, Inspiring (Soldier), and Brutal Blows (Mercenary). With
the prompts of Priest, Soldier, Mercenary, he builds a story about being a soldier, being dishonorably discharged then spending time as a
mercenary before converting to faith to repent for his sins as a priest.

Secondarily, these skills can be acquired later on, by searching out a skilled individual and receiving training.

Learning New Skills

New skills can be acquired in 3 ways:

By doing
The Warden is encouraged to award new skills organically if the players show consistent dedication to learning them.

By training
Training requires a trainer in the mentioned career. If you want to learn how to pick a lock, go find a thief - simple as that.
The Warden will determine whether a skill is general or specialist.

• General skills: Training will cost 50 gold per week. You need to train for 3 weeks to gain the skill. Optional: At the
end of a week of training, make a WIL Save. On success, mark 1 progression - you need 2 progression to gain the new skill.
• Specialist skills: Training will cost 75 gold per week. You need to train for 6 weeks to gain the skill. Optional: At the
end of a week of training, make a WIL Save. On success, mark 1 progression - you need 4 progression to gain the new skill.

By studying
Proper treatises and manuals will seem more expensive and difficult than hiring a trainer, but the benefit is that once
purchased, others can follow the training as well. Furthermore, if using the optional rules for WIL Saves, purchasing a book
saves you from longer (and thus more expensive) training.

• General skills: A book teaching you general skills will cost 300 gold. You need to study for 5 weeks to gain the skill.
Optional: At the end of a week of training, make a WIL Save. On success, mark 1 progression - you need 3 progression to gain the
new skill.
• Specialist skills: A book teaching you specialist skills will cost 900 gold. You need to train for 9 weeks to gain the
skill. Optional: At the end of a week of training, make a WIL Save. On success, mark 1 progression - you need 6 progressions to
gain the new skill.

Skills & NPCs

The skills described below are meant as a way to kickstart your imagination. They should act as prompts - they are not
meant as an extensive be-all, end-all list.

NPCs might have the skills mentioned - in fact, players are encouraged to search for NPCs that can help them accomplish
their goals - but I’d urge to not build NPCs as strictly possessing certain skills.

A dreaded evil knight can be spiced up by determining beforehand that they are a Momentum Master, but don’t pre-define
every skill.

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To illustrate: If the players are stumped by a lock on an ancient stone door somewhere in the city sewers, this should
motivate them to find someone who can pick locks. Thieves can be assumed to have this skill, so if the players invest proper
time and effort to find a skilled thief, it’d be a good reward to have that thief be a lockpicker. The thief might require the
service of the players first, of course.

When in doubt as to whether a certain NPC can provide a certain skill, you can always roll the die of fate - a simple d6, with
higher rolls signaling a more favorable outcome.

The skill list should mostly be a reference to give rulings on events that happen naturally within the world - not a strict
manual of what those inhabiting that world can and cannot do.

Gaining More HP
Anyone with notably more combat experience than a PC can give general combat training.

• Regular soldiers, sellswords, and similar folk can give training as per the General skills rule mentioned above,
after which the PC can roll 1d6 for their new HP. If the roll is lower than your current HP, ignore the roll and
increase your max HP by 1.
• Veterans and expert trainers can give training as per the Specialist skills rule, after which the PC can roll 2d6 for
their new HP. If the roll is lower than your current HP, ignore the roll and increase your max HP by 1. Taking this
training requires a base HP of 6.
• Legendary heroes and champions can give training that allows the PC to roll 3d6 for their new HP. If the roll is
lower than your current HP, ignore the roll and increase your max HP by 1. Taking this training requires a base
HP of 9.

Increasing Your Attributes

A PC can increase their Attributes through training. This training costs 200 gold per week. At the end of the week, roll a
D20. If you roll above your current Attribute, it increases by 1. An attribute cannot be raised above 18.

• Strength Training can be given by physically strong trainers, such as sailors, blacksmiths, soldiers, but also
dwarves and giants.
• Dexterity Training can be given by thieves, assassins, hunters but also elves and the like.
• Willpower Training can be given by magic-users, priests, or similar folk.

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Careers
Assassin
Blades-for-hire, perhaps agents in the service of the
king, spies, and assassins make killing and stealing
discreetly a way of life.
Common knowledge: You are an expert at dealing death.
• “What improvised weapons are available in this
room?”
• “How can I make this murder look like an accident?”
• “What is the ideal position to take this long-range
shot from?”
Skills: Cloak of Daggers, Escape Artist, Tunnel Vision, Know
Your Enemy, Master of Disguise, Piercing Proficiency, Poison
Resistance, Poisoner, Quick Draw, Savage Strikes, Surveillance
Blacksmith
Skilled with melting, bending, shaping, and fixing metal
objects, blacksmiths make weapons, armor, and repairs.
Common knowledge: You know all about crafting iron
into weapons and armor.
• “What weapon would be best to hunt a dragon with?”
• “How could I improve this suit of armor even more?”
• “How many swords are those bandits likely to have?”
Skills: Armor Expert, Bludgeon Proficiency, Cloak of Daggers,
Crafty, Firm Grip, Lumberjack, Market Access, Protect, Savage
Strikes, Scrap Fighter
Destitute
Those destitute are beggars, vagrants, or tramps,
aimlessly wandering from place to place. They may do
casual work here and there, they may sell a few small
trinkets that they carry about in their backpacks, or they
may have to beg for a few coins when times are really
hard. Some even turn their hands to dishonest pursuits.
Common knowledge: No one knows the streets as you
do.
• “Where could I hire a pickpocket?”
• “How can I gain more gossip concerning the noble?”
• “What would be the best time to steal an apple from
that market stall?”
Skills: Alert, Fancy Footwork, Friends in Low Places, Haggler,
Lockpicker, Master of Disguise, Pickpocket, Pocket Change,
Scrap Fighter, Subtle, Surveillance
Farmer
Farmers live outside the city, but often within half a day’s
travel, so that they are able to get their produce to the
19
city to feed the populace. They are simple people, yet
their resilience and knowledge of the land could come in
handy.
Common knowledge: You are knowledgeable about
plants, animals, crafting, and cooking.
• “What’s the best way to prepare this food?”
• “How could I get this horse to calm down?”
• “Which plant could heal this rare injury?”
Skills: Animal Attuned, Animal Companion, Brawler, Crafty,
Lumberjack, Mount Mastery, Poison Resistance, Survival
Expert
Gladiator
Gladiators are specialists in individual combat and are
primarily motivated by glory. Some gladiators are better
described as duelists - hired by nobles and companies to
settle disputes in an honorable yet violent manner.
Common knowledge: You’re good at fighting and know
a lot about it - even though you’re probably a bit of a
show-off.
• “How could I intimidate this big crowd of enemies?”
• “What is the best weapon for this situation?”
• “What would be the easiest way to earn some coin in
this city, given my skillset?”
Skills: Bloodlust, Brutal Blows, Defensive Posture, Friends in
High Places, Hard to Kill, Impressive Skills, Tunnel Vision,
Merciless, Piercing Proficiency, Provocateur, Showfighter,
Slashing Proficiency, Wealthy
Hunter
The hunter is a master of tracking prey through the
wilderness and the wastelands. Once hunters locate their
target, they’ll use stealth, traps, and/or expert
bowmanship to bring it down. They are at home in the
wild and can survive there for long periods, returning to
more civilized areas only when they have furs and hides
to sell, or when they require the company of their fellow
men (or women).
Common knowledge: You know about beasts, their
behaviors, and prey.
• “What killed this livestock?”
• “What creature passed here?”
• “How could I best draw out this monster?”
Skills: Animal Attuned, Crippling Shot, Heightened Senses,
Know Your Enemy, Lumberjack, Marksman, Mount Mastery,
Night Sight, Piercing Proficiency, Poison Resistance, Scout,
Sensitive Nose, Skilled Climber, Survival Expert, Tracker, Trap
Master
Magic-User
Magic-Users studied the arcane, made a dreadful pact,
or have something special coursing through their veins;
no matter the cause, they are able of casting magic.
Depending on their choices and the perceptions of
others, they might be called a wizard, witch, a sorcerer,
warlock, a cultist, or spellslinger.
Common knowledge: You know all about the arcane.
• “Where might I learn more about this type of
magic?”
• “How could I stop this profane ritual?”
• “What would it take to master such powers?”
Skills: Companion, Elemental, Gifted, Heightened Senses,
Loremaster, Magic-Sense, Night Sight, Third Eye
Mercenary
These warriors work for anyone who will pay for their
services and are primarily motivated by personal gain.
Some form themselves into companies under a strong
leader and others travel individually or in small bands to
seek employment. Often these mercenary groups turn to
banditry when not gainfully employed.
Common knowledge: You are skilled at violence and
intimidation.
• “How can I intimidate this goon?”
• “How would the enemy ambush the VIP I’m hired to
protect?”
• “What is the weak point in the enemy fortification?”
Skills: Alert, Bloodlust, Bludgeon Proficiency, Brawler, Brutal
Blows, Commander, Hard to Kill, Merciless, Momentum
Master, Piercing Proficiency, Savage Strikes, Slashing
Proficiency
Merchant
Merchants are not shopkeepers – they are wide-traveled
adventurers, who seek new and exotic goods to sell from
faraway places. As such, merchant characters pick up a
range of useful skills like trading, appraisal, obtaining
rare or unusual goods, persuasion, city lore, knowledge
of distant places, and guild membership.
Common knowledge: You know about trade: routes,
profit, and demand.
• “What is the most valuable item here?”
• “Who looks the most gullible?”
• “What would be the best time of year to buy fish in
the Bay of Sorrow?”
Skills: Bureaucrat, Carouser, Companion, Friends in High
Places, Haggler, Market Access, Mediator, Scout, Smooth
Talker, Socialite, Wealthy
Minstrel
Minstrels wander the world, sharing songs, stories, and
music. Their words can liven up any tavern - or inspire
some to do great deeds.
Common knowledge: You know a lot of folkloric history,
and the impact those stories can have.
• “What kind of story would this crowd enjoy?”
• “Do I know any songs about this region?”
• “How could I inspire this downtrodden crowd into
action?”
Skills: Carouser, Defensive Posture, Distraction Master,
Impressive Skills, Inspiring, Master of Disguise, Mediator,
Pocket Change, Provocateur, Rousing Words, Smooth Talker,
Socialite
Noble
Whether obtained by violence, birthright, or social
standing, you held a position of some power over the
common folk.
Common knowledge: You know about etiquette and
matters of court.
• “Do I know of any allied nobles in this region?”
• “How could I arrange a meeting with Lord Hubert?”
• “How could I bluff my way past these guards?”
Skills: Bureaucrat, Carouser, Commander, Companion,
Defensive Posture, Friends in High Places, Impressive Skills,
Inspiring, Learned, Mediator, Mounted Warrior, Provocateur,
Smooth Talker, Socialite, Wealthy
Priest
Priests have devoted their lives to something higher, be
it a god, demon, a concept (”chaos”), or even nature
itself.
Common knowledge: You know about your topic of
devotion and the rules by which to live.
• “Would Akhad approve of this?”
• “Where would I find followers of Akhad in this city?”
• “What would be the best way to worship Akhad
here?”
Skills: Bludgeon Proficiency, Devotion, Lay On Hands,
Learned, Librarian, Loremaster, Sensitive Nose, Third Eye,
True Strikes, Words of Grace
Sailor
You once called the rivers, lakes, and seas of this realm
your home. You are used to the boredom, hard work,
and sudden peril of life aboard a ship.
Common knowledge: You know about the seas, ships,
and how to sail them.
• “How can we best cross the Gulf of Despair?”
• “How many would it take to crew this galleon?”
• “Where could I find a ship and crew?”
Skills: Acrobat, Brawler, Distraction Master, Fancy Footwork,
Friends in Low Places, Sea Legs, Skilled Climber
Scribe
Research and teachers, scribes are well-educated and
knowledgeable about many subjects. They can be
cartographers, astronomers, historians, archeologists,
philosophers, mathematicians, and linguists.
Common knowledge: You know a lot about your given
topic.
• “Who is the foremost expert on [topic]?”
• “What does my knowledge of [topic] tell me about
this situation?”
• “Where can I learn more about [topic] in this city?”
Skills: Bureaucrat, Learned, Librarian, Loremaster, Third Eye
Soldier
You’re not driven by glory (you’re not a gladiator) or gold
(you’re not a mercenary): you’re driven by some sense of
duty, to king, lord, village, or order.
Common knowledge: You know about military life,
combat, and patrolling.
• “How many guards would this keep have?”
• “How would I patrol this region?”
• “How could I best prepare this village for a siege?”
Skills: Armor Expert, Commander, Firm Grip, Hard to Kill,
Inspiring, Marksman, Mount Mastery, Mounted Warrior,
Piercing Proficiency, Protect, Slashing Proficiency, Trooper
Thief
Be it as a pickpocket, charlatan, con man, footpad, or
fraudster: you made ends meet by being on the other
side of the law.
Common knowledge: You know about heists, valuables,
and breaking and entering.
• “How could I enter the temple unseen?”
• “Would there be anything valuable to steal here?”
• “How could I best obtain the key to the tower?”
Skills: Acrobat, Alert, Distraction Master, Escape Artist,
Friends in Low Places, Haggler, Lockpicker, Market Access,
Night Sight, Pickpocket, Scrap Fighter, Skilled Climber, Subtle,
Surveillance, Trap Master
Wanderer
Wanderers have witnessed the migration of herds larger
than forests, survived weather more extreme than any
city-dweller could comprehend, and enjoyed the solitude
of being the only thinking creature for miles in any
direction.
Common knowledge: You know about the great wide
open, both its natural and supernatural sides.
• “What would be the safest and easiest path through
the Forest of Weeping Oaks?”
• “How many days would it take us to get there?”
• “What would I need to prepare for a trek to Gallows
Peak?”
Skills: Animal Attuned, Animal Companion, Escape Artist,
Fancy Footwork, Heightened Senses, Magic-Sense, Poison
Resistance, Poisoner, Quick Draw, Scout, Sensitive Nose,
Subtle, Survival Expert, Tracker, Well-travelled
 Block, Dodge, Parry – Lars Huijbregts, 2022

Skills
You’ll find some skills marked with a star. These skills are more advanced, which can mean any of the following:

• They cannot be picked upon character creation.

• Not every character that has the corresponding career can teach you this.
• The skill requires specialist training.
• The technique is lost, ancient or forbidden.

Skill Career(s) Description

Acrobat Sailor, Thief You have a near-supernatural sense of balance.
Alert Destitute, Mercenary, Thief You are rarely surprised. Roll DEX for initiative with
Advantage.
Animal Attuned Farmer, Hunter, Wanderer You are good with animals: +1 on reaction rolls with animals
& beasts.
Animal Companion Farmer, Wanderer You have a faithful pet: 2d6 for stats, 3 HP, d6 attack.
Armor Expert Blacksmith, Soldier Any armor you wear loses the Bulky tag.
Bloodlust Gladiator, Mercenary Killing or Critically Damaging an enemy gains you 1d3 HP.
Bludgeoning Blacksmith, Mercenary, You have damage-type proficiency with bludgeoning
Proficiency Priest weapons.
Brawler Farmer, Mercenary, Sailor Your unarmed strikes do d6 damage.
Brutal Blows Gladiator, Mercenary When you deal 10 or more damage in a single attack, the
target's attacks are Impaired in the next round.
Bureaucrat Merchant, Noble, Scribe You know the local laws and rules, and how to bend them in
your favor.
Carouser Merchant, Minstrel, Noble You know your way around taverns, and know how to gain
information or make contacts.
Cloak of Daggers Assassin, Blacksmith You have two daggers (d6) at hand. Always.
Commander Mercenary, Noble, Soldier Once per combat, issue a single command to an ally to
Enhance their next attack, or to heal them for 1d6 HP.
Companion Magic-User, Merchant, You have an assistant, bodyguard, or errand boy. Roll 3d6 for
Noble stats, 3 HP.
Crafty Blacksmith, Farmer You know how to repair non-magical objects.
Crippling Shot Hunter You know how to hit to maim. When you make a Ranged
Attack and your damage roll is in the upper half of the
damage die results (i.e., 4-6 on a d6, 5-8 on a d8), the enemy’s
next attack is Impaired, and humanoid-sized targets or
smaller are unable to move during their turn.
Defensive Posture Gladiator, Minstrel, Noble You know how to wield Fast or Balanced weapons in a
defensive manner and gain +1 Armor when not using a shield
or weapon in your other hand.
Devotion Priest You gain +1 Faith Die, up to a total of 4.
Distraction Master Minstrel, Sailor, Thief When you make a big distracting ruckus, all attacks against
you are Impaired.
Elemental ★ Magic-User Choose one element. You always have 3 Armor against it.

Escape Artist Assassin, Thief, Wanderer You can wriggle free from any restraints, even when it seems
impossible, such as from chains or a noose.
Fancy Footwork Destitute, Sailor, Wanderer Being unarmored gives you 1 Armor.
Firm Grip Blacksmith, Soldier You can never be disarmed as long as you're conscious.
Friends in High Places Gladiator, Merchant, Noble You know how to gain access to society’s upper crust.
Friends in Low Places Destitute, Sailor, Thief. You know how to gain access to society’s lower rungs.
Gifted Magic-User You gain +1 Magic Dice, to a maximum of 4.
Haggler Destitute, Merchant, Thief You sell items for 10% more.

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Hard to Kill Gladiator, Mercenary, Soldier Once per day, roll your save for Critical Damage with
Advantage.
Heightened Senses Hunter, Magic-User, You get a "weird feeling" when there's a secret passage Close
Wanderer to you.
Impressive Skills Gladiator, Minstrel, Noble Winning an impressive victory, by defeating a tough foe for
instance, you may call for onlookers to either reroll their
Reaction Rolls with a +2 bonus, or their Morale Rolls with a -
2 penalty.
Inspiring Minstrel, Noble, Soldier Allies automatically pass morale saves.
Tunnel Vision ★ Assassin, Gladiator In combat, choose one humanoid opponent. Your attacks
against them are Enhanced, and their attacks against you are
Impaired. All other sources of damage against you are
Enhanced.
Lay On Hands Priest Once per day, cure someone of a disease, poison, or heal 1d6
STR.
Learned Noble, Priest, Scribe You’ve enjoyed a broad general education in a topic of choice,
such as History, Politics, Biology, or Philosophy.
Know Your Enemy ★ Assassin, Hunter You have spent considerable time studying a particular foe.
The more specific your foe, the better your boon:
Against a broad category (humanoids, animals, dragons,
undead, etc.), you deal +1 damage.
Against a specific group (dwarves, elves, wizards, etc.) you
roll an extra damage die.
Against a particular individual (a dragon, a renowned
duelist, a legendary battlemage) you can use your training for
Enhanced attacks.
Librarian Priest, Scribe You are skilled at obtaining information from libraries.
Lockpicker Destitute, Thief You are skilled at picking locks
Loremaster Magic-User, Priest, Scribe If you don’t know a certain piece of knowledge, you know
where to start searching.
Lumberjack Blacksmith, Farmer, Hunter You fell wooden objects with supremely efficient strikes.
Magic-Sense ★ Magic-User, Wanderer You can tell when arcane energies are at work, and where.
Market Access Blacksmith, Merchant, Thief You know how to gain access to the full breadth of commerce
in a location - legal and otherwise.
Marksman Hunter, Soldier +1 damage with ranged weapons.

Master of Disguise Assassin, Destitute, Minstrel You know how to acquire, apply and utilize a disguise.

Mediator Merchant, Minstrel, Noble +1 on reaction rolls with humanoids

Merciless Gladiator, Mercenary When you inflict Critical Damage, the target loses a limb or
is disemboweled. This immediately triggers a Morale Save
upon enemies.
Momentum Master Mercenary When you kill or Critically Damage an enemy, you can attack
again.
Mount Mastery Farmer, Hunter, Soldier You can always keep any mount you’re riding calm and under
control.
Mounted Warrior Noble, Soldier Attacks while mounted are Enhanced.

Night Sight Hunter, Magic-User, Thief
Pickpocket Destitute, Thief
Piercing Proficiency Assassin, Gladiator, Hunter,
Mercenary, Soldier
Pocket Change Destitute, Minstrel
Your eyes are well-attuned to the dark.
You know how to cut a purse.
You have damage-type proficiency with piercing weapons
Be it through pity, sympathy, or entertaining passers-by, you
know how to make people part with their coin. After a day of

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roaming city streets, make a WIL Save. On a success, gain

1d10 gp, on a failure, 1d4 gp.
Poison Resistance Assassin, Farmer, Hunter, Sheer exposure has made you resistant to poison.
Wanderer
Poisoner Assassin, Wanderer You know how to make dangerous poisons.
Protect Blacksmith, Soldier If allies are in the same melee as you, you can give up your
Action to draw all attacks to yourself instead. Declare this at
the start of a round.
Provocateur Gladiator, Minstrel, Noble Whether through boasting or appealing to a sense of honor,
you know how to goad someone into a duel. You can force
those who understand you to make a WIL Save. If they fail,
they’ll be compelled to duel you (if not already in combat), or
focus attacks almost exclusively on you (if already in combat).
Quick Draw Assassin, Wanderer When using the specific weapon you trained this skill with,
you always go first in Initiative - no need to roll a DEX Save.
Rousing Words Minstrel Once per combat, you can use your Action to rouse an ally
into rolling damage with Advantage on their turn.
Savage Strikes Assassin, Blacksmith, Make an Enhanced attack at the cost of 1 Fatigue.
Mercenary
Scout Hunter, Merchant, Wanderer You know how to travel fast and unseen.
Scrap Fighter Blacksmith, Destitute, Thief You can destroy one item you're carrying to ignore one
instance of damage you're about to suffer, as long as you can
explain how the item protects you.
Sea Legs Sailor You can man and repair small vessels on your own.
Sensitive Nose Hunter, Priest, Wanderer You can smell Undead creatures nearby.
Showfighter Gladiator You have +1 armor and STR 18 if you have a large audience.
Skilled Climber Hunter, Sailor, Thief You can climb near-impossible sheer surfaces.
Slashing Proficiency Gladiator, Mercenary, Soldier You have damage-type proficiency with slashing weapons.
Smooth Talker Merchant, Minstrel, Noble You can convince others to do things for you, within reason.
Socialite Merchant, Minstrel, Noble You can invite yourself to most parties, ceremonies, or
similar functions.
Subtle Destitute, Thief, Wanderer Enemies tend to give you a low priority, if not outright
ignore you.
Surveillance Assassin, Destitute, Thief For each week you spend investigating a local powerful
person, institution, or structure, you learn 1 dirty secret
about it.
Survival Expert Farmer, Hunter, Wanderer You know how to live off the land.

Third Eye Magic-User, Priest, Scribe You cannot be fooled by magical illusions.

Tracker Hunter, Wanderer You know how to track nearly any quarry through the wilds.
Trap Master Hunter, Thief You are skilled at disabling traps.
Trooper Soldier +1 damage when outnumbering an enemy in melee.

True Strikes Priest For 1d4 WIL damage per attack, you can perform unarmed
strikes that do 1d8 damage, ignore armor, and can strike
ghosts.
Wealthy ★ Gladiator, Merchant, Noble You have access to considerable funds. +x starting wealth
Well-traveled Wanderer You know the lay of the land, and know the way to any major
settlements and points of interest. You have a 4-in-6 chance
to know lesser-known locations, and a 2-in-6 chance to know
of obscure locations (what qualifies as lesser-known and
obscure is up to the Warden’s discretion).
Words of Grace Priest Heal 1d6 to any ability, but become Deprived.

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Magic
Arcane Magic
You carry a Magic Tome worth 300gp. It is Bulky and contains your spells. Treat any discovered Spellbooks as Scrolls.

Casting Spells
1. Sculpting Energy takes 2 Actions and requires a full turn (unless stated otherwise). You must declare your spell at
the beginning of the round. Tricks take 1 Action.
2. You have an amount of Magic Dice (d6) equal to your Gifted training, with a maximum of 4. Choose how many
you wish to invest. You need an empty inventory slot for each die you wish to invest in.
3. Roll the invested Magic Dice. For each die that shows a 4-6, you gain one Fatigue.
4. If you get a series (e.g. 2-4 dice that match), something has gone very wrong. Take the dice that show identical
values as damage to HP, then to WIL, in the form of Arcane Feedback. For instance, rolling 4-3-3 means taking 6
damage. If this damage is equal to or larger than 4, it has the Blast property, affecting anyone Close.

There are four main ways of casting spells:

• Sculpt Energy covers damaging spells in a wide variety

of flavors.
• Tricks cover hindering spells (‘status effects’, as it
were).
• Counterspell allows you to defend against magic.
• Practical Magic covers all magic effects that do not
cause harm.

This system is compatible with the GLOG Magic system for

Cairn. The spells found there can be used as an expansion of
the ones found here.

Sculpt Energy
Any magic user can cast a bolt of arcane energy. At the cost of 1
MD, this Arcane Bolt does 1d6 magic damage + [dice] to a
target nearby. You can add more MD to deal more damage.

You can learn new techniques to sculpt this energy into more intricate forms. MD added in sculpting do not contribute to
damage, besides [dice] being the total number of dice rolled.

Magic users are highly encouraged to 'flavor' their magic; you avoided damage with your Hit Protection, did you use a rain
of sparks? A wall of flower petals? Note that for the flavor to affect fiction, you need the Element tag. You are free to flavor
an Arcane Blast as "a jet of flame", but if you want it to act like flame (burn things, set aflame etc) you need the tag.

• Range: Invest +1 MD to reach a target far away.

• Elements: Invest +1 MD to imbue your spell with elemental energy, such as fire, ice, or lightning.
• Discipline: Invest +1 MD to cast a spell of a certain discipline. By default, Arcane Bolt deals damage to STR.
o Discipline: Stun. Your spell damages DEX, instead.
o Discipline: Befuddle. Your spell damages WIL, instead.
• Subtlety: Invest +1 MD to cast a spell silently and sneakily.
• Force: Invest +1 MD to make your spell forceful, blasting appropriate targets back.
• Piercing: Invest +1 MD to make your spell capable of bypassing armor. On a 1-3, it bypasses 1 Armor, on a 4-6 it
bypasses 2 Armor.
• Split: Invest +1 MD to be able to split your spell (including all effects) onto 2 different targets.
• Blast: Invest +1 MD to change the properties of the spell into Blast, damaging all targets near a certain point. The
invested MD decides how many targets Close to the impact point are affected.
• Fast: Invest +1 MD to cast the spell as 1 Action instead of 2, allowing it to be cast in a fast turn.

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Maltas prepares a mighty spell against his foes. He invests 3 MD, and chooses Element (Fire) and Blast. He rolls 3d6 and
gets a 4, a 3, and a 2. The 4 determines the damage: 4 + [dice], so 4 + 3 dice rolled = 7. He rolled 4 or higher once, so gains 1
Fatigue. The second die he rolled - a 3 - adds Fire to his attack. The third die -a 2 - means that the Blast can damage 2
targets close to the point of impact.

Players are encouraged to be creative in their tag use. The tags mentioned above are simply suggestions. The base rule is that
any form of Sculpt Energy requires 1 MD for basic damage. Every effect on top of that should cost an additional MD. For
example:

Maltas wants to summon a spectral tentacle to slam his enemy with, but also grapple them afterward. The Warden
determines that this effect will cost 2 MD: 1 MD for damage, 1 MD for grappling the foe. The Warden also determines that
‘grappling’ means that the enemy cannot move.

Tricks
A Magic User can also opt to use their magic for a Trick. This is like performing a Gambit, except with magic. Tricks deal no
damage and have a maximum range of Near.

Just like gambits, Tricks can be used to stun, shove, disarm, trip, etc.

When performing a Trick, describe the desired effect, i.e. “Maltas wants to use his magic to freeze the boots of the orc in place,
preventing him from moving”.

The GM will decide on a fitting Save for the target; STR in the example, for the orc to wrest his feet free.

The caster invests a number of Magic Dice of choice, as with casting a spell. For each 4-6, the difficulty of the Save is
increased by 1. As with a gambit, to make a successful Save, the target must roll under or equal to their Attribute, but above the
difficulty.

Maltas invests 2 MD and rolls a 3 and a 5. The orc must roll under or equal his STR (14) but above 1, as the 5 raises the
difficulty by 1.

Counterspell
Since the use of magic must be declared at the start of a combat round, there are opportunities to intervene the casting.
This can include simply damaging the caster, though the Warden is encouraged to reward creative forms of interruption.

Anyone with Magic Dice at their disposal can, at the moment an enemy spell is cast, attempt a counterspell. This option is
not available if the caster is already focusing on a spell themselves.

A counterspell simply means investing and rolling an available number of MD, following the same rules for casting (i.e.
must have a number of inventory slots available equal to the number of dice invested, Arcane Feedback occurs on doubles).
If the total roll is equal to or higher than the total roll of the enemy spell, the two cancel each other out in a bright display of
energy and light. If the roll is lower than the enemy spell, the counterspell fails and the enemy spell takes effect as normal.

Practical Magic
Any magic that doesn’t do direct damage (Sculpt Energy) or indirect harm (Tricks) can be freeform improvised by simply
determining the MD value. Remember that any MD spent involves rolling 1d6, and that on a 4-6, you gain Fatigue, and on
doubles, you take damage.

• 1 MD: A small, personal effect. Could be achieved with tools instead of magic (lighting a torch, growing vines as a
rope)
• 2 MD: An interpersonal or room-sized effect. Barely beyond the possibility of tools (a small wall of force, breathing
underwater, camouflage, sending telepathic messages).
• 3 MD: Large, ‘impossible’ effects. Makes a mockery of the normal laws of nature (animating the dead or
inanimate, teleportation).
• 4 MD: Mythical, highly dangerous alterations to reality itself.

Maltas wants to light up the environment. He tells the Warden of his intentions. The Warden informs him that simply
lighting the tip of his staff, much like a torch, would require 1 MD. Creating a hovering orb of light would require 2 MD.

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Summoning a cloud of semi-sentient spectral fireflies would require 3 MD. Creating a ball of light with the same intensity
and properties of sunlight would require 4 MD.

Practical Magic is designed to be very free-form. Just like with Sculpt Energy, however, adding tags can serve as useful
prompts for players to give them ideas as to what their magic can do - and to give incentives to learn new magical effects.
This approach mixes ‘complete free form magic’ with ‘traditional spells’. See Appendix C for a full list of Tags.

The Power of Magic

An important note: Magic is the only exception to the rule of use the highest die roll when taking multiple die of damage (besides
environmental damage, such as falling or lava).

A wizard with 4 MD can use their Arcane Bolt to deal 4d6+4 damage, no questions asked. How is this fair?

1. It isn’t. A 4 MD wizard is a magical nuke - and I’m okay with that. This also makes them primary targets.
2. 4 MD has considerable risk of Arcane Feedback. 2 MD has a chance of 16%, 3 MD has a chance of 44%, 4 MD has a
chance of 72%!
3. 4 MD requires 4 empty inventory slots, and, if my anydice.com math is correct, has a 93% chance of 1 Fatigue, a 68%
chance of 2 Fatigue, a 31% chance of 3 Fatigue and a 6% chance of 4 Fatigue.
4. Empty inventory slots also means less loot, less armor.

Divine Magic
To use Faith Dice you need to make a vow to a Higher Power.

A Higher Power can be a god, a concept (vengeance, chaos), or an abstract construct (nature).

Determine Your Higher Power

The Warden might already have an established pantheon. Discuss possible Higher Powers with them. You can also design
your own Higher Power.

First, choose 2 domains (See Appendix D for domain suggestions). Next, discuss with the Warden what the Higher Power’s
general stance is on the following:

• Enemies of Faith. What type of creature does this Higher Power abhor? Examples:
o The unjust and criminal
o The greedy
o Dragons
o Devils & demons
o Those who would harm nature
o Abominations
• Worship: How does this Higher Power like to be worshipped? In big public displays, through specific acts? When
the time is right, or every day?
• Likelihood of Intervention: Is it believed that this Higher Power intervenes in the life of mortals? At what scale
does this Higher Power operate?
• Humanity: Is this Higher Power seen as a “basically a person”, or more like a force of nature?

Casting Miracles
1. Casting Miracles takes 2 Actions and thus requires a full turn. You must declare your intention to cast, and your
miracle, at the beginning of the round. While casting, you cannot fight back, block, dodge or parry.
2. You have a number of Faith Dice (d6) equal to your Devotion training, with a maximum of 4. Choose how many
you wish to invest.
3. Roll the invested Faith Dice. For each die that shows a 1-3, you take 1 WIL Damage. For each die that shows 4-6,
you take 2 WIL Damage. Your Miracle will also use the result of this roll; [dice] stands for the total number of dice
rolled, [sum] for the total sum of the values. Furthermore, Bonus Damage mentioned in some miracles cannot
exceed the maximum natural roll possible (i.e. with Bonus Damage +2, a roll of 4 on a d6 is raised to 6, a 5 is raised
to 6, and it has no effect on a 6). It also does not enhance magical damage from Magic Users.

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Prayer
At the end of the day, say a short prayer to your Higher Power

Determine how pious your day was, together with the Warden. Depending on the content of your prayer and the actions
during the day, the Warden might assign a bonus ranging from +1 to +3, or 0 if the Warden feels you have not served the
best interest of your Higher Power.

Roll 1d6:

1d6+bonus Effect
1 The Higher Power is not pleased. You recover no WIL.
2-3 The Higher Power is silent. You determine to do better tomorrow, and
regain 1d2 WIL.
4-5 The Higher Power approves. You bask in their praise, and regain 1d4+1 WIL.
6-8 The Higher Power is impressed. Their blessing fills you, and you regain all
lost WIL.
9 The Higher Power is exalted. Their power flows through you. You regain all
lost WIL, and any Miracles cast tomorrow gain a free FD, up to a max of 4.
Miracles
Faith Dice can be used to cast the following miracles. Miracles can reach targets up to Far.

Bless. Declare the allies you are blessing and roll the invested FD. The total value of [sum] becomes a Pool of points, that
those blessed can tap into at will when making Saves. The Pool lasts until the end of the day. The moment an ally needs to
roll a Save, they can ‘use’ up a number of points from the Pool to temporarily raise their Attribute (STR, DEX, WIL). The
Pool must be tapped into before rolling the Save.

Hargar must make a DEX Save to avoid falling rocks. The Pool has 5 points, because Justus the Cleric cast Bless earlier
and rolled a 5 with his 1 FD. Hargar’s DEX is 12, and he’s quite wounded already, so he taps into the Pool and takes all 5
points. His DEX is now 17 for the purposes of the Save.

Rebuke. Target [sum] Enemies of Faith. Each must make a WIL Save against [dice] difficulty, meaning they must roll
under or equal to WIL while rolling above [dice]. On a failure, they will flee in fear.

Empower. You target [sum] allies. For the next battle (i.e., until they’d be able to restore HP by catching their breath), they
deal [dice] Bonus Damage.

Replenish. You target [dice] allies, which regain [sum] HP each, not exceeding their maximum HP. This means a roll of 2
FD, of 4 and 6, means that 2 allies regain 10 HP each.

Smite. You charge your weapon with divine purpose, dealing [sum] Bonus Damage for the next [dice] attacks.

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Acknowledgements
Special thanks to the following creators for all the amazing work that this document is built upon:

• Yochai Gal for Cairn, the amazing game that makes Block, Dodge, Parry possible. This book makes extensive use of
the SRD of Cairn, and is highly compatible with all Cairn-related creations.
• Chris McDowall for Into The Odd, Electric Bastionland and all further branches of the Mark of the Odd.
• Arnold Kemp for the GLOG system, which magic system formed the basis for the one featured in Block, Dodge,
Parry.
• Simon Washbourne for Barbarians of Lemuria, and the career system provided a big source of inspiration.
• Emmy Allen of Cavegirl’s Game Stuff for the rock-paper-scissors implementation of dueling, found in the Social
Conflict section.
• Errant by Ava Islam/Kill Jester Publishing, LLP provided many brilliant procedures for OSR play. Block, Dodge,
Parry in particular uses the Gambit and Initiative procedures, and builds upon them.
• The descriptors used in Practical Magic are inspired by The Electrum Archive by Emiel Boven.
• Further thanks to all of the amazing players who have always indulged me in my wild new systems and
experiments: Bas, Dick, Hans, Cindy, Dylan, Mykola and many more.
• Shout-out to the amazing NSR-Cauldron and Cairn Discord servers, and all the amazing people there who have
always been so helpful with feedback and ideas.

Credits
• Cover illustration by Bertdrawsstuff (@bertdrawsstuff).
• All other illustrations also by Bertdrawsstuff, through his amazing Patreon.
• Header typeface: Basteleur by Keussel, Velvetyne Type Foundry
• Body typeface: Alegreya by Juan Pablo del Peral

License
Block, Dodge, Parry is licensed under CC-BY-SA 4.0.

Published in 2022.

• Written, edited & tested by Lars Huijbregts.

• Website: https://dicegoblin.blog/
• Discord: MrKittenMittens#1272
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/DiceGoblinBlog

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 Block, Dodge, Parry – Lars Huijbregts, 2022

Appendix A: Gear Tables

Roll 1d12 twice.

1d12 Type
1-3 Piercing
4-6 Bludgeoning
7-9 Slashing
10-11 Ranged
12 Magic
Then, roll 1d6 for the category:

• Piercing. 1-3: Dagger or Spear. 4-5: Rapier or War Pick. 6: Boar-Hunting Spear.
• Bludgeoning. 1-3: Cudgel or Simple Staff. 4-5: Mace or Warhammer. 6: Flail or Maul.
• Slashing. 1-3: Shortsword. 4-5: Longsword or Axe. 6: Greatsword or Greataxe.
• Ranged. 1-4: Bow. 5-6: Crossbow.
• Magic. 1-3: An Occult Tome. 4-5: An Occult Tome with 2 Tags. 6: An Occult Tome with 3 Tags.

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Appendix B: Making NPCs

There exist many great methods of making NPCs for Cairn/Into The Odd based games, such as Jim Parkin’s Three Statlines.
The main things to keep in mind in relation to Block, Dodge, Parry:

Roll for Ability Scores as you would for a PC, or assign 5 for “not very good”, 10 for “average” and 15 for “outstanding”.

For HP, roll 1d6 (or use 3) for normal people and creatures. Roll 2d6 or use 7 for veteran combatants and verocious monsters.
Roll 3d6 or use 11 for legendary warriors or apex predators. HP can never exceed 18; use 18 for Big Bad Evil Guys, mythical
monsters or near-god-like swordsmen.

Determine the damage the NPC or monster will do. Keep in mind that fast attacks deal d6 damage, balanced attacks deal d8
damage, and slow attacks deal d10 damage. Also remember that d10 attacks are quite lethal, but that all PCs have the option
to Impair this damage by dodging. Mixing it up creates interesting tactical decisions, especially if telegraphed correctly. A
rabid Rune Bear with claws (2d6) and a full-body slam (1d10) can provide both forms of offense!

Determine whether the NPC has access to Fighting Back, Blocking, Dodging and Parrying:

• Fight Back works well with vicious creatures (such as tigers) and nimble combatants (such as an assassin with 2
daggers)
• Dodging and Blocking should be reserved for trained combatants, such as bandit leaders or guard captains.
o For interesting choices, grant some NPCs only one of the two; a shield-wielding brute only knows how to
block, a deft elven archer only knows how to dodge.
• Parrying requires quite a bit of skill, and works best with explicitly well-trained duelists and swordsmen.

Assign any Skills you think would be cool, or make up new ones.

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Appendix C: Practical Magic Tags
When using this system, players can learn new tags (via the Learning New Skills rules) while adventuring. Remember to
keep the guidelines of Practical Magic in mind. The actual effect of the spell depends on the number of MD invested, ranging
from “Can be achieved with tools instead of magic” to “Mythical”.
Adapt
• Acts as a warm coat in cold weather
• Allows you to breathe underwater
• Creates an arcane cocoon, granting
invulnerability to everything outside of it (but
also prohibiting any form of interaction)
Charm
• The target acts as if you’ve bought them a drink
• The target suddenly vaguely remembers you as
a long-lost friends
• Completely overwrites any negative
impression the target might have of you
Cloak
• Summons a pile of dead leaves to dive into
• You become a shimmer; a suggestion of a
shape
• You become virtually invisible.
Detect
• Allows you to focus on your surroundings, as if
you’re using a magnifying glass or set of
binoculars
• Allows you to vaguely detect the aura of nearby
beings
• You can pinpoint every being in a city-block
radius
Dispel
• As if you prod and poke at a ward with a stick,
pliers or rock salt. Like throwing a pebble on a
landmine.
• Completely dissect a complicated ward or
curse.
• Fundamentally undo time-travel and other
reality-warping magic.
Fly
• Like using a really big sheet to slow your fall.
• Controlled hovering, slight upwards motion.
• Sprouting wings or transforming into a flying
creature.
Haste
• Like drinking an invigorating beverage,
shaking off the effects of exhaustion for a
while.
• Greatly increased agility and speed, running
for an hour without fatigue, things take half as
long as they normally would.
• Time briefly loses its grip on you; it’s as if you
manifest effect without perceivable cause.
Knock
• Causes an unlocked door to swing open, a lock
to click and rattle until it is unlocked
• A heavy stone door is thrown open, a lock
crumples into dust
• Castle gates are blasted open, all locks nearby
cease to exist
Light
• A good alternative for a torch.
• A handy, supernatural hovering light.
• As if you’ve summoned the sun.
Move
• Prodding or pulling small objects nearby, as if
affected by an invisible 10ft. pole with a hook.
• Effortlessly move an object with your mind, up
to human-sized to a Far range.
• As if you have manifested an invisible tornado.
Protect
• Impair a specific type of damage towards
yourself.
• Protect your party from a certain element,
Impairing it.
• Completely dispel a lingering hazard, such as
poison or a dark aura.
Read
• Just like keeping a common dictionary handy
• Like a mental tome of long-lost languages
• You can read anything; expressions, lies,
language, feelings
Send Message
• Like sending a letter; it takes a while, and
might get lost.
• Instant mental communication between a
small group of individuals over a short range.
• Directly implant your thoughts into the mind
of another being, anywhere.
Appendix D: Divine Domains
As part of Determining a Higher Power, roll 2d10 (1d100) twice to generate two Domains to which your Higher Power is
connected.

1. Agriculture 49. Leadership 97. Wilderness

2. Air 50. Lies 98. Winter
3. Ambition 51. Life 99. Wrath
4. Ancestry 52. Light 100. Zeal
5. Arts 53. Love
6. Aspiration 54. Luck
7. Avarice 55. Lust
8. Balance 56. Madness
9. Beasts 57. Magic
10. Beauty 58. Mischief
11. Blood 59. Mist
12. Celebrations 60. Moon
13. Change 61. Music
14. Conquest 62. Nature
15. Corruption 63. Night
16. Courage 64. Nobility
17. Creation 65. Order
18. Curses 66. Pain
19. Darkness 67. Passion
20. Death 68. Patience
21. Destruction 69. Pestilence
22. Dreams 70. Pleasure
23. Earth 71. Poison
24. Enchantment 72. Pride
25. Envy 73. Protection
26. Fertility 74. Renewal
27. Fire 75. Repose
28. Forge 76. Retribution
29. Fortune 77. Sea
30. Freedom 78. Secrets
31. Glory 79. Shadow
32. Gluttony 80. Shadows
33. Grave 81. Sleep
34. Greed 82. Sloth
35. Growth 83. Snow
36. Hatred 84. Strength
37. Healing 85. Sun
38. Hearth 86. Temperance
39. History 87. Tempest
40. Hope 88. Time
41. Illusion 89. Trade
42. Illusions 90. Travel
43. Inspiration 91. Trickery
44. Invention 92. Tyranny
45. Joy 93. Vengeance
46. Justice 94. War
47. Knowledge 95. Water
48. Law 96. Wealth