Credits

Designed by Illustrations by
Timothy Fogarty Daniel Comerci
qstmkr@gmail.com danielcomerci.com

Inspirations, mechanical and otherwise:

Cairn by Yochai Gal
Forbidden Lands by Tomas Härenstam, et al.
Into The Odd by Chris McDowall
Ironsworn by Shawn Tomkin
Knave and Maze Rats by Ben Milton
Mörk Borg by Pelle Nilsson

Plight leverages mechanics and text from some of the aforementioned

inspirations by way of the various designer’s generous Creative Commons
licenses. I am forever grateful for their works and encourage everyone to
acquire, read, and play these fantastic games.

Thank you to Daniel Comerci, whose art helped inspire the concept of Plight.

The hexmap on page 35 was generated using Watabou’s Procgen Arcana. This
tool is extremely useful to creators and players of RPGs alike. For more
information go to watabou.github.io.

The procedures for traveling and delving are altered versions of the Hazard
System v0.3 designed by Necropraxis and are made available via Creative
Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license.

Lyrics from Barael’s Blade by the Sword are reprinted with permission from the
songwriter. Thank you to John D. Cronise.

This game could not have been made without the help and friendship of Dave
Deaver, Zach Hilton, Ryan Marth, and Andrew Miller.

For Quinn.

Copyright ©2023 Timothy Fogarty

Text CC-BY SA 4.0
 Contents
Introduction 8
Fundamentals 9
Create A Character 10
Rules 14
Combat 18
Magic 24
Traveling 34
Delving 38
Warfare 40
Market 42
Bestiary 50
Role Playing 58
Arbitration 59
Solitaire 60
Oracles 62
 Introduction
THE QUEEN IS DEAD. Poisoned in the night by some unscrupulous scab.
Suspiciously, the High Priestess has dissolved the royal council, fracturing the Realm,
and soiling the once stable relationships between dwarf, elf, and man. Her treachery has
not gone unnoticed.

The dwarves have retreated to their underground mines and gilded cities. “The best
place for a dwarf is under-mountain,” the wisest have been known to say. Smithing
weapons and erecting defenses has always been the best use of dwarven time. They never
trusted the elves anyway.

The elves have returned to the forests. High atop their tree-based fortresses, they keep the
humans at range. They consider mankind to be selfish usurpers of the land. “Man won’t
stop until they’ve colonized the lot,” is the collective belief. Elves are a vigilant sort.

The humans of the Realm have raised large, wooden palisades about their great cities
and castles. They look to the mountains and wonder “what crude plans must the
dwarves be plotting?” Man never valued gold over steel. They think it a pity that
dwarves do.

War seems imminent. And yet, there are dangers afoot, far beyond the cruelty of dwarf,
elf, and man. Dangerous creatures hide in plain sight, ready to take advantage of an
unsteady affair. All seems foul.

It is not. There are still opportunities abound. For the courageous few, there is coin to be
made. Ancient treasures and powerful relics lie in wait in the hidden ruins of
civilizations past. Bands that delve these darkened dungeons have been known to make
a mint, but usually at a cost. Blood is not cheap.

This is our kingdom. This is our Realm. This is our Plight.

8
 Fundamentals
How To Play
Plight is a traditional fantasy role
playing game in a war-bound
kingdom. One person is the Arbiter.
They describe the situations that the
characters are in. The Players ask
questions of the Arbiter and take
actions by way of their characters.
The Arbiter decides what happens or
if dice are required to gauge success
in dangerous situations.
Alternatively, Plight can be played in
solitaire. The Player utilizes the
Oracles to generate the situations
that their characters are in, as well as
elaborate on the narrative in lieu of
an Arbiter.
Rulings Over Rules
Even though this guide features
many rules, they are suggestions at
best. These guidelines are meant to
be bent, broken, hacked, altered, and
home-brewed to fit your group’s
preferences. The Arbiter has final say
in every situation, and their rulings
supersede anything in this guide.
What Is Needed
• A set of polyhedral dice
• Pencils and erasers
• Plight PDF Playkit*
*The Plight PDF Playkit consists of a
character sheet, as well as thematic
mapping sheets and other materials.
It is available online at qstmkr.itch.io.
If you do not have access to the
playkit, regular paper, graph paper,
and 1” hexagon graph paper will
suffice.
Dice Code
Plight uses standard RPG dice code.
Example:
• d4 means roll a 4-sided die
• 3d6 means roll three 6-sided dice
and add the results
• 1d8+5 means roll an 8-sided die
and add 5 to the result
• d3 means roll a 6-sided die and
half the result, rounded up
9
 Create A Character
Name & Background
First, name your Player Character
(PC), and choose or roll on the
background table below.
Alternatively, you may create your
own background, keeping it to one
or two words (e.g. Noble, Mason,
Bounty Hunter). A character’s
background informs their potential
knowledge and skills.
Hit Protection
Roll d6 to determine your starting
and maximum Hit Protection (HP).
This reflects your character’s ability
to avoid damage in combat. HP does
not indicate a character’s health or
fortitude, nor do they lose it for very
long. If an attack takes a character’s
HP exactly to 0, the character
receives a Mark (pg. 20).

Species
Background (d20) There are three possible species to
1 Alchemist 11 Mercenary choose from: Dwarf, Elf, and
2 Blacksmith 12 Merchant Human. Your choice will dictate how
Non Player Characters (NPC) react
3 Burglar 13 Miner to your presence in certain areas, as
4 Butcher 14 Outlaw well as affect the dynamic of your
5 Carpenter 15 Performer band. This becomes more apparent
as wartime draws near.
6 Cleric 16 Pickpocket
7 Gambler 17 Pit Fighter Your decision will also adjust your
8 Gravedigger 18 Ranger starting attributes:
9 Herbalist 19 Servant • Dwarf: STR +1, INT -1
10 Hunter 20 Smuggler • Elf: DEX +1, STR -1
• Human: INT +1, DEX -1

Attributes
Your character has three basic
attributes. These are a measurement
of your character’s strengths and
weaknesses. Roll 3d6 in order for
each:

• Strength (STR): power/resilience

• Dexterity (DEX): agility/speed
• Intellect (INT): wisdom/charisma

10
Character Features
Roll on the following table to define your character’s physical features.

d10 Physique Face Hair Speech

1 Athletic Bony Bald Blunt

2 Brawny Broken Braided Booming

3 Hulking Chiseled Curly Cryptic

4 Lean Elongated Filthy Droning

5 Rugged Pale Long Formal

6 Scrawny Perfect Luxurious Gravelly

7 Short Scarred Matted Nasally

8 Stout Square Oily Precise

9 Toned Sunken Wavy Stuttering

10 Towering Weathered Unkempt Whispery

Character Traits
Roll on the following table to establish your character’s traits.

d10 Virtue Iniquity Reputation Misfortune

1 Ambitious Aggressive Benevolent Abandoned

2 Cautious Bitter Boorish Addicted

3 Courageous Craven Cruel Blackmailed

4 Disciplined Deceitful Dangerous Condemned

5 Gregarious Greedy Diplomatic Cursed

6 Honorable Lazy Honest Defrauded

7 Humble Nervous Repulsive Demoted

8 Merciful Rude Respected Disowned

9 Serene Vain Strange Exiled

10 Tolerant Vengeful Wise Indebted

11
 Starting Equipment
Your character starts with: Armor (d6)

• 3 food rations (one slot) 1 None

• 1 torch (one slot) Brigandine Armor
• 3d6 coin 2-3
(.25 armor, bulky)
Coin can be used to purchase items Chainmail Armor
4-5
from the Market. PCs also begin their (.5 armor, bulky)
adventure with weapons, armor, and Plate Mail Armor
other gear. Roll once on each table. 6
(.75 armor, bulky)

Weapon (d6)

Dagger or Cudgel Helmet & Shield (d6)

1
(d6 damage)
1 None
Short Sword or Mace
2-3 Leather Cap
(d8 damage) 2-3
(.25 armor)
Bow Buckler Shield
4-5 4-5
(d6 damage, bulky) (.25 armor)
Halberd or War Hammer Leather Cap and Buckler
6 6
(d10 damage, bulky) Shield (.25 armor each)

Trinkets are sentimental in nature, but otherwise worthless. They do not take up
an inventory slot, and may be replaced with an item of equal sentiment. A
trinket’s purpose is to further develop the background of the character.

Trinkets (d20)
1 Bag of Marbles 11 Orc Tusk
2 Broken Sword Hilt 12 Ornate Key
3 Embroidered Handkerchief 13 Perfume
4 Fake Jewels 14 Petrified Dragon Egg
5 Fool’s Gold 15 Signet Ring
6 Good Luck Coin 16 Sketch of a Loved One
7 Holy Brooch 17 Small Religious Idol
8 Land Deed 18 Smoking Pipe
9 Music Box 19 Trick Dice
10 Old Family Crest Patch 20 Urn with Ashes

12
 Gear (d20)
1 Air Bladder 11 Manacles
2 Ball Bearings 12 Mirror
3 Bedroll 13 Pick
4 Cart (+4 slots) 14 Pole (10ft)
5 Chain (10ft) 15 Pulley
6 Fire Oil 16 Rope (25ft)
7 Grappling Hook 17 Sack
8 Ladder (10ft) 18 Spyglass
9 Large Trap 19 Tinderbox
10 Lockpicks 20 Tent (fits 2)

Tools (d20)
1 Bellows 11 Grease
2 Bucket 12 Hammer
3 Caltrops 13 Hourglass
4 Chalk 14 Lock and Key
5 Chisel 15 Metal File
6 Cooking Pots 16 Nails (x25)
7 Crowbar 17 Net
8 Drill 18 Saw
9 Fishing Rod 19 Shovel
10 Glue 20 Spike

Bonus Item (d4)

1 Helmet & Shield

2 Weapon

3 Gear

4 Tools

13
 Rules
Checks
A check is a roll to avoid a bad
outcome from a risky choice with
circumstances. PCs roll d20 for an
appropriate attribute. If they roll
equal to or under that attribute, they
succeed. Otherwise, they fail. A 1 is
always a success. A 20 is always a
failure.
Advantage &
Disadvantage
When attempting a check your PC is
well prepared for, the Arbiter may
grant advantage to the roll. Roll 2d20
and keep the lower of the two results.
Likewise, if attempting a check while
ill-equipped or in a bad situation, the
Arbiter may task you with
disadvantage. Roll 2d20 and keep the
higher of the two results.
14
Time
The passage of time is measured in
three conceptual durations:
• Turn: Used during combat and
roughly equals 10 seconds. A
character can usually take a major
and minor action during a turn
(e.g. move 25ft and melee attack).
• Round: This duration of time is
utilized during delving and equals
10 minutes. Most actions require 1
round (e.g. combat, moving,
searching).
• Watch: Used to quantify the time of
day. There are four watches to a
day, and each equals about 6 hours.
They are Morning, Afternoon,
Evening, and Night. Most activities
require 1 watch (e.g. exploring,
foraging, hunting).
Healing & Rest
There are three ways a character can
recover:
• Short Rest: Takes 1 round. A
minute or two of rest will heal d4+1
HP, but will leave the character
exposed.
• Long Rest: Takes 1 watch. A meal
and some sleep will restore all HP.
If HP was already full, restore d6 to
an attribute score.
• Full Rest: Takes 1 week. This fully
restores a character’s attributes
and alleviates any long term
conditions.
Deprivation & Fatigue
A PC deprived of a crucial need
(such as food or rest) is unable to
recover HP or attributes. Anyone
deprived for more than a day
adds “Fatigue” to one of their
inventory slots, one for each day.
Each Fatigue lasts until they are able
to take a long rest (such as a full
night’s sleep in a safe spot). PCs can
also gain Fatigue by casting spells, or
through events in the playing of the
game.
Inventory
Characters have one half their max
STR +10 inventory slots. Most items
take up one slot, while bulky items
occupy two and are typically two-
handed or awkward to carry. Tiny
items can be combined three to a slot.
Slots are abstract and can be
rearranged at the Arbiter’s
discretion. Anyone carrying items
that fill their inventory to capacity
are encumbered. When encumbered,
characters cannot run, and make
checks with disadvantage. Carts
(which must be pulled with both
hands), horses, or mules can increase
inventory. Hirelings can also be paid
to carry equipment.
All PCs are assumed to have basic
clothing, fitting their lifestyle, and a
waterskin. These items do not
occupy inventory slots and are not
kept track of.
Armor Rating
Each piece of armor equipped has a
value that contributes to a
character’s total Armor Rating (AR).
When added together to determine
AR, any fractions of a point are
disregarded (e.g. a 2.25 equals an AR
of 2). Before calculating damage to
HP, subtract the target’s
Armor Rating from the result of
damage rolls. No one can have more
than a 3 AR.
Wealth & Treasure
Wealth in Plight is measured in
coin (c). 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.
15
 Hirelings
PCs can enlist hirelings to aid
them. Hirelings cost between
1-50c per day, depending on
skill and specialization. To
create a hireling, choose an
appropriate role from the
Hirelings table in the Market
(pg. 43). Roll 3d6 for each
attribute, and d6 for their HP.
Give them equipment
appropriate to their station,
then roll on the Character
Traits tables to further flesh
them out.

Alternatively, you may

complete the Create A
Character process (pg. 10) and
hire the final result for 25c.

Reactions
When the PCs encounter an
NPC whose reaction to the
party is not obvious, the
Arbiter may make a reaction
roll on the table below.

Reaction (2d6)

2 Hostile

3-5 Wary

6-8 Curious

9-11 Kind

12 Helpful

Reactions can be altered

leading up to and during
wartime through activated
Casus Belli (pg. 40).

16
17
 Combat
Initiative
Players take their turn before enemy
NPCs. If there is a risk for the PCs to
be surprised, each Player must make
a DEX check or skip their first turn.
Actions
On their turn, the Players may take
one major action and one minor
action per character. Optionally, PCs
can take two minor actions. The
Arbiter has final say on what is a
major or minor action in the given
situation. A good “Rule of Thumb” is
a major action can make a difference
on a battlefield, while a minor action
can lead to said difference maker.
Examples of major actions:
• Melee weapon attack
• Ranged weapon attack
• Cast spell
• Flee combat
Examples of minor actions:
• Draw weapon
• Shove
• Use item
• Move up to 25ft
Each turn, the PCs declare what they
are doing collectively before dice are
rolled. If a character attempts
something risky, the Arbiter can call
for a check of a related attribute.
Enemy NPCs follow collectively
with their turn.
18
Attacking & Damage
The attacker rolls their weapon die
and subtracts the target’s AR, then
deals the remaining total to their
opponent’s HP. Unarmed attacks
always do d4 damage. Ranged
weapons cannot be used within
melee range.
Multiple Attackers
If multiple attackers target the same
foe, roll all damage dice and keep the
single highest result. The chosen die
is an abstract result of all damage
done by attacking characters.
Attack Modifiers
If fighting from a position of
disadvantage (such as through cover
or with bound hands), the attack
is impaired and the attacker must roll
d4 damage instead of the weapon’s
normal damage die.
Likewise, 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 d12
damage instead of the weapon’s
normal damage die.
Dual Weapons
If attacking with two weapons at the
same time, roll both damage dice and
keep the single highest result.
Blast
Attacks with the blast quality affect
all targets in the noted area, rolling
separately for each affected
character. Blast refers to anything
from explosions, to huge cleaving
onslaughts, to the impact of a
meteorite. If unsure how many
targets are affected, roll the related
damage die for a result.
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 check to
avoid critical damage. Additionally,
some enemies will have special
abilities or effects that are triggered
when their target fails a critical
damage check. Any PC that suffers
critical damage cannot do anything
but crawl, grasping for life. If given
aid and rest, they will stabilize. If left
untreated, they die within the hour.
19
 Attribute Loss
If a PC’s STR is reduced to 0, they
die. STR loss is generally due to
combat damage.
If a PC’s DEX is reduced to 0, they are
paralyzed. DEX loss is generally due
to anything that can impair your
character’s movement or agility (e.g.
certain damaging traps).
If a PC’s INT is reduced to 0, they are
delirious. INT loss is generally due to
certain arcane damages or high
stress.
Complete DEX and INT loss renders
the character unable to act until they
are restored through extended rest or
by extraordinary means. When a
character dies due to STR loss, the
Player is free to create a new
character or take control of a hireling.
They immediately join the party in
order to reduce downtime.
Morale
Enemies must pass an INT check to
avoid fleeing or surrendering when
they lose half their numbers. Some
groups may use their leader’s INT in
place of their own. Lone foes must
make an INT check when they’re
reduced to 0 HP. Morale does not
affect PCs.
Retreat
Running away from a dire situation
always requires a successful DEX
check, as well as a safe destination to
run to.
Failing said DEX check during a
melee will leave the character open
to possible attacks.
20
Detachments
Large groups of similar combatants
fighting together are treated as a
single detachment. The Arbiter may
dictate the STR, HP, AR, and attack
die (d6, d8, or d10) of the unit based
on it’s size, power, and equipment.
When a detachment takes critical
damage, it is routed or significantly
weakened. When it reaches 0 STR, it
is destroyed.
Attacks against detachments by
individuals are impaired (excluding
blast damage) and deal d4 damage
instead of their normal damage die.
Attacks against individuals by
detachments are enhanced and deal
blast damage. This damage is d12
instead of the detachment’s normal
damage die.
Grid Combat
For a more tangible experience,
miniatures can be used to help
visualize the engagement. If no
terrain miniatures are available, you
may utilize a hexmap. A single
hexagon equals 5ft. This means that a
single PC may move up to 5 hexes
(25ft) as a minor action.
Marks
When an attack reduces a PC’s HP to
exactly 0, they are uniquely
impacted. Look up the result on the
table (to the right) based on the
damage received that reduced the PC
to 0 HP.
Example: A PC with 3HP and 3 AR is
attacked for 6 damage. The total amount
of damage received is 3. The character is
“Breathless” according to the table.
Damage Marks
Scar: A glancing blow draws blood.
Roll d6. The result receives a permanent scar.
1 1: Neck/2: Hand/3: Eye/4: Chest/5: Leg/6: Ear
Roll d6. If the total is higher than your max HP, take the new result.
Concussed: The force of the blow leaves you disoriented.
2 Roll d6. If the total is higher than your max HP, take the new result.
Breathless: You’re sent flying and land hard, leaving you winded.
3 You are deprived until you can take a long rest. Roll d6. If the total
is higher than your max HP, take the new result.
Fracture: The impact coincides with the sound of a breaking bone.
Roll d6. The result is fractured. 1: Rib/2-3: Leg/4-5: Arm/6: Skull
4 Roll 2d6. If the total is higher than your max HP, take the new
result.
Diseased: The wound becomes afflicted with an uncomfortable infection.
5 You are deprived until you can take a long rest. Roll 2d6. If the total
is higher than your max HP, take the new result.
Head Wound: The blow knocks you unconscious.
When you wake, roll d3. 1: STR/2: DEX/3: INT
6 Then roll 3d6. If the total is higher than your current attribute, take
the new result.
Hamstrung: The attack leaves you limping and barely mobile.
7 You are deprived until you can take a long rest. Roll 3d6. If the total
is higher than your max DEX, take the new result.
Deafened: The force of the blow leaves your ears ringing. You cannot
8 hear anything until you find extraordinary aid.
Make an INT check. If you pass, increase your max INT by d4.
Trauma: Some hidden part of your psyche is knocked loose.
9 Roll 3d6. If the total is higher than your max INT, take the new
result.
Sundered: The attack severs or cripples an appendage, forcing you to
overcompensate your power into your remaining limbs.
10 You require a full rest. Roll d2. The result is useless. 1: Arm/2: Leg
Roll 3d6. If the total is higher than your max STR, take the new
result.
Mortal Wound: The attack leaves you out of action and bleeding out.
You require a full rest. You die in one hour unless treated.
11 Roll 3d6. If the total is higher than your max HP, take the new
result.
Doomed: Death seemed ever so close, but somehow you survived.
You require a full rest. If your next save against critical damage is a
12 fail, you die horribly. If you pass, roll 3d6. If the total is higher than
your max HP, take the new result.

21
 Combat Example
Ryan and Melissa have discovered a dark
cave by way of their characters, Stellan
and Zephyria, respectively. They decide
to light a torch and brave the dark.
Ryan: I move forward into the cave
with my torch extended in my off-
hand and my short sword at the
ready.
Melissa: I follow closely behind with
an arrow nocked in my bow.
Arbiter: As the narrow cave widens
into a large open area, you smell the
faint trace of blood and see what
appears to be two eyes refracting the
light of the torch about 40ft away. As
you get closer, you are able to make
out the silhouette of the object as
humanoid in size, but hairy in
nature. You then hear a wheezing
giggle.
Ryan: Gnolls. Ugh!
Arbiter: The creature moves toward
you. As it enters the light, you see
that it is carrying a spear at the ready.
What do you do?
Melissa: I will stop moving and fire
an arrow.
Ryan: I will move into melee range
and attack with my short sword.
Arbiter: Roll both of your damage
dice and keep the highest result.
Ryan and Melissa must roll both dice
and keep the highest result due to
attacking the same enemy. Ryan rolls a
d8 and Melissa rolls a d6. The best result
is a 5.
22
The Gnoll has 5 HP, but 1 AR. Therefore,
the 5 points of damage are reduced by 1
and the gnoll suffers 4 damage to it’s HP,
leaving it with 1 left in Hit Protection.
Arbiter: The creature recoils from the
attack, but moves forward with an
attack of it’s own. It attempts a stab
against Stellan with it’s spear.
The Arbiter rolls a d8 for the spear attack
and receives a 7! Ryan’s character has 2
AR and 4 HP. Therefore, the 7 damage is
reduced by 2 due to Stellan’s Armor
Rating, and the remaining damage is
first distributed to his HP, then his STR.
Stellan’s HP drops to 0 and his STR
suffers 1 damage, reducing it to 14.
Arbiter: Make a STR check to avoid
critical damage.
Ryan rolls a d20 with the hope of getting
equal to, or under 14. It’s a 17! Failure.
Ryan: Ugh. I hate gnolls!
Arbiter: Stellan collapses in a heap.
As his torch drops to the floor, the
lighting changes and you see the
hyena-like features of the creature.
It’s snout is coated with viscera and
drool protrudes from it’s fanged
maw. It looks hungry as it turns it’s
focus to Zephyria. It’s your turn,
Melissa. What do you do?
Melissa: I exchange my bow for my
morningstar and wait for the gnoll to
approach.
Ryan: I try to crawl to safety. I hate
gnolls!
Arbiter: The creature moves toward
Zephyria as a minor action and bites
her as a major action.
The Arbiter rolls a d6 for the gnoll bite
attack and receives a 2. Zephyria has 3
HP and 1 AR. The damage is reduced by
1 and Zephyria suffers 1 to her Hit
Protection.
Melissa: I deliver a finishing blow.
Do I need to roll for damage?
Arbiter: No need. It’s helpless. It dies
in a bloody mess.

Arbiter: Your turn Melissa. Melissa: I rush to Stellan and use a

bandage to help mend his wounds.
Melissa: I swing with everything I
have and attack the gnoll. Ryan: Did I mention “I hate gnolls?”

Melissa rolls a d8 for her morningstar

and receives a 6! The gnoll’s Armor
Rating reduces the damage to 5, which
drops it’s HP to 0 and bleeds over into
it’s STR. The gnoll’s STR is reduced to 6.
The Arbiter must make a STR check to
avoid critical damage. If they succeed,
the Arbiter will then have to make
an INT check for the gnoll’s
morale.

The Arbiter rolls a 9. Failure!

Arbiter: The creature

drops to the ground under the
weight of the blow. It whimpers as
it attempts to crawl away from
the danger.

23
 Magic
Casting Spells
Anyone can cast a spell by holding a
spellbook in both hands and reading
it’s contents aloud. They must then
add a Fatigue to inventory,
occupying one slot. Given time and
safety, PCs can enhance a spell’s
impact (e.g. affecting multiple
targets, increasing it’s power, etc.)
without any additional cost. If the PC
is deprived or in danger, the Arbiter
may require the PC to make an INT
check to avoid any ill-effects from
casting the spell. The consequence of
failure is a random roll on the Arcane
Disaster table below.

Arcane Disaster (2d6)

2 The magical item vaporizes in a flash.

3-4 The magic misfires and affects a friendly PC or NPC. That character also
develops some deformity (e.g. white hair, antlers, gains/loses height).
The spell backfires and affects you instead of your intended target. Your
5-6 PC also develops some deformity (e.g. can no longer smell, white eyes,
grows a tail).

7 You are overcome with arcane energy. Deal d4 damage to INT.

8-9 The spell leaves you in need of sleep and food. Mark deprived.

10-11 An NPC witnesses your sorcery and attempts to report you to the
nearest character or faction of interest.

12 The spell affects all objects within 30ft.

24
Spellbooks
Spellbooks contain a single spell and
take up one slot of inventory. They
cannot be transcribed or created;
instead they are recovered from
places like tombs, dungeons, and
manors.
Spellbooks sometimes display
unusual properties or limitations,
such as producing a foul or
unearthly smell when opened,
possessing an innate intelligence, or
being legible only when held in
moonlight. They will attract the
attention of those who seek the
arcane power within, and it is
considered dangerous to display
them openly.
Scrolls
Scrolls are similar to spellbooks,
however:
• They don’t fill an inventory slot
• They do not cause a Fatigue
• They dissipate after one use
Relics
Relics are items imbued with a
magical spell or power. They do not
cause a Fatigue. Relics usually have a
limited use, as well as a recharge
condition. A few examples:
• Ventriloquist Band: A small ring
that when worn causes a creature
to loudly and clearly repeat
everything you think. 1 charge. To
recharge, keep ring in your closed
mouth for 1 watch.
• Phase Cloak: A hooded cape that
gives the wearer the ability to walk
through up to 1ft of solid matter.
1 charge. To recharge, soak in
running water for 1 watch.
• Necrocrown: A circlet that gives
the adorned control over a nearby
animated skeleton for 1 watch.
2 charges. To recharge, wear crown
upside down for 1 day. Recharging
causes crippling headaches and
-2 INT.
25
 Magical Effects
Along their travels, characters may find enchanted relics, interesting potions, or
one-of-a-kind scrolls. The Arbiter may imbue them with the included spell list
(pg. 28), or generate a new magical effect utilizing the tables on these two pages.

First, roll on the template table below. Next, roll on the tables associated with
the results of the template (to the right). The Arbiter is tasked with defining the
results into a new spell or power.

Template (d12)
1 [Physical Effect] + [Physical Form]
2 [Physical Effect] + [Ethereal Form]
3 [Ethereal Effect] + [Physical Form]
4 [Ethereal Effect] + [Ethereal Form]
5 [Physical Element] + [Physical Form]
6 [Physical Element] + [Ethereal Form]
7 [Ethereal Element] + [Physical Form]
8 [Ethereal Element] + [Ethereal Form]
9 [Physical Effect] + [Physical Element]
10 [Physical Effect] + [Ethereal Element]
11 [Ethereal Effect] + [Physical Element]
12 [Ethereal Effect] + [Ethereal Element]

26
d20 Physical Effect Physical Element Physical Form
1 Animating Acid Armor
2 Binding Bark Arrow
3 Consuming Blood Beast
4 Crushing Bone Blade
5 Diminishing Crystal Claw
6 Duplicating Flesh Crown
7 Expanding Fungus Elemental
8 Fusing Ice Gate
9 Grasping Insect Golem
10 Imprisoning Lava Hammer
11 Levitating Obsidian Key
12 Petrifying Oil Mask
13 Piercing Poison Monolith
14 Regenerating Sand Prison
15 Rending Serpent Sentinel
16 Resurrecting Stone Steed
17 Sealing Thorn Swarm
18 Shapeshifting Water Torch
19 Shielding Wine Trap
20 Transporting Wood Wall

d20 Ethereal Effect Ethereal Element Ethereal Form

1 Banishing Ash Aura
2 Bewildering Chaos Beam
3 Blinding Echo Blast
4 Concealing Fire Bolt
5 Deafening Fog Call
6 Deceiving Ghost Circle
7 Dispelling Lightning Cloud
8 Energizing Mind Cone
9 Enlightening Mutation Cube
10 Enraging Negation Form
11 Forseeing Plague Gaze
12 Maddening Rain Portal
13 Mindreading Rot Pulse
14 Nullifying Shadow Shard
15 Revealing Smoke Spray
16 Silencing Soul Storm
17 Soothing Star Torrent
18 Summoning Time Touch
19 Terrifying Warp Wave
20 Withering Wind Word

27
 d100 Spell Effect

1 Adhere An object is covered in extremely sticky slime.

A strong vine sprouts from your arms, affixing

2 Anchor itself to two points within 50ft on each side.

3 Animate Object An object obeys your commands as best it can.

Anthropo- An animal either gains human intelligence or
4
morphize human appearance for one day.
You can see through a magical floating eyeball
5 Arcane Eye that flies around at your command.
An object is frozen in time and space within an
6 Astral Prison invulnerable crystal shell.
Two objects are strongly, magnetically attracted
7 Attract to each other if they come within 10ft.
Auditory You create illusory sounds that seem to come
8
Illusion from a direction of your choice.
A creature must loudly and clearly repeat
9 Babble everything you think. It is otherwise mute.
A plant sprouts from the ground that emanates
10 Bait Flower the smell of decaying flesh.
You and your possessions transform into a
11 Beast Form mundane animal.
A creature of your choice is unable to form new
12 Befuddle short-term memories for the duration of the
spell.
You switch bodies with a creature you touch. If
13 Body Swap one body dies, the other dies as well.
Change You may alter the type of weather at will, but
14
Weather you do not otherwise control it.

15 Charm A creature you can see treats you as a friend.

A target obeys a single three-word command

16 Command that does not cause it harm.

17 Comprehend You become fluent in all languages for 1 watch.

Dense foam sprays from your hand, coating the

18 Cone of Foam target.
Nearby plants and trees obey you and gain the
19 Control Plants ability to move at a slow pace.
Restore d4 STR per day to a creature you can
20 Cure Wounds touch.

28
d100 Spell Effect
21 Deafen All nearby creatures are deafened.
22 Detect Magic You can see or hear nearby magical auras.
Any of your body parts may be detached and
23 Disassemble reattached at will, without causing pain or
damage. You can still control them.
You may alter the appearance of one character
at will as long as they remain humanoid.
24 Disguise Attempts to duplicate other characters will
seem uncanny.
An object appears to be up to 15ft from it’s
25 Displace actual position.
The ground begins shaking violently.
26 Earthquake Structures may be damaged or collapse.
27 Elasticity Your body can stretch up to 10ft.
A straight wall of ice or fire 50ft long and 10ft
28 Elemental Wall high rises from the ground.

29 Filch A visible item teleports to your hands.

A bright ball of energy fires a trail of light into

30 Flare the sky, revealing your location to friend or foe.

31 Fog Cloud A dense fog spreads out from you.

32 Frenzy A nearby creature erupts in a frenzy of

violence.

33 Gate A portal to a random area opens.

You can change the direction of gravity, but

34 Gravity Shift only for yourself.
A creature develops the overwhelming urge to
35 Greed possess a visible item of your choice.

36 Haste Your movement speed is doubled.

A creature develops a deep hatred of another

37 Hatred creature or group and wishes to destroy them.

38 Hear Whispers You can hear faint sounds clearly.

An object hovers, frictionless, 2ft above the

39 Hover ground. It can hold up to one humanoid.
A creature enters a trance and will truthfully
40 Hypnotize answer one yes or no question you ask it.

29
 d100 Spell Effect
41 Icy Touch A thick ice layer spreads across a touched
surface, up to 10ft in radius.
Letters appear over the object you touch,
42 Identify Owner spelling out the name of the object’s owners, if
there are any.
43 Illuminate A floating light moves as you command.

Two objects within 10ft of each other cannot be

44 Invisible Tether moved more than 10ft apart.
A nearby mundane or magical lock unlocks
45 Knock loudly.

46 Leap You jump up to 10ft high, once.

47 Liquid Air The air around you becomes swimmable.

Magic Dampener All nearby magical effects have their

48 effectiveness halved.
A sturdy, furnished cottage appears for 1
49 Manse watch. You can permit and forbid entry to it at
will.
Your pockets are full of marbles, and will refill
50 Marble Craze every 30 seconds.
A character’s appearance and voice becomes
51 Masquerade identical to those of a character you touch.
A creature you touch is shrunk down to the size
52 Miniaturize of a mouse.
An illusory duplicate of yourself appears and
53 Mirror Image is under your control.
A mirror becomes a gateway to another mirror
54 Mirrorwalk that you looked into today.

55 Multi-Arm You temporarily gain an extra arm.

A 50ft wide sphere of darkness displaying the

56 Night Sphere night sky appears before you.
You become any inanimate object between the
57 Objectify size of an apple and a grand piano.

58 Ooze Form You become a living jelly.

A creature near you has an aversion to

59 Pacify violence.
A nearby creature becomes terrified of an object
60 Phobia of your choice.

30
d100 Spell Effect
A pit 10ft wide and 10ft deep opens in the
61 Pit ground.
A creature rapidly evolves into a future version
62 Primal Surge of it’s species.
An object of any size is pushed directly away
63 Push/Pull from you or pulled directly towards you with
the strength of one man.
A skeleton rises from the ground to serve you.
64 Raise Dead They are incredibly stupid and can only obey
simple orders.
The spirit of a nearby corpse manifests and will
65 Raise Spirit answer one question.
You can hear the surface thoughts of nearby
66 Read Mind creatures.
Two objects are strongly, magnetically repelled
67 Repel from each other within 10ft.
You can see through the eyes of a creature you
68 Scry touched earlier today.
An inanimate material behaves like clay in
69 Sculpt Element your hands.
Choose one kind of object (e.g. key, gold, arrow,
70 Sense jug). You can sense the nearest example.
A creature you touch is protected from
71 Shield mundane attacks for 1 minute.

72 Shroud A creature you touch is invisible until they

move.
Two creatures you can see instantly switch
73 Shuffle places.
74 Sleep A creature you can see falls into a light slumber.
Every surface in a 30ft radius becomes
75 Slick extremely slippery.
Your body becomes a living smoke that you
76 Smoke Form can control.
77 Sniff You can smell even the faintest traces of scents.
The source of any mundane light you can see is
78 Snuff instantly snuffed out.
Inanimate items sort themselves according to
79 Sort categories you set.
A clearly false but impressive illusion of your
choice appears, under your control. It may be
80 Spectacle up to the size of a palace and has full motion
and sound.

31
 d100 Spell Effect
A whirling blade flies from your chest, clearing
81 Spellsaw any plant material in it’s way. It is otherwise
harmless.
82 Spider Climb You can climb surfaces like a spider.
Once per second you may summon or banish a
83 Summon Cube 3ft wide cube of earth. New cubes must be
affixed to the earth or to other cubes.
You become a swarm of crows, rats, or
84 Swarm piranhas. You can only be harmed by blast
attacks.
85 Telekinesis You may mentally move one item under 60lbs.
Two creatures can hear each other’s thoughts,
86 Telepathy no matter how far apart.
An object or person you can see is transported
87 Teleport from one place to another in a 50ft radius.
An object you touch becomes the target of any
88 Target Lure nearby spell.
A thicket of trees and dense brush up to 50ft
89 Thicket wide suddenly sprouts up.
A carved stone statue the size of a mule rises
90 Summon Idol from the ground.
Time in a 50ft bubble slows down or increases
91 Time Control by 10% for 30 seconds.
92 True Sight You see through all nearby illusions.
93 Upwell A spring of seawater appears.
94 Vision You completely control what a creature sees.
A silent, immobile, room-sized illusion of your
95 Visual Illusion choice appears.
A silver circle 50ft across appears on the
96 Ward ground. Choose one species that cannot cross
it.
97 Web Your wrists shoot thick webbing.
A primitive version of a drawn tool or item
98 Widget appears before you and disappears after a short
time.
Your finger can shoot a stream of ulfire-colored
paint. This paint is only visible to you and can
99 Wizard Mark be seen at any distance, even through solid
objects.
100 X-Ray Vision You can see through walls, dirt, clothing, etc.

32
33
 Traveling
Often, the characters may be given a task that takes them far from home. The
Arbiter can abstract travel if they wish, or they may utilize a hexmap. A single
hexagon equals 12 miles.

Watches
There are four watches to a day, and Travel Difficulty (d6)
each equals about 6 hours. They are
1 Encounter:
Morning, Afternoon, Evening, and PCs have a random
encounter.
Night. Most activities require 1
watch (e.g. exploring, foraging,
hunting). At the end of a watch, the Clue: PCs discover a clue that
Arbiter rolls on the table to the right 2 can lead to a point, person, or
creature of interest.
to add difficulty to the journey.

Fatigue: PCs gain d4 Fatigue

Travel
PCs can travel 2 watches a day
without penalty. Should they choose
to push for a third watch, characters
must make a DEX check. Upon
failure, PCs suffer d4 damage to DEX
and d4 Fatigue.
3 unless they spend the next
watch taking a long rest.
Spoil: Players roll d4 for each
4 perishable item they own. If
the result is a 1, the item must
be thrown out.

On average, a band can move 1 5 The weather changes. (pg. 35)

hexagon per watch. Mounted, they
may move 2 hexes per watch. In 6 Nothing happens.
difficult terrain, weather or darkness,
a band’s movement is halved.

34
Seasons
It can be dangerous to travel in the dark. Depending on the season, it can get
dark earlier in the day.

Watch Spring Summer Autumn Winter

Morning Light Light Light Dark
Afternoon Light Light Light Light
Evening Dark Light Dark Dark
Night Dark Dark Dark Dark

Weather
The Arbiter rolls on the table below at the beginning of every day. Extreme
results may hinder the band’s progress.

2d6 Spring Summer Autumn Winter

2 Strong Winds Sand Storm Heavy Fog Cloudy
3-4 Breezy Humid Light Fog Light Snow
5 Warm Hot Warm Warm
6-8 Clear sky Clear sky Clear sky Clear sky
9 Cool Warm Cool Cold
10-11 Rain Light Rain Rain Snow
12 Thunderstorm Thunderstorm Snow Blizzard

35
 Terrain
The Arbiter may plan their hexmap in advance, or can generate it in real-time
with the table below.

2d6 Terrain Movement Example

2-3 City Normal

4 Hills Normal

5 High Mountains Impassable

6 Mountains Difficult

7 Plains Normal

8 Forest Normal

9 Rainforest Difficult

10 Swamp Difficult

11-12 Lake* Impassable

*Lakes may have rivers leading to or from them. Roll d10 and draw a
river along the lines of unexplored hexes that many spaces. If there are
no unexplored hexes, then it is simply a lake and nothing more.

36
Activities
There are several activities that can be done while traveling:

• Delve: If a location has been discovered, PCs may enter it. The amount of time
that it takes can be 1 watch to several days, depending on the Arbiter. Delving
rules are listed on pg. 38.
• Explore: PCs may use 1 watch and an INT check to explore the current hex for
places, people, or things of interest that they would not have seen by simply
passing through. One check is made for the participating characters.
• Forage: PCs may search for fruit and vegetables to create food rations. This
requires 1 watch and an INT check. One check is made for the participating
characters. Success means d4 rations have been procured.
• Hunt: PCs may utilize 1 watch to hunt for wild game to convert to food
rations. This activity requires an INT check and appropriate hunting gear (e.g.
bow, spear, large trap, etc.). One check is made for the participating
characters. Success means d6 rations have been procured.
• Sleep: PCs may make camp and take a long rest for 1 watch. In conjunction
with a ration of food, a character’s HP will be restored. If HP was already full,
restore d6 to an attribute.

37
 Delving
PCs will discover dangerous locations along their travels. Castles, dungeons,
caves, and sewers are all good examples of fantasy locations worth delving. The
Arbiter can abstract delving if they wish, or they may utilize a grid map using
graph paper.

Rounds
Time is kept track of in 10 minute Travel Difficulty (d6)
increments called rounds. Most
1 Encounter: PCs have a random
actions require 1 round (e.g. combat, encounter.
moving, searching).
Clue: PCs discover a clue that
At the end of a round, the Arbiter 2 can lead to a point, person, or
rolls on the table to the right to add creature of interest.
difficulty to the delve.
Fatigue: PCs gain a Fatigue
3 unless they spend the next
Darkness round taking a short rest.
Most checks have disadvantage in
darkness. The Arbiter dictates which
4 Darkness: All lit torches burn
checks would logically be penalized. out. All lanterns run dry of oil.
Characters will be surprised by all
encounters and spring all traps. Be 5 The area is trapped. (pg. 39)
sure to pack plenty of light sources
6 Nothing happens.
for your band.

Searching
One round spent searching a room
reveals any non-obvious features
(e.g. holes in the masonry, drains in
the floor, etc.).

Terrain
The Arbiter may plan their dungeon
map in advance, or can generate it in
real-time with the Oracles provided
on pages 73-75.

38
Traps
Certain doors and rooms may have hidden traps. Roll to determine what type.

Traps (d20)

1 Acid Spray: Sprays corrosive acid 11 Mirror Maze: Disorients PCs in a

in a targeted direction. maze of illusions.

2 Arrow Launcher: Fires a volley of 12 Pitfall: A hidden pit opens beneath

arrows in a designated area. the character’s feet.

3 Ceiling Collapse: Rocks or debris 13 Poison Darts: Triggered by

fall from above. pressure, shooting poisonous darts.

4 Crushing Wall: The walls close in 14 Poisonous Gas Cloud: Releases a

slowly. toxic gas cloud when triggered.

5 Elemental Ward: Summons an 15 Portcullis: A heavy gate falls,

elemental when activated. blocking the way.

6 Fire Jets: Shoots out jets of flame 16 Puzzle: A series of levers that can
when triggered. produce treasure or an encounter.

7 False Treasure Chest: Explodes or 17 Rolling Boulder: A massive

ensnares when opened. boulder rolls down a corridor.

8 Guillotine: A large, heavy blade 18 Spiked Floor: Sharp spikes

drops from above. suddenly protrude from the floor.
Illusory Bridge: A fake pathway Teleportation Circle: Sends PCs to
9 that PCs will fall through. 19 a different location.

10 Mimic: An enchanted object 20 Tripwire Snare: Causes the

transforms into a deadly creature. character to be suspended in a net.

39
 Warfare
Tension is high. The seeds of distrust
have long been sown. Elf, dwarf, and
man are on a path toward destruction.
War is imminent.
Growing apprehensions between the
game’s three primary species
provide an escalating stress that
changes the dynamic of the game.
The impending war and catalysts are
major shifts that alter how the
Players exist within the world. It is
not required that the Arbiter include
the Player Characters in the conflict
directly, but rather to let them
manage the landscape in the midst of
social strife.
Warning! Cultural affairs are a
delicate matter and require maturity.
Be certain that the Players are
comfortable with the circumstances.

# d3 Casus Belli
A recent scarcity in gold and iron has led to speculation toward dwarven intent.
1 Many believe they are withholding resources from human and elven subjects.
(NPCs will avoid conversation with dwarven PCs.)
Elven religious practices have spread in popularity among other species. Human
1 2 and dwarven leaders are skeptical of the mysticism. (NPCs will avoid
conversation with elven PCs.)
Human territories have expanded into neighboring regions. Dwarven and elven
3 commanders are suspicious of the growth. (NPCs will avoid conversation
with human PCs.)
A recent arcane ritual conducted by elven sorceresses went awry. Fear has begun
1 to spread among dwarven citizens. (Elven PC coin is not accepted in
dwarven establishments.)
The High Priestess has been conducting royal judication on behalf of the recently
2 2 deceased Queen. Her motives are suspect at best and treacherous at worst.
(Human PC coin is not accepted in elven establishments.)
A revered human artifact has been desecrated by dwarven militiamen.
3 (Dwarven PC coin is not accepted in human establishments.)
The competition for valuable trade routes between dwarven and elven merchants
1 has become tempestuous. (-1 to NPC reaction rolls from dwarves toward
elven characters.)
A valuable elven relic has been stolen from a secured stronghold. Human bandits
3 2 were found with the priceless object. (-1 to NPC reaction rolls from elves
toward human characters.)
A recent skirmish between dwarven trespassers and the High Priestess’ royal
3 guard has led to escalating tensions between the two species. (-1 to NPC
reaction rolls from humans toward dwarven characters.)

40
Imminence On the 7th Casus Belli…
The Arbiter rolls a die each morning. …war begins. The Arbiter dictates
If the result is a 1, a Casus Belli is the dynamics of the conflict based on
activated. The die used is the previously activated Casus Belli.
determined by the Arbiter and the
Players.

Die War is…

d100 …years away.
d20 …a year off.
d10 …months from now.
d6 …a matter of weeks.
d2 …imminent!

# d3 Casus Belli
A dwarven pilgrimage was resisted access to the great elven obelisks. These
totems have been known to grant great fortune to all that lay their hands upon
1 them. This oppression cannot stand. (-2 to NPC reaction rolls from dwarves
toward elven characters.)
Human expansion has led to the destruction of several large forests and the
4 pollution of multiple rivers. Elven envoys have sought an audience with the
2 High Priestess. (-2 to NPC reaction rolls from elves toward human
characters.)
Profound cultural differences between humans and dwarves have bred
3 animosity between the two battling factions. (-2 to NPC reaction rolls from
humans toward dwarven characters.)
A dwarven petty king has disputed the legitimacy of the High Priestess. (-4 to
1 NPC reaction rolls from dwarves toward human characters.)
An elven princess has been heralded as the next in succession to the throne.
5 2 (-4 to NPC reaction rolls from humans toward elven characters.)
An explosion collapsed an entrance to a dwarven mine. It’s speculated that the
3 damage was done by elves for past wrongs to their people. (-4 to NPC reaction
rolls from elves toward dwarven characters.)
After a raid of a dwarven outpost, it was discovered that they were employing
1 prisoners in their mining camps. Several outposts have been liberated.
(NPCs will attempt to apprehend or attack dwarven PCs.)
A recent assassination attempt on a high ranking commander was thwarted.
6 2 Several elven arrows were recovered after the attack. (NPCs will attempt to
apprehend or attack elven PCs.)
Members of the royal guard were seen razing elven villages across the Realm.
3 (NPCs will attempt to apprehend or attack human PCs.)

41
 Market
Depending on the settlement,
village, or city, the residents may
provide the following goods and
services. All items are sold for
coin, but merchants have been
known to haggle price and
trade goods. Supply must also
be taken into account:

• C: Common goods and

services are generally
available in sufficient
quantities.
• U: Uncommon goods and
services are less frequent.
Roll d6. If the result is a 1-3,
one of the item is available.
One roll may be made per
week in a location.
• R: Rare goods and services
are special in nature. Roll
d6. If the result is a 1, one of
the item is available. One
roll may be made per week
in a location.

Concerning the size of items:

• T: Tiny items can be

bundled in threes to
occupy a single inventory
slot.
• S: Standard sized items
occupy one inventory
slot.
• B: Bulky items take two
slots in your inventory
and generally require
two hands to use.

42
 Hirelings Services
Hireling Supply Price Service Supply Price
Alchemist U 30c Bath at Inn C 1c
Animal C 20c
Handler Clothes C 1c
Blacksmith C 15c Washed
Body Guard U 10c Courier C 20c
Local Guide C 5c
Locksmith C 10c Feast C 5c
Navigator C 10c
Haircut C 5c
Sailor * 5c
Healing
Scholar C 20c U 25c
(attributes)
Smuggler U 50c or 15%
Lodging at Inn C 5c
Tracker C 5c
Trapper C 10c Stable C 5c
*Sailor availability is
Common near coasts and Teacher U 75c
Rare otherwise.

Stable Structures
Animal Supply Price Structure Price

Guard Dog Castle 5,000c

C 5c
(d4 bite)

Mule Cottage 50c

(+4 slots,
travel speed C 20c
is not Fort 500c
doubled)

Riding Horse Stone House 100c

U 40c
(+2 slots)

Stronghold 1,000c
War Horse R 60c
(+3 slots)
*Structures require time to
build unless a previously
erected structure is available.

43
 Melee Weapons
Weapon Damage Supply Size Price
Bastard Sword d10 R B 25c
Battle Axe d8 U S 15c
Broadsword d8 U S 10c
Club d8 C S 10c
Cudgel d6 C S 5c
Dagger d6 C S 5c
Falchion d8 R S 15c
Flail d8 U S 20c
Flanged Mace d8 R S 25c
Glaive d10 U B 30c
Halberd d10 U B 30c
Hatchet d6 C S 5c
Heavy Club d10 C B 25c
Long Sword d10 U B 35c
Mace d8 C S 20c
Maul d10 R B 25c
Morningstar d8 U S 20c
Pike d10 C B 20c
Quarterstaff d6 C S 5c
Rapier d8 C S 15c
Scimitar d8 U S 15c
Short Sword d8 C S 10c
Sickle d6 C S 5c
Spear d8 C S 5c
War Hammer d10 R B 30c
Whip d4 U S 5c

44
 Ranged Weapons
Weapon Damage Supply Size Price
Bow d6 C B 20c
Crossbow d8 R B 35c
Longbow d8 U B 30c
Short Bow d4 C B 10c
Sling d4 C T 5c

45
 Armor & Shields
Protective Gear Armor Slot Supply Size Price

Brigandine Armor .25 Body C B 20c

Buckler Shield .25 Off Hand C S 15c

Chainmail Armor .5 Body U B 40c

Gambeson (worn under .25 Body U S 15c

Mail Armor)

Heater Shield .5 Off Hand U S 25c

Helmet .75 Head U S 20c

Kite Shield .75 Off Hand R S 45c

Leather Cap .25 Head C S 5c

Leather Tasset .25 Legs C S 5c

Mail Coif .5 Head U S 10c

Mail Handwraps .5 Hands U S 5c

Scale Mail Poleyn .5 Legs U S 15c

Studded Leather Gloves .25 Hands C S 5c

Plate Mail Armor .75 Body R B 60c

Plate Mail Gauntlets .75 Hands R B 40c

Plate Mail Greaves .75 Legs R B 45c

46
47
 Goods
Goods Supply Size Price Goods Supply Size Price

Air Bladder C S 5c Food Ration C T 10c

Ball Bearings C T 5c Flute C S 25c

Bandage C T 5c Glass Bottle C S 1c

Bellows C S 10c Glue C T 5c

Bedroll C S 5c Grease C T 10c

Grappling
Blank Book C S 20c C S 25c
Hook

Bucket C S 5c Hammer C S 5c

Caltrops C T 10c Harp C S 40c

Cart C - 75c Holy Water C T 25c

(+4 slots)

Chain (10ft) C S 10c Horn C S 10c

Chalk C T 1c Hourglass C S 35c

Chisel C S 5c Incense C T 10c

Cooking Pots C S 10c Ladder (10ft) C B 10c

Crowbar C S 20c Lantern C S 10c

Drill C S 10c Lantern Oil C T 1c

Drum C S 25c Large Trap C S 20c

Face Paint C T 10c Large Sponge C S 5c

Fire Oil C T 10c Lens C T 10c

Fishing Rod C S 10c Lock and Key C S 10c

48
 Goods
Goods Supply Size Price Goods Supply Size Price

Lockpicks C T 25c Small Bell C T 5c

Lute C S 50c Soap C T 1c

Manacles C S 10c Spike C S 1c

Metal File C T 5c Spyglass C T 40c

Mirror C T 5c Tar C S 10c

Nails (x25) C T 1c Tent (fits 2) C B 25c

Net C S 10c Tinderbox C T 1c

Pick C S 10c Torch C S 5c

Poison, R T 15c Twine C T 1c

Hallucinogen
Poison, Wagon
R T 20c (+8 slots,
Lethal C - 200c
requires 2
Poison, horses to pull)
R T 15c
Paralyzing
Whetstone C T 1c
Poison, U T 10c
Sleeping
Whistle C T 1c
Pole (10ft) C B 5c

Pulley C S 10c

Quill and Ink C T 5c

Rope (25ft) C S 5c

Saw C S 5c

Sack C S 5c

Shovel C S 5c

49
 Bestiary
There are situations that the PCs may find themselves in that may lead to
encounters with creatures or questionable NPCs. The Arbiter can preplan
encounters if they wish, or roll randomly in real time on the table below.

Encounter (d20)
1 Amoeba 6 Elf 11 Golem 16 Ogre
2 Demon 7 Ghost 12 Human 17 Orc
3 Dragon 8 Giant 13 Insectoid 18 Skeleton
4 Dwarf 9 Gnoll 14 Kobold 19 Troll
5 Elemental 10 Goblin 15 Lich 20 Zombie

Amoeba
STR 12 / DEX 4 / INT 1
6 HP
Attacks: d6 acid touch
Critical Damage: Absorbs target,
dealing d4 to STR per turn.
Slashing weapons will turn a full-
health amoeba into two smaller
amoebas with the HP and STR
divided evenly among them.
Amoebas are liquid or jelly-like
organisms that attack their prey with
acidic pseudopods. They are found in a
variety of dark areas, such as dungeons
and sewers, as amoebas generally shun
bright light sources. They slowly move
about absorbing carrion and other
organic matter for sustenance. A clean
dungeon is always suspicious.
Demon
STR 14 / DEX 11 / INT 8
9 HP / 1 AR
Attacks: d6 bite or claw,
d4 tail (blast)
Will attempt to goad the most
virtuous into a duel.
Demons are the epitome of pure evil.
Bred in the Under-Realm, demons lack
empathy and compassion, and only know
malice. Their crimson skin is tougher
than leather, and their claws as sharp as
steel. All demons have wings, but only
the smaller devils have the capacity for
flight. They are not to be taken lightly.
Suborder (d3)
Lesser Demon
1
(Flight, STR 7, 5 HP)
2 Greater Demon
Pit Fiend
3
(STR 16, d8 bite)

50
Dragon Elemental
STR 17 / DEX 14 / INT 17 STR 10 / DEX 13 / INT 5
12 HP / 3 AR 10 HP
Attacks: d8 bite, d6 tail (blast) or Attacks: d4 air or water, d6 earth, d8
claw (blast), d10 breath (blast) fire
Critical Damage: Swallows target
whole. d4 damage to STR per turn. Cannot be damaged by nonmagical
weapons.
Detachments are required for
combat. Enjoys conversation as long Elementals are arcane conjurations
as it is not being threatened. resembling humanoids made of one of the
four elements: air, earth, fire, or water.
Dragons are massive, four-legged, Void of pity, they will only obey their
winged reptiles that live a millennia. enchanters or the arcane territory they
Due to their long lives, they are spawned from.
generally very intelligent, but incredibly
greedy. They are known for hoarding
treasures in their lairs, and will destroy
anyone that attempts to help themselves.
Dragons will attack with teeth,
claw, and tail, as a beast does, but
they prefer intellectual combat.
Assaulting a dragon without
an army is a foolish
endeavor.

Dwarf
STR 12 / DEX 9 / INT 10
4 HP / 2 AR
Attacks: d10 war
hammer or d8 crossbow

Beard length often

dictates ranking in
dwarven society.

Dwarves are a short, stocky

species renown for their
metallurgy and stubbornness.
They dwell under mountains
in cavernous, gilded cities
where they mine ore. Dwarves
are very proficient around
forges, prone to developing
large, crushing weapons. They
generally shy away from magic.

51
 Elf
STR 9 / DEX 12 / INT 11
4 HP / 1 AR
Attacks: d8 short sword or d8 long
bow
The female of the species is more
deadly than the male.
Elves are forest-dwelling fae-folk who are
as elegant as they are lethal. Usually
attired in fabrics or light, leather armor,
they are fleet-footed, silent killers when
they need to be. They are prone to the
arcane and are as handy with a spellbook
as they are with a nocked arrow.
52
Ghost
STR 5 / DEX 12 / INT 10
8 HP
Attacks: d6 necrotic touch
Critical Damage: Possesses target.
Attacks with any weapon will eject
ghost from the target.
Cannot be damaged by nonmagical
weapons.
Ghosts are incorporeal spirits of once-
living beings. They often haunt specific
locations, sometimes unaware of their
own deaths. Ghosts are ethereal and can
pass through solid matter. Common
spirits are fairly passive, but larger
haints are more easily aggravated.
Giant
STR 18 / DEX 6 / INT 7
20 HP / 3 AR
Attacks: d10 smash (blast), d10
stomp (blast)
Critical Damage: Instant death.
Target is reduced to paste.
Detachments are required for
combat. Vulnerable at the nape of the
neck.
Giants are titanic-sized humanoids that
once ruled over the Realm. They are able
to level an entire city with relative ease,
but thankfully, live very solitary lives.
Attacking a giant is foolish without an
infantry, however, it is rumored that a
single adventurer scaled one to defeat it.
Giants live high atop large mountains,
but few exist inside hollowed peaks with
big enough openings. These domiciles are
generally abandoned dwarven mines.
The ousted dwarves are often quite
displeased with their displacement.
Gnoll
STR 10 / DEX 13 / INT 6
5 HP / 1 AR
Attacks: d6 bite, d8 spear
Critical Damage: Poisoned. d4
damage to STR per turn.
Prone to exasperated giggling.
Gnolls are anthropomorphous hyenas
known for raiding small settlements.
Tribalistic in nature, they travel in
bands, capturing small parties for
nefarious reasons. Gnolls are handy with
poisons, and often coat the points of
their spears with wolfsbane powder.
Golem
STR 14 / DEX 6 / INT 1
8 HP / 1 AR
Attacks: d6 melee
Follows the commands of the
animator, and nothing more.
Golems are magically animated
automatons. They are often made of
bones, stone, flesh, or even clay. They
fight without tactics and cannot be
reasoned or bargained with. Golems exist
solely to execute commands.

Goblin
STR 8 / DEX 14 / INT 5
4 HP
Attacks: d8 club or d6 crude bow

Prefers to fight in packs. Individuals

will try to retreat.

Goblins are greenish, squat bipeds that

nest in dark caves and torment nearby
villages. Attired in ragged pelts, they use
crude weapons and large numbers to get
what they want. Goblins are a savage
sort.

Despite their disposition for mischief,

some goblins are more domesticated than
others, and have even integrated in
civilized society as merchants, servants,
and farmers.

Unfortunately, not all civil goblins are

treated with the respect that they
deserve. They are commonly thought of
as “less than” by dwarves and elves. It is
one of the few things that dwarves and
elves seem to agree on anymore.

53
 Human
STR 10 / DEX 9 / INT 12
5 HP / 2 AR
Attacks: d8 broadsword or d6 bow
Easily corruptible. Morally
questionable.
Humans are land-dwelling primates who
manufacture castles and strongholds for
protection. They are fairly gregarious, as
well as monarchistic. Humans seek to
gain power, but are not unreasonable.
They are a hard people at the mercy of the
Realm.
54
Insectoid
STR 10 / DEX 16 / INT 9
4 HP
Attacks: d6 sting, d8 bite
Critical Damage: The venom attacks
the target’s nervous system. d4
damage to DEX per turn.
Will attempt to carry away paralyzed
characters
Insectoids are larger-than-average sized
arthropods. Ants, wasps, spiders, etc. all
have large variants, and depending on
their combinations of segments, may
sting, bite, or both. Nests usually house
one queen and dozens (or hundreds) of
insectoids.
Kobold
STR 7 / DEX 12 / INT 8
5 HP / 1 AR
Attacks: d6 bite, d10 stone axe
Utilizes traps to gain advantage.
Kobolds are short, lizard-like bipeds that
prefer to ambush unsuspecting parties
instead of head-on combat. They dress in
hides and pelts, and use crude weaponry
and traps. In desperate stretches, kobolds
have been known to eat their young to
survive.
Lich
STR 9 / DEX 9 / INT 17
10 HP
Attacks: d8 necrotic touch, undead
gaze, d4 INT syphon soul
Critical Damage: Dread. Target is
overcome with fear and will attempt
to flee the engagement.
Slashing weapons do half damage
(rounded down). Making eye contact
with the undead gaze will paralyze a
target for one turn.
Liches are the undead remains of wizards
whom have turned to dark magic to
extend their lives. Their skin is grey and
stretched over old bones. In place of a
lich’s long since decayed eyes are
hypnotic, bright red flames that can
paralyze anyone in their gaze.
Orc
STR 12 / DEX 10 / INT 9
6 HP / 1 AR
Attacks: d10 longsword
The larger the tusks, the higher in the
pecking order.
Orcs live in war-torn tribes that excel in
raiding and destruction. They are
generally the size of humans, and have
dark green skin making them hard to
detect in deep forests. When orc tribes are
not fighting over territory with each
other, they impede into elven areas.

Ogre
STR 14 / DEX 7 / INT 3
7 HP
Attacks: d10 heavy club
(blast), d8 stomp

Hate being treated like

they’re stupid.

Ogres are large, dim-witted

humanoids who dwell in
caves or large huts. They are
known for stealing
livestock and leaving
devastation in their wake.
Ogres are easily tricked and
are prone to superstition.
They also make a lovely cheese.

55
 Skeleton
STR 6 / DEX 10 / INT 1
3 HP / 1 AR
Attacks: d6 bow or d8 short sword
Slashing weapons do half damage
(rounded down). Arrows do no
damage.
Skeletons are the reanimated remains of
passed-on warriors. Adorned in the
armor they were buried in, skeletons are
often found patrolling tombs and crypts.
Usually, defeating the animator will
release the remains from the cursed
sorcery.
Zombie
STR 6 / DEX 3 / INT 3
4 HP
Attacks: d6 bite
Critical Damage: Target becomes a
zombie in d6 turns.
Zombies are undead humanoids that rise
from the grave at night. They are terribly
slow, and they must be hacked to pieces
to “kill.” A bite from a zombie is
particularly damning. Avoid them at all
costs or suffer their same cursed fate.

Troll
STR 15 / DEX 12 / INT 7
12 HP
Attacks: d8 claw (blast)

Turn to stone in
sunlight. Will revert to
flesh in the evening.

Trolls are gluttonous

mountain dwellers who leave
their dens at night in search
for food. They eat almost
anything, from carrion to
rocks. Their feces has been
known to house rare gemstones formed
in their stomaches. Troll feces is
particularly nauseating, but often
times lucrative.

56
Creating Encounters
Use the following template to create
more sophisticated creatures or
NPCs:

Encounter Name
STR X / DEX X / INT X
X HP / X Armor
Attacks: (dX weapon or quality)
Critical Damage: (Consequence)
(Include any unique quirks or tactics)

Attributes: 3 is deficient, 6 is weak,

10 is average, 14 is noteworthy, and
18 is legendary. Adjust as necessary.
• Give average creatures 3 HP, give
hardy ones 6 HP, and serious
threats get 10+ HP.
• Use flavor and style to help them
stand out.
• Use critical damage to lean into the
threat or strangeness of any
aggressive NPC.
• Creatures larger than a cottage may
require the “Detachment” notation.
• Remember that HP is Hit
Protection, not Hit Points. It’s a
measurement of resilience, luck,
and gumption, not health.

Some pointers:
• Is it good at avoiding a hit? Give it
HP.
• Does it soak up damage? Give it
AR.
• Is it strong? Give it high STR.
• Is it nimble? Give it high DEX.
• Is it wise? Give it high INT.

57
 Role Playing
Agency
• Attributes and related checks do not define your character. They are tools.
• Don’t just ask what your character would do, ask what you would do, too.
• Be creative with your intuition, items, and connections.

Teamwork
• Seek consensus from the other Players before barreling forward.
• Stay on the same page about goals and limits, respecting each other and
accomplishing more as a group than alone.

Exploration
• Asking questions and listening to detail is more useful than any stats or items you
have.
• Take the Arbiter’s description without suspicion, but don’t shy away from seeking
more information.
• There is no single correct way forward.

Talking
• Treat NPCs as if they were real people, and rely on your curiosity to safely gain
information and solve problems.
• You’ll find that most people are interesting and will want to talk things through
before getting violent.

Caution
• Fighting is a choice and rarely a wise one; consider whether violence is the best way
to achieve your goals.
• Try to stack the odds in your favor and retreat when things seem unfavorable.

Planning
• Think of ways to avoid your obstacles through reconnaissance, subtlety, and fact-
finding.
• Do some research and ask around about your objectives.

Ambition
• Set goals and use your meager means to take steps forward.
• Expect nothing. Earn your reputation.
• Keep things moving forward and play to see what happens.

58
 Arbitration
Information
• Provide useful information about the game world as the characters explore it.
• Players do not need to roll dice to learn about their circumstances.
• Be helpful and direct with your answers to their questions.
• Respond honestly, describe consistently, and always let them know they can keep
asking questions.

Difficulty
• Default to context and realism rather than numbers and mechanics.
• If something the Players want to do is sincerely impossible, no roll will allow them to
do it.
• Is what the Player describes and how they leverage the situation sensible? Let it
happen.
• Checks cover a great deal of uncertain situations and are often all that is necessary for
risky actions.

Preparation
• The game world is organic, malleable, and random. It fluctuates and makes sharp
turns.
• Use the Oracles and tables to develop situations, not stories or plots.
• NPCs remember what the PCs say and do, and how they affect the world.
• NPCs don’t want to die. Infuse their own self-interest and will to live into every
personality.

Narrative Focus
• Emergent experience of play is what matters, not math or attributes. Give the players
weapon trainers and personal quests to facilitate improvement and specialization.
• Pay attention to the needs and wants of the Players, then put realistic opportunities
in their path.
• A dagger to your throat will kill you, regardless of your expensive armor and
impressive training.

Danger
• The game world produces real risk of pain and death for the characters.
• Telegraph serious danger to Players when it is present. The more dangerous, the
more obvious.
• Put traps in plain sight and let the players take time to figure out a solution.
• Give Players opportunities to solve problems and interact with the world.

Choice
• Give Players a solid choice to force outcomes when the situation lulls.
• Work together using a conversational method to keep the game moving.
• Ensure that the character’s actions leave their mark on the Realm.

59
 Solitaire
Preparation
• Prep is play. If you’ve taken the time to fill out a character sheet and develop your
starting area, you’re playing the game.
• Don’t prepare too much material. Over-planning before you’ve begun can
overwhelm a new Player.
• If you need inspiration on where to go or what to do, roll on the Open Question
Oracle (pg. 63) and interpret the result. Throw your character in the middle of the
action of the interpretation.

Rules
• Be familiar with the rules, but make rulings when they don’t come to you.
• Keep in mind the spirit of the law and not the letter.
• The biggest killer of a solitaire game session is stopping to check the guide too often.
Trust your instincts.

Oracle
• The “Yes, but…” and “No, but…” results on the Closed Question Oracle are answers
to your binary query, but with a complication. How does that fit into your narrative?
• If you are in need of a quest, a description of a room, or simply an explanation of an
NPC’s motivation, seek the Open Question Oracle. This table is the equivalent of
tarot cards and tea leaves.
• As much as the Oracle is helpful, don’t lean on it too often. It is primarily there to
provide detail. Not to tell you what to do all of the time.

Conflict
• The secret to all great westernized story telling is conflict. Introduce it in every
scenario.
• Start low as it pertains to difficulty, then slowly bring up the danger to find your
preferred style of play.
• Balance the rewards that your character receives with the obstacles that you’ve
overcome. Rewarding yourself for accomplishing nothing is discouraged.

Journal
• Some people record or broadcast themselves playing for the entertainment of others.
This is not required. Simply keeping a journal of your character’s exploits is enough.
• Writing short sentences is a good way to start. People who write elaborate prose
eventually feel obligated to write a book. This is a game, not a chore.
• If you feel overwhelmed with everything you’ve written so far, flesh out an NPC
from that world and start anew. A fresh perspective in a familiar land can ease the
tension. You can always return to your old PC.

60
61
 Oracles
The oracle tables provided can help an unprepared Arbiter or solitaire Player
generate conflicts, rewards, details, and more. They have been organized into
broad categories for ease-of-use.

Question Oracles…63 Civilization Oracles…70

• Closed Question • Settlement Name
• Open Question • Trouble
• Species & Population
Narrative Oracles…64 • Authority
• Quest Sparks
• Plot Twists Dungeon Oracles…72
• Dungeon Name
NPC Oracles…66 • Cave Terrain
• Reaction, Number, & Scale • Structure Terrain
• Name • Doors
• Ambition
• Species Reward Oracle…76
• Role • Treasure

Faction Oracles…68
• Faction Name
• Focus
• Leadership

62
Question Oracles
CLOSED QUESTION: Ask this oracle a question to better define a situation,
NPC, or object. Answers that end with “but…” introduce a complication, while
the answer “Yes, and…” offers some sort of extra benefit.

Yes/No (2d6)
2-4 Yes, and…
5-6 Yes
7 Yes, but…
8-9 No
10-12 No, but…

OPEN QUESTION: Ask this oracle a question to receive an answer that can be
interpreted to guide your scenario. Action, Descriptor, and Theme results can be
interpreted collectively or individually.

d20 Action Descriptor Theme

1 Barter Ancient Blood
2 Battle Arcane Captivity
3 Betray Blighted Conflict
4 Command Corrupted Creature
5 Confront Cursed Death
6 Create Eerie Device
7 Defend Enchanted Group
8 Enchant Forgotten Hate
9 Entertain Haunted Knowledge
10 Escape Hidden Law
11 Explore Looming Leader
12 Heal Lost Love
13 Hunt Moving Message
14 Investigate Mysterious Person
15 Negotiate Perilous Religion
16 Protect Sacred Resource
17 Rescue Savage Revenge
18 Sabotage Treacherous Secret
19 Sneak War-torn Vengeance
20 Solve Zealous Weapon

63
 Narrative Oracles
QUEST SPARKS: Choose or roll on this oracle for a quick story beginning.

Quest Sparks (d20)

Mineral Shortage: A dwarven mining settlement is running out of
1 essential minerals. The band must help find a new mine or negotiate a
trade deal to ensure the settlement’s survival.
Vanishing Wildlife: An elven forest is losing it’s creatures due to
2 encroaching civilization. The band must mediate between the elves and
man to preserve the delicate balance.
Crops in Peril: A farming village faces a famine due to a giant locust
3 (insectoid) infestation. The band must find a way to eliminate the pests
and save the harvest.

4 The Lost Heirloom: The band is hired to recover a stolen family heirloom
from a treacherous bandit hideout led by an NPC known to the party.
Goblin Diplomacy: A local goblin nest threatens raids on a nearby city
5 unless a missing chieftain’s crown is returned. The band must negotiate
with the goblins or find the crown to avoid bloodshed.
Whisper in the Woods: A mysterious forest is causing travelers to
6 disappear. The band must investigate the cause and recover the lost
travelers if possible.
Forgotten Forge: An ancient dwarven forge, known for crafting legendary
7 weapons, has been lost to time. The band must find it’s hidden location
and uncover it’s secrets.
Ancient Wisdom: The oldest living elf possesses knowledge crucial to
8 healing a blighted forest. The band must travel to find this reclusive sage
and learn the secret to the woods.
Rival Merchant: A cutthroat merchant is driving local traders out of
9 business. The band must gather evidence of their unfair practices to restore
economic balance.
The Missing Relic: A relic of inscrutable power has been stolen from a
10 museum by a party of thieves. In their haste, they were ambushed by a
dragon who now holds the artifact safely in it’s lair. The band is hired to
recover the important item.

64
 Quest Sparks (d20)
Guild Rivalry: Two of a city’s biggest factions are at odds over a political
11 misunderstanding. One wishes to end the ordeal while the other wants to
accelerate it. The band is propositioned by both for help.
The Vanishing Village: An entire settlement has disappeared overnight.
12 The band must uncover the magic behind this and return the villagers to
safety.
Trial of the Ancients: To prove their worth, the band must undergo a
13 series of trials set up by ancient spirits (ghosts), testing their strength,
dexterity, and intellect.
A Giant Problem: In several days a giant will destroy a city that recently
14 desecrated it’s territory. The band must deter the giant or help evacuate the
city.
Rise of the Cult: A dark cult is gaining followers and planning a ritual to
15 summon a greater demon. The band must infiltrate the cult and stop the
ritual from happening.
Lost Expedition: A group of dwarven explorers went missing in uncharted
16 caves. The band must rescue them and bring back valuable geological
samples.
Moonlit Garden: An elven garden that blooms only under moonlight
17 holds a cure for a deadly plague. The band must protect the garden from a
nearby orc tribe and harvest the rare plants.
Undead Nightmare: A recent arcane mishap has caused zombies to rise
18 from their crypts in a village. The band must exterminate the threat or find
a magical solution.
A Stinky Situation: A dwarven gem hunter has located the den of a troll.
19 The band is hired to eliminate the threat or distract it long enough for the
dwarf to sift through the troll’s excrement for loot.

20 Lizard vs. Wizard: A gang of kobolds seeks the help of the band to destroy
a nearby lich that threatens their existence. They can pay in stolen coin.

PLOT TWISTS: To develop the PC’s current situation in an interesting

direction, roll on this oracle.

Plot Twists (d10)

A common enemy offers an uneasy
An NPC the PCs trust is revealed
1 6 alliance, but their true intentions
to be a secret enemy. are unclear.
A hidden society emerges, holding 7 A cursed artifact that was thought
2 to be destroyed resurfaces, causing
the key to an unexpected power. chaos.
The band’s main quest is a A prophecy’s meaning is
3 diversion, and a greater threat 8 misinterpreted, leading the band
looms. astray.
An NPC’s motives are not what The PCs learn their memories have
4 they seemed; a tragic story is 9 been tampered with, causing doubt
unveiled. and suspicion.
A long-lost relative appears, A beloved mentor turns out to be
5 altering the PC’s perception of their 10 harboring a dark secret that
lineage. jeopardizes the PC’s mission.

65
 NPC Oracles
REACTION, NUMBER, & SCALE: Roll on this oracle to determine the
number, scale, or reaction of an encounter.

2d6 Reaction Number Scale

2 Hostile None Tiny
3-5 Wary One Small
6-8 Curious Couple Average
9-11 Kind Several Large
12 Helpful Many Colossal

NAME: Roll to give an NPC a name. Elves culturally have unisexual names in
Plight.

Dwarf Dwarf Human Human

d20 Elf
Male Female Male Female
1 Bäldrin Ästrid Aerilyn Aldric Althaea
2 Björn Brünhild Aelarion Barlowe Brynna
3 Brölin Ëdda Althoria Corin Calista
4 Bröndor Ëlda Arionel Draven Daelia
5 Därgan Ëlin Arlindel Eamon Elowyn
6 Dörnik Frïda Calidora Finnian Farina
7 Dürgrihm Gärta Caeloria Galeran Gavrielle
8 Fälkar Gilda Elinora Hadrian Hespera
9 Gröndar Güdrun Elyndra Ilyas Ilyana
10 Grümlihn Hëlga Elowyn Jorvik Jessamine
11 Häldor Hilda Faelin Kazimir Kaelani
12 Härlok Ïngrid Feloria Lyre Lysandrya
13 Härgrim Örla Isora Maddox Maeryn
14 Krägg Rägna Lyrion Naelon Nalani
15 Örin Rüna Nyxara Othalar Ophelia
16 Rögär Sïgrid Selirion Percival Persephone
17 Thörik Sölveig Sylvanis Quillon Quinn
18 Thrähn Thöra Thalysia Ronan Rosalind
19 Törin Thyria Thandril Stellan Sylvya
20 Ülfar Yngräd Zephyria Thorian Thalassa

66
AMBITION: Randomly roll on this
oracle to give an NPC a goal.

Ambition (d20)

1 Ascend in a prestigious faction.

2 Avenge a loved one’s death.

3 Build a successful business.

4 Collect legendary artifacts.

5 Convince a friend to return

home.
6 Discover a hidden treasure. SPECIES: Roll to determine the
species of an NPC if unknown.
7 Establish a trading caravan.

8 Find a lost family heirloom. Species (d4)

9 Hunt a legendary creature.
10 Keep their community safe.
11 Learn truth behind a
mysterious prophecy.
12 Master a forbidden magic.
13 Overthrow a corrupt ruler.
1 Dwarf
2 Elf
3 Human
4 Other
ROLE: This oracle will help develop
the nature of an NPC’s background.

14 Reunite with a long-lost sibling. Role (d20)

1 Artisan 11 Healer
15 Seek redemption for a past
crime. 2 Assassin 12 Hunter
16 Solve a murder. 3 Bard 13 Leader
4 Courier 14 Merchant
17 Travel to learn ancient wisdom.
5 Criminal 15 Outcast
18 Venture into uncharted lands. 6 Diplomat 16 Scavenger
7 Explorer 17 Scholar
19 Win a prestigious tournament. 8 Farmer 18 Scout
9 Fugitive 19 Soldier
20 Yield peace between warring
factions. 10 Guard 20 Thief

67
 Faction Oracles
FACTION NAME: First roll on the template. Then roll on the following oracle
to to fill in the template.

Template (d4)
1 [Legacy] + [Affiliation] 3 [Legacy] + [Identity]
2 [Identity] of the [Legacy] + [Affiliation] of the [Legacy] +
4
[Affiliation] [Identity]

d20 Legacy Affiliation Identity

1 Ancient Alliance Blades
2 Awakened Circle Defenders
3 Blessed Coalition Disciples
4 Bloody Collective Embers
5 Broken Confederation Flames
6 Crimson Council Guardians
7 Cursed Court Harbingers
8 Enduring Covenant Heralds
9 Exalted Dominion Hounds
10 Fallen Federation Keepers
11 Golden Guild Knights
12 Hidden League Ravens
13 Sacred Legion Relics
14 Shattered Order Seekers
15 Silent Pact Sentinels
16 Supreme Regiment Shadows
17 Undying Republic Skulls
18 United Sphere Vanguards
19 Veiled Syndicate Wardens
20 Wandering Union Watchers

68
FOCUS: This oracle dictates the LEADERSHIP: Roll to determine the
faction’s type or specialty. dynamic of the faction’s leadership.

Focus (d20) Leadership (d6)

1 Apothecaries
2 Assassins
3 Bandits
1 Anarchistic
2 Dictatorship
3 Dynasty
4 Elders

4 Bounty Hunters 5 Elected

6 Prophesied
5 Cult

6 Exiles

7 Gangsters

8 Holy

9 Knights

10 Mercenaries

11 Monster Hunters

12 Nobles

13 Political Party

14 Raiders

15 Rebels

16 Scholars

17 Secret Society

18 Smugglers

19 Thieves

20 Tribe

69
 Civilization Oracles TROUBLE: This oracle can introduce
a difficulty to a city, village, or town.
SETTLEMENT NAME: Roll once
for a prefix and again for a suffix to
generate a name for a city, village, or Trouble (d20)
town.
1 Ancient evil awakes below.

d20 Prefix Suffix 2 Corrupt rulers.

1 Black -barrow 3 Cursed by strange obelisk.

2 Dragon -bridge
4 Dangerous creatures invade.
3 Elden -brook
5 Dark magic disrupts life.
4 Ember -cairn
6 Deadly disease spreading.
5 Frost -crag
7 Economy crashes, poverty
rises.
6 Golden -fall
8 Enemy army attacks.
7 Iron -field
9 Eternal night descends.
8 Mist -ford
10 Extremist beliefs cause
9 Moon -hall conflict.

10 Oak -haven 11 Factions fight for power.

12 Magical
11 Raven -hope barrier traps
residents.
12 Red -mount 13 Natural disaster devastates.
13 Shadow -ridge
14 No food due to failed crops.
14 Silver -river
15 People vanish without trace.
15 Stone -rock
16 Silence curse grips settlement.
16 Thorne -stone
17 Supernatural forces cause
17 Thunder –stead fear.

18 Vengeful outcast returns.

18 Willow -vale

19 Wind -watch 19 Vital resources running out.

20 Wood -wick 20 Water sources drying up.

70
SPECIES & POPULATION: Roll to determine the primary species and
population of a settlement.

d4 Species Population
1 Dwarf Dozens
2 Elf Hundreds
3 Human Thousands
4 Mixed Tens of Thousands

AUTHORITY: Randomly roll to

decide the intensity of law in a
discovered city, village, or town.

Authority (d6)
1 None
2 Ineffectual
3 Tolerant
4 Fair
5 Corrupt
6 Oppressive

71
 Dungeon Oracles
DUNGEON NAME: To generate a name for a location, first roll on the
template, then roll to fill in the brackets.

Template (d4)
1 The [Place] of the [Noun] 3 The [Descriptor] + [Place]
2 The [Place] of the [Descriptor] + 4 {Leader]’s [Descriptor] + [Place]*
[Noun]
*If the leader of the location is yet unknown, ignore that bracketed text.

d20 Place Descriptor Noun

1 Burrow Ancient Blood
2 Camp Black Bone
3 Castle Blighted Claws
4 Cave Bloody Cult
5 Cavern Cursed Dagger
6 Den Dark Dead
7 Fort Dead Dim
8 Hollow Doomed Eye
9 Keep Endless Exiled
10 Lair Forbidden Fear
11 Nest Forgotten Finger
12 Pit Forsaken Guard
13 Post Grim Hand
14 Reach Hidden Knave
15 Ruin High Prophet
16 Shrine Jagged Refuge
17 Spire Lost Skull
18 Stronghold Sacred Sorrow
19 Temple Wicked Sword
20 Tower Withered Wolf

72
CAVE TERRAIN: Roll d12 to generate a terrain tile for a rugged or cavernous
location.

1 2 3

4 5 6

7 8 9

10 11 12

73
 STRUCTURE TERRAIN: Roll d20 to generate a terrain tile for a man-made
structure.

1 2

3 4

5 6

7 8

9 10
74
11 12

13 14

15 16

17 18

19 20
Doors (2d4)
2-3 Barricaded from the other side
4-5 Open
6-7 Locked
8 Trapped (pg. 39)

75
 Reward Oracle
TREASURE: Roll on the following oracle to generate a reward.

Treasure (d12)

1 Enchanted Weapon: Use oracles to generate a magical weapon.

Artwork: Roll 1d6.

• 1-2: Small painting worth 50c.
2 • 3-4: Intricate sculpture (bulky) worth 100c.
• 5: Detailed tapestry worth 200c.
• 6: Masterpiece (bulky) worth 500c.

3 Potion of Healing: A magical elixir that restores all attributes to max.

4 Relic: Use oracles to generate a unique, rechargeable artifact.

Coin Purse: Roll 1d6.

• 1-2: Small purse with 25c.
5 • 3-4: Medium purse with 50c.
• 5: Lavish purse with 100c.
• 6: Ornate purse with 250c.

6 Scroll: A scroll for a random spell.

7 Gold Coins: Worth 2d6x10.

Gemstones: Roll 1d6.

• 1-2: Common gems worth 50c.
8 • 3-4: Uncommon gems worth 100c.
• 5: Rare gem worth 500c.
• 6: Flawless gem worth 1,000c

9 Spellbook: A random spellbook.

10 Magical Armor: Use oracles to generate an arcanic piece of armor.

Jewelry: Roll 1d6.

• 1-2: Simple silver piece worth 20c.
11 • 3-4: Ornate gold piece worth 50c.
• 5: Elaborate piece with a gem worth 200c.
• 6: Exquisite piece with multiple gems worth 500c.

Double Reward: Roll twice on this oracle. Ignore this result if it is

12 achieved again.

76
Barael’s Blade
d10 (+d4 vs. demons)

Behold!
The bastard’s blade...
Bane of the demon lord
Slayer of the spider-priests
Spiller of the silver blood

77
 Name:
Species:
Background:
Trinket:
Coin:

STR Features HP

MAX
MAX

DEX AR
Traits
MAX

INT DEPRIVED
MAX

Mark box
to equip
Inventory MAX:

1 11
2 12
3 13
4 14
5 15
6 16
7 17
8 18
9 19
10 20
 Rules Summary
Attributes
• Strength (STR): power/resilience
• Dexterity (DEX): agility/speed
• Intellect (INT): wisdom/charisma
Checks
Roll d20 for an appropriate attribute.
If you roll equal to or under, you
succeed. Otherwise, you fail. 1 is
always a success. 20 is always a
failure.
Hit Protection
HP reflects your character’s ability to
avoid damage in combat. It does not
indicate your character’s health or
fortitude, nor do you lose it for very
long. If an attack takes a character’s
HP exactly to 0, the character receives
a Mark.
Armor Rating
Each piece of armor equipped has a
value that contributes to your
character’s total AR. When added
together, any fractions of a point are
disregarded (e.g. a 2.25 equals an AR
of 2). Before calculating damage to
HP, subtract the target’s AR from the
result of damage rolls. No one can
have more than a 3 AR.
Healing & Rest
• Short Rest: Takes 1 round. A
minute or two of rest will heal d4+1
HP, but will leave your character
exposed.
• Long Rest: Takes 1 watch. A meal
and some sleep will restore all HP.
If HP was already full, restore d6 to
an attribute score.
• Full Rest: Takes 1 week. This fully
restores your character’s attributes
and alleviates any long term
conditions.
Deprivation & Fatigue
A PC deprived of a crucial need is
unable to recover HP or attributes. If
you are deprived for more than a day
you add a “Fatigue” to your
inventory. Each Fatigue lasts until
you are able to take a long rest.
Inventory
Your PC has one half their max STR
+10 inventory slots. Most items take
up one slot, while bulky items
occupy two. Tiny items can be
combined three to a slot. Anyone
carrying items that fill their
inventory to capacity are
encumbered. When encumbered,
characters cannot run, and make
checks with disadvantage.
Combat
Players take their turn before enemy
NPCs. If there is a risk for the PCs to
be surprised, each Player must make
a DEX check or skip their first turn.
On your turn, you may take one
major action and one minor action.
If attacking, roll your weapon die
and subtract the target’s AR, then
deals the remaining total to the
opponent’s HP. Unarmed attacks
always do d4 damage. Ranged
weapons cannot be used within
melee range.
If multiple attackers target the same
foe, roll all damage dice and keep the
single highest result.
Retreating from a dire situation
always requires a successful DEX
check, as well as a safe destination to
run to.