PLAYER REFERENCE

CHARACTER CREATION
• Determine the reason why you’re in Ker Nethalas - Page 14

Determine your Attributes (page 16)

• Health: D6+8
• Toughness: 2D6+10. Recover D4 after every �ight.
• Aether: D6+8. All Aether recovers after entering a new room.
• Sanity: D6+8
• Magic Resistance: 20
• Exhaustion: 0 / Exhaustion Resistance: 0

Character Skills (page 14)

• Distribute the following skill point allotments:
• +60 to one weapon skill.
• +40 to one weapon skill.
• +30 to three skills.
• +20 to three skills.
• +10 to four skills.
• Skills can’t go over 80 naturally, only via gear.
• You cannot assign two different skill allotments to the same skill.

Masteries (page 19)

• Pick 2 starting Masteries. You immediately gain their passive bene�its. If
you want some �lavor, roll on their respective tables to �ind out where
you learned them.
• Ability Points are spent unlocking Mastery Abilities.
• New characters start the game with 2 Ability Points. You must spend
each one of them on a different Mastery.
• A new character should then start the game with 2 passive bene�its (the
ones granted when �irst picking a Mastery), and the Tier 1 Ability of each
of the two chosen Masteries.

Character Progression (page 60)

• Skill improvement: Each time you roll doubles when making a skill check
you can mark that skill for improvement, regardless of whether the
check itself was a success or not. An improvement check can then be
done while resting at your camp (and only at camp). In order to pass a
Skill Improvement check, you must roll D100 above the skill’s score. A
success increases the skill by D4, while rolling below increases it by 1, up
to a maximum of 80.
• Leveling up:
• In order to level up, you must accrue a total of 1,000 XP. Once you
level up, your total XP goes back to 0.
• You gain XP each time you do one of the following things:
• Open a locked door or container, regardless of the method: +10 XP
• Successfully dismantle a trap: + 10 XP
• Each time you enter into a new Domain of Ker Nethalas: +50 XP

2 Ker Nethalas
 • Each time you defeat a combat encounter: +50 XP
• Each time you defeat an Overseer: +200 XP
• Each time you accrue enough XP to level up, you can choose one of the
following bene�its:
• Increase your Health by D4.
• Increase your Toughness by D6.
• Increase your Sanity by D4.
• Increase your Aether by D6.
• Increase your Exhaustion Resistance by 1.
• Increase damage dealt by +D4 (Psychic).
• Increase a skill of your choosing by 5.
• Increase your Magic Resistance by 10.
• Each time you level up you also earn 1 Ability Point, which you can spend
on any of the Abilities that are available from your Mastery trees.
• You must start at the top of each Mastery tree, and work your way down.
• If you have an amulet equipped that grants you access to a third Mastery
and you have acquired Abilities from its Mastery tree, when swapping to
a different amulet that grants you access to a different Mastery, the
number of Abilities you have remains the same.
• Swapping an amulet that grants a different Mastery can only be done at
camp.
• Perks (page 61) are unique advantages obtained almost exclusively via
Personal Goals. They are unlocked and grant new permanent bene�its.

RULES
Basic Checks (page 63)
• When asked to perform a check we take a D100 and attempt to roll equal
to or less than the skill in question.
• Some actions may be easier or more dif�icult, depending on the speci�ic
circumstances of the situation.
• On those occasions (always speci�ied by the rules and/or circumstances)
a dif�iculty modi�ier is applied to the check you wish to perform.
• As it’s the case with all modi�iers, these are applied to the attribute or
skill in question before the roll is made.

Opposed Checks (page 64)

• Both sides make a skill check
• Whichever side rolls higher than the other, without going over their own
skill, wins the opposed check.
• If there's a tie of any kind the character with the highest relevant skill
score is considered the victor.

Rules Reference 3
 Critical Successes & Fumbles (page 64)
• When performing any check, if you roll doubles (that is, the same
number in both the tens and the ones) the result of your actions is
exacerbated.
• If you roll doubles above the skill you’re testing, you have failed in the
most spectacular of ways. This is called a fumble.
• On the other hand, rolling doubles below your skill score is considered a
critical success, and the best of outcomes is to be expected.
• There are combat-speci�ic consequences to both critical successes and
fumbles.

Advantage & Disadvantage (page 64)

• Certain Abilities or circumstances will grant you either Advantage or
Disadvantage on a check.
• If you have Advantage you roll D100 and read it with the greater number
as the 10s and the lesser number as the 1s.
• The opposite is true for when you have Disadvantage, but only if it would
hamper you.

Mastery Ability Checks & Use (page 64)

• Only those Abilities that speci�ically call for a combat check require any
sort of check at all.
• The vast majority of spell-like Abilities (those that have an Aether cost)
do not require a check from your part at all.
• Opponents will still try to resist spells via a Magic Resistance check
(unless the Ability used speci�ically states otherwise).
• To use a Mastery Ability, simply subtract its Aether cost from your
Aether pool.
• Some Mastery Abilities have a sustained Aether cost. You must subtract
the Ability’s Aether cost from your Aether pool permanently, or at least
until the Ability stops working.

Usage Die (page 64)

• Each Usage Die procedure is assigned a speci�ic die size, usually
represented by a standard dice notation (e.g., D4, D6, D8, etc.).
• The larger the die size, the longer it will take before it's fully depleted.

D20→D12→D10→D8→D6→D4

• When the circumstances call for it, you must roll the speci�ied usage die.
• The result of the roll determines the procedure's new state:
• If the roll is a 1 or 2, the usage die decreases by one size (e.g., from
D8 to D6), going down the dice chain one step. If it’s any other
number, nothing changes.
• If the roll is a 1 or 2 on the D4 (the smallest possible die in the dice
chain), then the procedure triggers and something takes place: an
Event roll is made, you’ve run out of charges on a speci�ic item, etc.

4 Ker Nethalas
COMBAT
• It is assumed that both opponents are moving around the room,
leveraging their positional advantages and preferences as you can.
• Concepts such as “range” or “cover” don’t really play a role in Ker
Nethalas.
• Combat will alternate between you and your opponent(s) taking turns
until only one is left.

The Attack Roll (page 65)

• Performing an attack works the same as any other skill check: roll D100
and compare the result to the relevant combat skill, and if it’s equal to or
less than the skill’s score, the attack is successful.

Turns & Rounds (page 65)

• A turn is a single combatant’s chance to act.
• A round is the sum of all combatants’ turns (both Player and Non-Player
Characters).
• When all combatants have taken one turn, that round ends and another
begins.
• A combat round lasts an average of 10 seconds.

Action Types (page 65)

• Characters can make three different types of actions in combat:
• Free Actions cost nothing to use, and are typically small, almost
inconsequential acts. Speaking a few words, dropping an item,
dropping prone, casting a free Ability or ceasing the concentration
on a sustained Ability are all examples of Free Actions. You can only
make a single Free Action per round.
• Reactions are free actions that a character can make as a response
to another character’s action, and as such they usually require a
trigger. A character can use as many Reactions in a round as they
need, but each Reaction after the �irst one suffers a cumulative -20
to all consecutive Reactions they make, until the start of the next
round. Defending from an opponent’s attack is the most typical
Reaction, but many Abilities are considered Reactions as well.
• Standard Actions are at the core of an action round. They are self-
contained and the results are seen in the same turn.

Initiative & Surprise (Page 66)

• Initiative is determined by pitching your Perception versus your target’s
Awareness in an opposed check. Whoever wins gets to act �irst until
combat is over.
• If either side rolls a critical failure, their opponent(s) attack as if they had
surprised them.
• If you haven’t been surprised, you can attempt to surprise your
opponent before combat starts. This is done by comparing your Stealth
against your opponent’s Awareness in an opposed check. In case there

Rules Reference 5
 are several opponents with different Awareness scores, simply use the
highest among them.
• The same goes for your side, but reversed: if you are playing with
multiple PCs only use the lowest Stealth score among them. In case you
are a single player accompanied by followers of any sort, your Stealth
skill is reduced by 10 for each follower.
• If you win the check, the initiative is yours and you get to make your �irst
attack with +20.
• If you fail, a proper initiative check must be made to determine who goes
�irst, but your Perception skill receives a -10 modi�ier.

Possible Combat Actions (page 66)

• Standard attack: Perform an attack with your weapon to a target in the
same room. This is a Standard Action.
• Abilities: You use one of your Mastery Abilities. Not all Abilities are
considered Standard Actions though, read each of their descriptions to
learn more.
• Flee: In order to retreat to the previous room while engaged in combat
you must make a successful Dodge check. If you fail it means that your
opponent is blocking you and you cannot leave combat. This is a
Standard Action.
• Other: You can use any item you have on your person, interact with
something, assist an ally, or swap weapons. These are all Standard
Actions, unless you’re using an item from your belt, in which case it’s a
Free Action.

Combat Sequence (page 67)

• The attacking character makes a standard skill check: roll D100 and
compare the result to the combat skill they’re using.
• The attacking character has the advantage and as such receives +10 to
their attack skill.
• Simultaneously, the defender also makes a combat skill check. If it’s a
player, it will be the skill relevant to their currently equipped weapon or
their Dodge skill; if it’s an NPC, they must use their Combat Skill. Any
type of Parry bonuses the defending character might have (such as those
granted by a shield) apply to this roll.
• We then compare both results. If the attacker rolled highest, while still
rolling below their skill score, they score a hit. If, on the other hand, it’s
the defender who rolled highest while still rolling below their skill,
they get to roll on the Defensive Move table. If one side fails the attack
roll but their opponent doesn’t then the successful side manages to
attack or defend, depending on whose turn it was.
• Consecutive defensive rolls in the same round, either with the
appropriate attack skill or the Dodge skill, reduces the skill by -20 after
the �irst one, as it’s usual for Reactions. This resets at the start of a new
round.
• A critical strike automatically wins the confrontation, regardless of the
opponent’s roll. A critical fumble automatically loses the confrontation,
regardless of the opponent’s roll.

6 Ker Nethalas
• Most enemy attacks can be defended against with the standard weapon
check described above, but some can only be avoided with the Dodge
skill, such as certain Overseer attacks. If this is the case, it will always
explicitly say so on the creature’s description.
• Enemies can either attack physically, in which case the combat is
resolved as described above, or magically, in which case the player must
pass a Magic Resistance check or suffer the spell’s effects. As it’s the case
with a PC’s magic Abilities, opponents do not need to make a skill check
of any sort, the Ability just manifests. Each one of a monster’s abilities is
always tagged as Physical or Magical. When it’s the opponent’s turn, you
must �irst roll on their Action table to see if their attack is a physical or
magical one, and then resolve it accordingly.

Weapon Speed (page 68)

• Every weapon has a Speed value.
• A weapon’s Speed is added to all your combat skill checks.

Hit Location & Damage (Page 68)

• Once the attacker scores a hit, they must roll on the appropriate Hit
Location table, depending on the target’s anatomy.
• Every creature has a Weak Spot, marked by the symbol next to the
body part in question.
• Striking a creature’s Weak Spot is considered an automatic critical hit.
• As a human, your Weak Spot is located in your head.
• You can choose to target a speci�ic body part by applying a -30 modi�ier
to the attack roll. This has two potential uses: either targeting the
creature’s Weak Spot to ensure a critical hit, or disabling a limb (leg, arm,
wing), which reduces the target’s attack skill by 10 until end of combat.
• A disabling attack deals no damage, and must always be declared before
rolling: accidentally striking a limb while not targeting it deliberately
doesn’t disable it.

Dealing Damage (page 70)

• If an attack manages to hit, the attacker rolls damage and compares the
result of each die to the damage table.
• The Damage Dealt column shows the amount of Health/Toughness that
must be subtracted from the creature suffering the damage –unless
they’re wearing some sort of armor.
• Any Ability, spell or item that increases damage by a certain amount,
increases the damage die roll, not the amount of damage that the target
receives directly.
• After rolling, any damage modi�iers are applied to the lowest die roll, but
only to a single die.
• All non-magical weapons deal D6 damage.
• Any type of damage, be it a physical attack, a spell, or a trap, must be
rolled on the Damage Dealt table.

Rules Reference 7
 Damage Type (page 70)
• Some characters, creatures, or items may be more susceptible to one
type of damage, or immune to another.
• These are the types of damage that exist: Acid, Air, Arcane, Bludgeoning
(Ignores 1 Armor), Cold, Earth, Fire, Holy, Infernal, Necrotic, Piercing
(deals +1 damage when the character performing the attack acts before
their target), Poison, Psychic, Slashing (+1 damage when striking a body
part with no armor), Water.
• All creatures can either be Vulnerable (damage received is doubled),
Resistant (damage received is halved), Immune (damage received is fully
ignored) or Restored (recover an amount of Wounds equal to damage
received) by a certain damage type.
• When a creature is Vulnerable or Resistant, only direct damage is taken
into account, after armor has been applied.
• Your character can also have some sort of damage reduction to certain
types of damage. When this is the case, reduce the incoming damage
after armor has been taken into account.
• Any damage that persists after combat (such as Bleeding, Burning or
Poison damage) deals 1 direct damage (no rolling on the Damage Dealt
table) per room.

Armor (page 71)

• The amount of armor shown determines how much incoming damage is
absorbed, unaffecting the creature or player.
• Armor value is deducted only after all the damage rolls have been tallied
up, instead of applying to each die roll individually.
• Armor is only taken into account while in combat, damage from traps or
other external factors is not absorbed by armor.
• All armor has an Integrity value, represented by a die. After a �ight where
the armor worn by a character has seen any use, the Integrity die must
be rolled. A roll of 1-2 means that the die goes down the dice chain one
stage. A result of 1-2 in the last stage (D4) means the armor is beyond
repair and must be discarded.

D12→D10→D8→D6→D4

• Repairing armor increases its integrity by one die type in the dice chain.
• No armor can ever go higher than its initial Integrity.
• Not all armor have the same maximum Integrity, check each of their
descriptions to learn more.

Combat Critical Hits & Fumbles (page 72)

• When a character rolls doubles below their combat skill it’s considered
a critical hit, or critical strike.
• This can only be defended against if the defender rolls another critical
hit.
• If the defensive roll is not a critical hit the attacker wins, regardless of
anything else.
• Combat critical hits have their damage doubled. This means that if you

8 Ker Nethalas
 would usually roll D6 for your damage, when you obtain a critical hit you
must roll 2D6 instead. Any modi�iers to your roll are also doubled.
• Rolling doubles above your combat skill is called a fumble. Roll on the
Fumbles table to see what happens.

Other Important Details

• Dual wielding: A character can dual wield two one-handed weapons to
gain a free parry Reaction per round and deal +2 damage, but their
attack skill is reduced by -30.
• Shields add a modi�ier to any defensive checks done by the character
wielding it.
• An unarmed character deals D4 damage.
• Characters or creatures attacking a Prone target have +30 to their attack
skill.
• Attacking an unconscious or sleeping target requires no skill check.
• When you are about to receive a critical strike, you can choose to
sacri�ice either your weapon or shield to negate it, turning it into a
regular strike. The weapon or shield in question are broken and cannot
be used again until repaired.

HEALING & DEATH

• Unless speci�ically said otherwise, all incoming damage is dealt �irst to
your character’s Toughness.
• All characters recover D4 Toughness immediately after a �ight is over,
and recover it fully after resting at camp.
• Health is only recovered via magic, potions, and proper resting (Taking a
Breather or Setting Camp).
• Most of the time, a healing effect will heal either Toughness (such as
when you use bandages) or Health directly (like when you rest at camp).
If an effect says it heals “wounds” instead, it means it will �irst recover
Health, and once that’s maxed out, continue with Toughness.
• When your character’s Health is dropped to 0, they die.

Optional Rule: Forgiving Death (page 74)

• In case you think that having to start all over with a new character is too
harsh of a penalty, you can instead do the following:
• Immediately recover 2D10 Sanity and Health.
• If you died at the hands of your enemies, they’ve moved on and lost
interest, taking you for dead.
• You lose 3 Mastery Abilities of your choosing, but you cannot end up
with less than 1 Ability per Mastery this way.

Rules Reference 9
 CONDITIONS
• Any damage that persists after combat (such as Bleeding, Burning or
Poison damage) deals 1 direct damage (no rolling on the Damage Dealt
table) per room.
• Bleeding (X): A Bleeding character receives an amount of damage
determined by the effect’s intensity until the condition is removed. This
is a cumulative condition, so while initially it will seem harmless (you
must treat the damage received as a damage roll, so if the Bleeding
damage is 3 that means the victim suffers 1 damage, per the Damage
Dealt table), it can slowly become a real threat.
• Blinded: A Blinded character has -40 to all checks.
• Burning: A Burning character receives D8 Fire damage until the
condition is removed. In order to remove the condition, the character
must spend 1 Standard Action (while in combat), or increase their
Exhaustion by 2 (while out of combat).
• Charmed: A Charmed creature cannot attack the charmer or use
harmful abilities on the charmer.
• Concealed: Attacking a Concealed target requires a successful
Perception/Awareness check.
• Cursed: A Cursed character is plagued by an effect detailed on the
curse’s description until the curse is removed somehow. This is a
cumulative condition (if applicable).
• Dazed: A Dazed character cannot initiate attacks.
• Entangled: The af�licted is wrapped in something that restricts their
movement. They are incapable of moving, and any actions that imply
movement suffer a -20 penalty. In their turn, the Entangled character can
attempt an Athletics check in order to remove this condition. This is a
Free Action, but the character can choose to spend a Standard Action
instead to receive a +20 to their Athletics check.
• Frightened: When the cause of a character's fear is within the same
room, the Frightened character receives -20 to all checks. The frightened
character is unable to approach the cause of their fear. At the start of
each of their turns, a character affected by Fear can attempt to pass a
Resolve check to be able to act normally.
• Freezing: The af�licted has -10 to all skills and acts last during combat.
They must pass an Endurance check after the �irst round to recover. If
failed, re-attempt each round until success (this does not count as an
action). Humanoids will worsen every 10 rounds, �irst falling into
hypothermia (-50 to all actions), then death.
• Paralyzed: A Paralyzed creature is incapacitated and can’t move or
speak. Attack rolls against the creature hit automatically.
• Poisoned (X): A Poisoned character receives a speci�ied amount of
damage every round until the condition is removed or resisted. It is
assumed that the poison takes hold when �irst used, but as a Free Action
a Poisoned character can attempt to resist its effects during their turn by
passing an Endurance check. This is a cumulative condition, so while
initially it will seem harmless (you must treat the damage received as a

10 Ker Nethalas
 damage roll, so if the Poison damage is 3 that means the victim suffers 1
damage, per the Damage Dealt table), it can slowly become a real threat.
• Prone: A Prone character must spend 1 Standard Action getting back up.
Attacks against a Prone character receive +30.
• Sleeping: The creature immediately falls prone, and any attack that hits
the creature is a critical hit.
• Stunned: A Stunned character loses their turn.

EXHAUSTION
• The effects of excessive Exhaustion points are cumulative, and can be
seen on the Exhaustion table.
• Several actions and circumstances make your character accrue
Exhaustion, the most common ones being camp activities, events, and
creatures.
• Your character can delay the effects of Exhaustion with enough
Exhaustion Resistance.
• A character’s Exhaustion Resistance score is subtracted from their
current Exhaustion total; the �inal result is then compared to the
Exhaustion table to determine the consequences.
• The following actions reduces a character’s Exhaustion:
• Consuming a Ration (-1 Exhaustion). This can be done at any
moment (except during combat).
• Take a breather (-2 Exhaustion).
• Rest (-10 Exhaustion).
• A desperate character can decide to eat raw cooking ingredients (-1
Exhaustion per 1xCooking Ingredients), but they must pass an
Endurance check or suffer 1 Health damage.

SANITY
• Your character’s ability to withstand the fearsome creatures and
circumstances that assails them while exploring Ker Nethalas is
measured by their Sanity score.
• When a character reaches 0 Sanity they must roll on the Madness table.
• Whenever confronted with a situation that would force your character to
lose Sanity, you must make a Resolve check.
• A success means that they’ve managed to hold on to their wits, for now.
A failure means that they lose whatever amount of Sanity is speci�ied by
the circumstances.

Rules Reference 11
 • The most common source of Sanity loss is opponents with the
Frightening or Horrifying Traits:
• A Frightening creature requires a successful Resolve check at the
start of each of your turns, for as long as the creature remains alive
or in your same room. Failure causes the loss of 1 Sanity.
• A Horrifying creature requires a successful Resolve check at the
start of each of your turns, for as long as the creature remains alive
or in your same room. Failure causes the loss of 2 Sanity.
• When faced against several different opponents that cause the loss of
Sanity, only roll once per round, instead of once per opponent. If you
fail the Resolve check, lose the highest amount of Sanity possible. This
means that if you’re facing 3 Frightening monsters and 1 Horrifying
monster, if you fail the Resolve check you would lose 2 Sanity (the
highest threat to your Sanity coming from the Horrifying monster).
• Sanity can be recovered by the following:
• Resting at camp (+D4 Sanity).
• Defeating an Overseer (+D4 Sanity).
• Certain spells.
• Certain gameplay events.
• Suffering a Madness episode, which recovers all your lost Sanity.

COMPANIONS & MINIONS

• You can only have a maximum of 3 Companions at a time.
• If you gain a new companion when you already have 3 companions, you
have to dismiss one of them to keep the number at 3.
• Companions attack and defend in combat the same way any other
character does.
• Companions heal all their Health once a room has been cleared.
• Companions are not affected by the Sanity rules.
• Companions act in your turn, in the order you wish them to.
• When an enemy ability or combat action asks for a Dodge, Athletics or
Acrobatics check, use the minion’s Endurance skill.

PLAYING CO-OP
• Double the amount of enemies you encounter (except for Overseers).
• Each player gets a loot roll.
• Each player earns the same amount of XP from defeating opponents, but
tracks other XP gains independently (i.e. only a single character can
bene�it from dismantling a trap, etc.).
• Enemies have their Health doubled and gain 1 extra activation per PC.

12 Ker Nethalas
• Each room may only be scavenged or searched successfully once,
regardless of who does it. Only one attempt per Room is permitted,
regardless of how many PCs there are.
• Traps or any negative events will only affect one of you, determined
randomly.
• You may share gear or any kind of equipment freely, but doing so during
combat takes a Standard Action.
• You may each have a maximum of 2 Companions at a time.

EXPLORATION
• Ker Nethalas is structured in Domains.
• A Domain is a group of rooms and corridors that are ruled by an
Overseer.

Lightsource (page 84)

• You must have a free hand to hold a torch or lamp. Spells, belt lamps, and
other items are the only way of getting around this.
• A regular torch or lamp will remain lit for 20 rooms. Use the lightsource
tracker on your character sheet to keep track of this.
• If you lack a source of light, your character will be Blinded. They must
also pass a Resolve check every time they enter a new room, or lose 1
Sanity.

Mapping Domains (page 84)

• Roll on the Room & Corridor Shape table to learn how the room or
corridor you’re entering looks like. This is done by rolling D100: a result
of 1-25 means you’ve encountered a corridor, whereas a 26-100 roll is
always a room. If you’re drawing the Domain’s map (as you should), feel
free to rotate this new room or corridor and align it as you see �it, always
making sure to match an entry to the door your character is currently
crossing.
• Roll on the Room or Corridor Description tables (optional).
• If this is the �irst room or corridor of a new Domain, the �irst thing you
must do is to determine who the Overseer is, and which modi�ier it
applies to all creatures in the Domain.
• If you defeat the Domain’s Overseer, all opponents within it lose their
empowerments.
• Each time you place a new room, you must make a Lair Check, in order
to �ind where this Domain’s Overseer is. This is done via the Usage Die
rules, with the starting die being D12. Once you reach the last stage (a
roll of 1-2 on the D4) it means you’ve found the Domain’s Overseer.
• Once the Overseer’s lair has been located, the Lair check is no longer
necessary.

Rules Reference 13
 • Instead, you will be making Domain Exit checks each time you enter a
new room or corridor. This is done via the Usage Die rules, with the
starting die being D8.
• Once you reach the last stage it means you’ve found the Domain’s exit
point.
• A Domain Exit behaves as any other normal room or corridor would, so
make all the usual checks (Tension Die, Encounter, etc.).
• You are free to move between the different Domains of the Necropolis
you’ve discovered as you want.
• Once you’ve determined whether this is a regular room or corridor, or
the Domain’s exit, make a Tension Die check (page 106).
• Next, you must see if there’s a combat encounter in this room or corridor.
Roll D20:
• Room: Encounter with a roll of 10+
• Corridor: Encounter with a roll of 15+.
• If the room is the Overseer’s Lair, you must not check for combat
encounters.
• If there’s no combat encounter, roll on the Events table.

Retracing Your Steps (page 86)

• Passing through already cleared rooms and corridors is allowed.
• You must still roll the Tension die each time you enter a room or corridor.
• The lightsource will be spent as usual.
• You do not need to check for combat encounters nor roll on the Events
table.

Scavenging (page 103)

• Each time you enter a room, you can make a Scavenge check.
• Only a single Scavenge check is allowed per room.

Doors & Containers (page 104)

• Determine if the door or container is locked by rolling D20:
• Door: A result of 12+ means that it’s locked.
• Container: A result of 10+ means that it’s locked.
• Determine the lock’s dif�iculty by rolling on the Random Dif�iculty table
on page 63. This modi�ies the character’s Thievery skill on any attempts
at opening it. This requires a lockpick.
• After you have decided to open the lock (whether it’s locked or not), you
must see if it is trapped by rolling D10. A result of 7 or higher means that
it’s indeed trapped.
• If the lock is trapped, you must perform a Perception check to see if you
detect it in time.
• If you pass the check you may attempt to dismantle the trap with a
Thievery check (and a set of Thieves’ Tools), but failing it triggers the
trap.
• If you do not detect the trap, it means you triggered it when attempting
to open it. Roll on the Traps table (page 105).
• If a door or container is locked and you can’t pick the lock, you can
always break it down.

14 Ker Nethalas
• In order to successfully break the door or container down, you must pass
an Athletics check. Whether you succeed or not, this makes a lot of noise,
triggering a Tension Die check.
• Each successive attempt at breaking down a door increases your
chances of doing so by 20.

Traps (page 104)

• Perform a Perception check. This is modi�ied by how well hidden the
trap is, which must be randomized by rolling on the Random dif�iculty
table. A failure means you’ve triggered the trap.
• If you spot the trap before triggering it, you can try to disarm it. This
requires a set of Thieves’ Tools, and a successful Thievery check. Again,
roll on the Random Dif�iculty table to learn how well set the trap is.
Failing this check triggers the trap.
• If you want to simply avoid the trap and let it be, you can perform the
skill check associated with the trap in question, as shown on the Traps
table.
• If you do this, you can only exit the room, and cannot search it.
• Each time you enter this room you must make the same skill check to
avoid triggering the trap, but it becomes an Easy (+10) task.

The Tension Die (page 106)

• When you make a Tension Die check (something that is clearly de�ined
by the current circumstances your character is in), you must roll the die
value currently assigned to it. On a roll of 1-2, the Tension die drops
down in value, as explained on the Usage Die rules on page 64.

D8→D6→D4

• The Tension Die always starts at D8, and resets back to D8 after rolling
1-2 on the D4, which triggers a roll on the Growing Darkness table.
• Growing Darkness events only affect a single Domain, but remain in play
for that Domain, so keep that in mind if you return at a later date.
• Once you enter a new Domain for the �irst time, reset the Tension Die
back to D8.
• The following circumstances will trigger a Tension Die check:
• Moving from one room (or corridor) to the next one.
• Making noise.
• Speci�ic circumstances, triggered by certain events or creatures.

Resting & Setting Camp (page 109)

• Taking a Breather allows you to recover D10 Toughness, 1 Health, and
reduce your Exhaustion by 2. It reduces your lightsource by 5, and the
Tension Die by one stage.
• Camp Check: Roll D20, a result of 10+ means that everything’s �ine, and
you’ve rested safely. A failure triggers a roll on the Encounter table (page
119), and reduces all the bene�its of camping by half (rounding down).
• A Camp check is only done once, after you’ve done setting camp and
completing all the activities you wanted to get done while at camp.

Rules Reference 15
 • Setting camp consumes 1xRation. Not having rations reduces all the
bene�its of camping by half (rounding down).
• Camp Activities:
• Attune: Spend 1x Attunement Crystal to learn a magic item’s
properties. +1 Exhaustion for each magic item you attune to.
• Barricade: For each 1xCrafting Supplies spent reinforcing the place
you gain 1 Exhaustion, but you can add 5 to the Camp Check roll.
• Cooking: For each 1xCooking Ingredients you spend you gain
1xRations. Crafting any amount of Rations causes you to gain 1
Exhaustion, and reduces the Camp Check roll by 1.
• Craft Bandages: You can turn 1xCrafting Supplies into 1xBandages.
Crafting any amount of Bandages causes you to gain 1 Exhaustion,
and reduces the Camp Check roll by 1.
• Craft Lamp Oil: You can turn 2xCrafting Supplies into 1xLamp Oil.
Crafting any amount of Lamp Oil causes you to gain 1 Exhaustion,
and reduces the Camp Check roll by 2.
• Craft Ritual Ingredients (Ritualist only): You can turn 5xCrafting
Supplies into 1xRitual Ingredients. Crafting any amount of Ritual
Ingredients causes you to gain 1 Exhaustion, and reduces the Camp
Check roll by 2.
• Craft Torches: You can turn 1xCrafting Supplies into 1xTorches.
Crafting any amount of Torches causes you to gain 1 Exhaustion, and
reduces the Camp Check roll by 2.
• Repair: You spend 2xCrafting Supplies to repair a single piece of
gear. Regardless of how many pieces of gear you repair, your
Exhaustion is increased by 2, and you must reduce your Camp Check
by 2.
• Rest: You choose to do nothing but rest. You cannot undertake any
other camp activity, but you lose 5 Exhaustion, heal +1 Health, and
increase the Camp Check by 2.
• Swap Mastery Amulets: If you possess two or more amulets that
grant you access to different Masteries, you can swap them while at
camp. This has no cost, and takes just a moment while you adjust to
the new Abilities.
• Bene�its:
• Regain all Toughness lost.
• Regain 1 Health.
• Regain D4 Sanity.
• Reduce Exhaustion by 10.

Potions (page 111)

• When you �ind a potion you must make a Medicine check to learn its
effects.
• If you fail, your only chance is to try the potion and see what happens.
• You must only determine the type of potion after you’ve succeeded at a
Medicine check or have drunk it.
• For a full list of potions and their effects, go to page 203.

16 Ker Nethalas
Personal Goals (page 112)
• Only two Personal Goals can be pursued at a time, and once chosen, they
cannot be changed.
• As soon as you complete one, though, you are free to choose another one
from the list of available ones.
• After completing a Personal Goal, your character will receive a
corresponding reward that generally has a lasting effect.

COMBAT ENCOUNTERS
• All opponents are classi�ied by their type: Animal, Astral, Plant, Demon,
Elemental, Undead, Humanoid, Construct.
• While most have a single type, some of them can have a combination of
two, such as “Elemental Construct”, or “Undead Plant”.
• When an opponent is faced with the decision of who to attack, due to the
fact that you’re accompanied by friends or minions, try to evenly
distribute the number of opponents among your party members.
Randomize it in case of doubt.

Combat Encounter Dif�iculty (page 117)

• Each enemy stat block has an entry called “Level Adaptation”.
• When you prepare to face a combat encounter, you must apply all the
changes listed there in order to scale the creature to your current level.
• All the adjustments to a creature’s stat block are cumulative.

Creature Stat Block (page 118)

• Athletics: This is used when your Abilities require an opposed check
against your target’s physical prowess.
• Awareness: All creatures in Ker Nethalas have some way of seeing and
detecting dangers around them. Awareness is mostly used to determine
who starts �irst in combat.
• Combat Skill: This is the number you must use when the creature
attacks or defends.
• Endurance: This de�ines a creature’s ability to resist the outcome of
substances and effects that imply a direct attack to their constitution.
• Health: The amount of damage a creature can take before dying or being
destroyed.
• Hit Location: This shows which one of the Hit Location tables shown on
page XXX you must use when attacking this creature. It also marks the
creature’s Weak Spot with the “ ” icon.
• Level Adaptation: This section lists the changes you must make to the
creature’s stat block in order to adapt it to your current level.
• Magic Resistance: When you attack a creature with a magic Ability they
can usually attempt to resist it by passing a Magic Resistance check.
• Number: Some opponents will come in groups. When this is the case,
track each one of their Health, attacks and other details separately.

Rules Reference 17
 • Spoils: This lets you know which table you must roll on in order to �ind
out if the creature had anything of value. Some creatures will directly tell
you what you gain after looting them, instead of directing you towards
one of the Spoils tables.
• Trait: Some creatures possess unique traits that can aid them during
combat.
• Type: An opponent’s type de�ines what category or family of creatures
they belong to.

Creature Traits (page 119)

• Alert: This creature cannot be surprised in any way.
• Frightening: A Frightening creature requires a successful Resolve check
at the start of each of your turns, for as long as the creature remains alive
or in your same room. Failure causes the loss of 1 Sanity. Only one check
per round is necessary, regardless of how many Frightening creatures
there are in the room.
• Horrifying: A Horrifying creature requires a successful Resolve check at
the start of each of your turns, for as long as the creature remains alive
or in your same room. Failure causes the loss of 2 Sanity. Only one check
per round is necessary, regardless of how many Horrifying creatures
there are in the room.
• Pack: The creature receives +5 Combat Skill for each other Pack creature
still alive in the room.
• Penetrating (X): This creature’s attacks ignore an amount of armor
points equal to the X value.
• Ruthlessness (X): This is an Overseer-only Trait that grants them a
number of additional Standard Actions per round equal to the X value.
• Savage: This is an Overseer-only Trait. Characters cannot parry (i.e. use
their weapon skill) the Overseer’s attacks, they can only use their Dodge
skill to avoid them.
• Swift: The creature ignores all Reaction negative modi�iers.
• Undead: A creature with this trait is Immune to Charm, Poison and
Disease, Restored by Necrotic Damage, and Vulnerable to Holy damage.
• Venomous: When damaged by this creature you must pass an
Endurance check or receive the Poisoned (1) condition.

SPOILS & LOOT

• Regardless of the type of coinage, all coins found in Ker Nethalas, as well
as the prices of items listed in chapter 6, are shown as Coins (₵).
Encumbrance & Character Equipment (page 188)
• Your character can equip a maximum of 10 items on their body (9 if
equipped with a two-handed weapon), which include:
• 1 Main-hand item
• 1 Off-hand item

18 Ker Nethalas
 • 1 Belt
• 1 Helmet/Head Piece
• 1 Armor (either full suit or piecemeal)
• 1 pair of gloves
• 1 pair of boots
• 1 Amulet
• 2 Rings

• In order to keep track of what they carry, your character has 10 item
slots. These item slots are only for items that you are carrying: any item
equipped in one of your body slots does not count towards the total of
item slots you have available.
• Non-encumbering items include anything tiny you can �it in your palm,
empty bags, items with no listed weight such as paper, trinkets, as well
as worn clothing and jewelry.
• Normal items take up one slot.
• Heavy items take up two slots.
• Light items can be bundled up to 10 items in one slot. These include
torches, rations, potions, Crafting Supplies, Cooking Supplies, and other
similar items.
• Coins and gems take up one slot for every 100 pieces, rounded up.
• Backpack: Increases carrying capacity by 20 item slots. You can only
equip one backpack at a time.
• Pouch: Increases carrying capacity by 5 item slots. You can equip a
maximum of 3 pouches at once.
• You cannot place items into a backpack or pouch, and then place that
backpack or pouch inside a different container.
• Even if you’re wearing piecemeal armor, the totality of the different
individual pieces count as a single Armor slot when equipped. Wearing
vambraces doesn’t mean you can’t wear gloves, the same as wearing
greaves doesn’t mean you can’t wear boots.

Weapons (page 189)

• All non-magical weapons, regardless of the type, deal D6 damage.
• Weapon Traits:
• Defensive: +10 combat skill when used defensively in combination
with a shield.
• Quick: This weapon grants the character +10 to initiative checks.
• Parrying: +10 combat skill when used defensively.
• Powerful: This weapon is especially deadly, increasing damage by 1.
• Simple: A weapon relatively easy to use, increasing the combat skill
by 10.
• Two-Handed: A character must use two hands to wield this
weapon.
• Versatile: When wielded with two hands, this weapon deals +1
damage.
• All one-handed weapons are considered Normal items.
• Two-handed weapons are Heavy items.

Rules Reference 19
 Armor & Protective Gear (page 192)
• Armor has a few different categories:
• Full Suits are complete sets of armor, from shoulders to feet. They
offer a uni�ied rate of protection across all your body parts.
• Piecemeal armor allows you to pick which parts of your body you
want better protected, and which ones you prefer to be lighter and
less impairing:
• Torso armor, to protect both your chest and abdomen
• Vambraces, which offer protection to your arms
• Grieves, to protect your legs and feet
• Helmets protect your head from blows and wounds.
• Shields offer some extra protection and advantage when parrying
strikes.
• If you’re wearing a full suit of armor, it is only compatible with helmets
and shields, you cannot wear several layers of armor to stack protection.
• When a piece of armor notes that your maneuverability is reduced, you
must reduce your Dodge, Acrobatics, Dodge and Stealth skills by the
speci�ied amount while wearing it.
• Full suits of armor are considered Heavy items.
• Any single piece of armor or helmet is considered Normal, as well as all
shields, except for the wall shield, which is considered Heavy.

Belt Checks & Quickslots (page 195)

• A belt has 4 item slots, allowing you to store items.
• These items are easily accessible, which means that using or taking any
item in your belt counts as a Free Action.
• Some circumstances will call for you to make a Belt Check: roll D4 and
compare the result to your belt inventory. Whatever item was stored on
that slot has been destroyed.

Magic Item Generation (page 205)

• Roll on the Item table to learn which type of item you’ve found.
• Roll on the Item Rarity to learn how many Properties it has.
• Roll as many times necessary on the corresponding item table to learn
the details of the item’s powers. If you roll twice on the same Property
the effects stack.
• The only exception to this procedure are amulets. When you �ind an
amulet, simply roll once on the Random Mastery table (page 204) to
learn which Mastery it grants you access to.
• If you want to know what sets apart the item you just found from others,
each time you acquire a new magic item you can roll on the Magic Item
Peculiarity table (page 213).

Selling Magic Items (page 206)

• A magic item’s price depends on its rarity:
• Uncommon magic items sell for 200₵
• Rare magic items sell for 400₵
• Epic magic items sell for 600₵
• Relics sell for 1,000₵

20 Ker Nethalas
• The prices shown here are �inal, you do not receive 50% of the price but
the full amount.

Traders (page 221)

• A trade will buy any items you have for sale for 50% of their price, and
have some items for sale:
• Any Weapon from the Weapons list
• Any Armor from the Armor list
• Any item from the Common Gear list
• Cooking Supplies: 5₵/each
• Crafting Supplies: 5₵/each

Rules Reference 21