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 Writing, Cartography and Layout by Idle Cartulary
Assistance by Marcia B
Editing and proofreading by J. Tucker White
Proofreading by Thaddeus G. Moore
Art by HODAG with colour by Idle Cartulary
Thanks to the readers of Playful Void who encouraged me for years to finish this
project and to the members of the Advanced Fantasy Dungeons discord for their
ongoing playtesting, curiosity and support.
John, Ty, Brendan, Nick, Alex, Warren, Brian and everyone else in the blogosphere
whose ideas are incorporated here.
Thanks to Aruman, Orbot and Justin, who inspired the design of some of the
monsters.
Advanced Fantasy Dungeons is CC BY-SA 4.0
All rights to the art in Advanced Fantasy Dungeons are reserved by HODAG
Published by Idle Cartulary
ISBN 978-1-4461-5177-8
Version 0.22, February 2024

3
 Table of contents
Table of contents Psionic Duels 35
Foreword Vision 37
Having an adventure 3 Journeying 38
The basic procedure 3 Dungeoneering 39
Ability scores 3 Roll to return 39
Checks 3 Rest 40
Fortune rolls 4 Hazards 40
Clocks 4 Traps 43
Timekeeping 4 Hirelings, followers & lieutenants 43
Filling out your character sheet 6 Reaction & reputation 44
Fighter 7 Languages 44
Paladin 7 Strongholds 54
Ranger 8 Domain events 54
Thief 8 Domain actions 54
Bard 9 Building a stronghold 54
Priest 11 Lieutenants 55
Wizard 15 Domain economics 56
Monk 16 War 56
Psionicist 19 Allegiance 58
Dual classes 20 Starting a campaign 60
Proficiencies 20 Running a session 60
Heritages 22 Preparing for a session 62
Ethos 25 Stocking dungeons 66
Equipment 26 Treasure 67
Station 28 Factions 67
Patrons 28 Non-player characters 70
Experience 29 Parley 70
Class followers 29 Fantasy economics 71
Surprise 32 Special damages 71
Initiative 32 Monsters 71
Attack 32 Converting and creating monsters 72
Positioning 33 Monster list 75
Defences 33 Spells, psionic powers and magical
Hit Points 34 items 110
Flight and retreat 34 Wizardly spells 111
Morale 35 Priestly spells 125
Magical duels 35 Psionic powers list 136

1
 Foreword
I went into re-reading Advanced Dungeons and Dragons: 2nd Edition with a smirk.
It was a game I loved as a child, but I recognised even then it was full of needless
complexities. I found a challenging text, full of inconsistencies and implications.

There were fascinating subtexts in the examples of play, revealing gaps left
between mechanics and intended play-style. Ethos appeared to be intended to
play a significant role in replacing alignment, into which Planescape folded the
precursor to Fifth Edition’s inspiration. Proficiencies and Birthright’s politics
interacted with downtime reminiscent of modern classics like Blades in the Dark.

I saw in these glimpses of a game that I wanted to play, one fallen between cracks
caused by the weight of legacy. Advanced Fantasy Dungeons already existed, but
was never published here in this reality and no trace of it remained until its ghost
visited me. A paraclone, not a retroclone. It’s a weird, wonderful thing, and one I
discovered rather than created.

I never had the chance to playtest it, though. I’m beginning to doubt that I will.,
so I’m biting the bullet. This is Advanced Fantasy Dungeons. A sketch of a ghost
from another world. It’s for you to play, because I haven’t. For you, at cost. In
exchange, every few months, I’ll post on socials asking for feedback, and you can
join my discord where we can discuss the revisions and the original posts.
Whenever we reach critical mass with updates, I’ll update the digital and print
copies. We’ll finish Advanced Fantasy Dungeons together.

Thank you for doing this with me,

Idle Cartulary

2
 Basics

Having an adventure 4. The players state an action they

want to take in response to the
Most players pretend to be a person situation.
in the world, their (PC). One player,
the referee, pretends to be everything 5. If the PCs maintain their intent to
else in the world. act, their actions are resolved,
the situation changes, and the
procedure starts again.
The player’s job is to say what their
PCs say, want to do, think and feel,
and to answer questions about their If the actions result in a change of
background and surroundings. procedure (to combat, dungeon,
wilderness or downtime procedures)
transition to those procedures as
They depend on the referee to appropriate.
understand their surroundings and
what is happening, and when, and
where, so that they can do this. Ability scores
Ability scores do not represent your
The referee’s job is to generously and character’s congenital ability, but the
truthfully say what every thing and totality of a lifetimes w, play and
every one in the world, except the study. You are not born strong, but
PCs, says and wants to do. The you become strong working the
referee’s job is also to make rulings Fourgoth Mines. You are not born
where the rules are not clear or are intelligent, but become intelligent
unknown, and maintain consistency competing at the College of Six Seers
in doing so. — or perhaps become charismatic.
These are the six ability scores:
Everyone’s job is to be ensure that
everyone at the table is enjoying
themselves. • Strength is power and
endurance.
• Dexterity is agility and reflexes.
The basic procedure
• Constitution is health and
The basic procedure of Advanced resilience.
Fantasy Dungeons is:
• Intelligence is guile, education
1. The referee describes the and willpower.
situation and what the PCs see, • Wisdom is discernment and
hear, feel, smell and recognise. intuition.
2. The players ask clarifying • Charisma is persuasiveness and
questions and the referee answers leadership.
until the situation is clear
3. If a clarifying question would
require a PC to take action, the Checks
referee clarifies the level of risk When you attempt a task, consider
that action entails, and confirms whether it requires training, or
that they want to take action. whether anyone can do it. If it
requires training, you need
proficiency. If anyone can do it or you

3
Basics

have proficiency, and it is a simple Group checks

task or the consequences of failure If your party must make a group
are negligible, you succeed. If it is ability check, choose a leader.
complex or the consequences of Everyone makes an ability check, and
failure are significant, make an ability for each failure, the leader spends 1d6
check. HP. Roll with disadvantage if the
leader is not proficient. The group
To make an ability check, roll 1d20. If succeeds if there are any successes.
the result is less than or equal to
your ability score, you succeed but
face a consequence, known as a Fortune rolls
“partial success”. If it is more than To perform a fortune roll, roll 2d20,
your ability score or the result is 20, and favour success, against a target of
you do not succeed and face a 10 or a relevant ability score. Make a
consequence, known as a “failure”. fortune roll if you need to determine
The referee chooses the consequence. the outcome of a situation the PCs
aren’t directly involved in , when an
If you have proficiency, roll 2d20. If outcome is uncertain but no other roll
both dice are a success, you succeed applies, or to answer a question for
without consequence, a “full success”. what might happen next.

If a magical item, ability or mastery Clocks

grants you a numerical bonus, up to
this bonus can be added or subtracted To track complex things, sometimes a
from the result of the roll. If your clock is used. A clock is a circle
result is less than zero, it is a critical divided into segments called ticks.
success, and you get a greater The more complex the problem, the
outcome than intended. If you roll more ticks. 2-ticks is simple; 4-ticks
is complex; 8-ticks is daunting.
exactly 20, it is a critical failure, and
you suffer a poor outcome.
Timekeeping
Advantage
If you have gained the upper hand in Combat time is in rounds. A round is
some way, take advantage by rolling enough time for a back and forth
an additional dice and favouring between foes.
success. If you are on the back foot,
take disadvantage by rolling an Dungeoneering time is in turns. A
additional dice and favouring failure. turn is enough time to do most things
Rolling two successes is not a full you’d do as you explore a dungeon.
success if you have disadvantage. Journeying time is in watches. A
watch is enough time to travel a hex,
Multiple advantages and and there are three every day.
disadvantages cancel each other out.
You can trade advantage for special or Downtime is in weeks. Seven days of
greater effect, by negotiation with the real time between gaming sessions
referee. If an NPC has advantage, earns a week of downtime actions.
consider it disadvantage to the PC.

4
Creating a player character

Filling out your Choose an ethos

character sheet Make up your own, or choose one.

Roll ability scores Choose equipment

Roll 2d6+3 six times and jot down the Choose as per your class description.
total for each roll. Assign the scores
to your character’s six abilities. Choose your station
Choose from poor, work-folk, gentry
Generate saving throws or noble.
Roll as above, or assign the value of
each of your ability scores to a saving Languages
throw. Gain advantage on one saving You can know a number of languages
throw, as per your class description. up to one quarter of your intelligence
score, rounding up. Common and your
Choose a class heritage’s dialect do not count
Choose from fighter, ranger, paladin, towards this number.
thief, bard, priest, wizard, ravager,
monk, and psionicist. Class-specific gaps
If you’re a wizard, your memory is 3,
Choose advancements and you choose 3 spells for your
Choose two advancements as per your spellbook. Tick the ones you have
class description. You can take a memorised. If you’re a priest, your
single advancement multiple times. piety is half your Charisma rounded
up. If you’re a Psionicist, your Psi Pool
is your Intelligence. Priests and
Choose proficiencies paladins have a patron and must
You have five proficiency slots. You write their obligations to them.
may use these to gain mastery, as per
the proficiency section. Finish
Work with your referee and the other
Hit points players on important NPCs like your
Start with 10 hit points, or hit points patron. Describe your character and
equal to your Constitution. You have choose spells, if any.
1 healing dice (HD) of 1d4.
Expect gaps
Aging You will have some gaps, like spells if
If you are young, you may hover at you’re a warrior or thief. Nobody has
deaths’ door. If you are old, gain an followers or domains at first-level,
additional proficiency slot. and you won’t have much equipment
or any money.
Create a heritage
Make up your own, or choose from If you create a backstory, limit it to
starshine or murkewood elf, hillock 1-2 lines. You are not the main
dwarf, harfoot halfling, chimerian, character of this story... Yet!
wolf-touched or devil-marked.

6
 Classes

Fighter saving throws against steel or

domination (your choice).
Gain proficiency in a weapon of your
choice and proficiency in an armour • Add a new proficiency slot
of your choice at first-level. Take two
advancements from the following list • Gain the spiritual mission
at first-level and an additional two at downtime proficiency
each level. You have advantage on • Increase charisma or strength by
saving throws against steel. 1, to a maximum of 18
• Increase a saving throw by 1
• Add a new proficiency slot • Turn undead (once per turn and
• Increase Strength by 1 to a once per creature)
maximum of 23 • Divine smite (spend 1d6 HP to
• Increase a saving throw by 1 inflict 1d8 additional radiant
• Increase the size of your HD by 1 damage on a successful attack, or
before ninth-level other patron-appropriate damage
at the referee’s discretion)
• Increase your number of HD
before ninth-level • Detect magic at ranged rank
(devilry)
◦ Add a second attack per round
once from seventh-level • Lay on hands (2 HP per level,
touch rank, once per day)
◦ Add 6 HP to your HP total
• Cure disease (touch rank, once
◦ Can take elite followers from per week)
ninth-level
• Aura of protection (+1 saving
◦ Add a third attack per round once throws to allies in same melee
from 13th level range)
• Increase the size of your HD by 1
At first-level, gain the armour and from ninth-level
weapon you have proficiency in, and
two other items, randomly. • Increase your number of HD
before ninth-level
Super-strength ◦ Add 6 HP to your HP total
When a fighter raises their strength ◦ Learn a priest spell from ninth-
above 20, they do not fail strength level, as per a priest of 8 levels
checks on a 20. Above 20, they are as lower.
strong as a hillock giant, a sturm
giant, or a titan respectively.

Paladin
Gain proficiency in a weapon of your
choice ,proficiency in an armour of
your choice, and proficiency in horse
riding at first-level. Take two
advancements from the following list
at first-level and an additional two at
each level. You have advantage on

7
Classes

At first-level, gain the armour and Favoured terrain

weapon you have proficiency in, and When you choose a favoured terrain,
two other items, randomly. You may you can prepare for a a single
sacrifice your armour for a mount. encounter in that terrain with a type
of creature native to that terrain
At first-level, you take a patron — (“quarry”).
your order, your religion, your god or
something else — an additional ethos Both your terrain and quarry are
specific to them, and an obligation to specific: Not forest, but “the forests of
them. the Far Reach”; not orq, but
“Icewatch Orqs”; not dragon, but
Ranger “Ivory dragon” or “Ice drake”). If you
are in a similar terrain to your
Gain proficiency in a weapon of your favoured terrain (not “forests of the
choice and proficiency in either Far Reach” but “forests of the
tracking or calm wild animal at first- Northern Dells”), gain half the bonus,
level. Take two advancements from rounded down.
the following list at first-level and an
additional two at each level. You have Declare your quarry during a rest. You
advantage on saving throws against gain +1 on reaction rolls against the
steel or wands (your choice). creature, threaten +1 damage when
attacking during that encounter, and
• Add a new proficiency slot gain +1 when tracking the creature.
• Increase strength or dexterity by
1, to a maximum of 18 Mark each time you prepare and
• Increase a saving throw by 1 encounter a quarry. For every five
marks against your quarry, your
• Gain a favoured terrain bonus to reaction rolls, damage and
• Gain advantage on reaction rolls tracking increases by 1 against that
with beasts creature.
• Increase the size of your HD by 1
before ninth-level Thief
• Increase your number of HD
before ninth-level Gain proficiency in a light weapon of
your choice and proficiency in one of
◦ Add 6 HP to your HP total pick pockets, open locks, detect noise,
◦ Learn a priest spell from ninth- sneak, climb walls or decipher script
level, as per a priest of 8 levels at first-level. Take two advancements
lower. from the following list at first-level
◦ Gain animal followers from and an additional two at each level.
ninth-level. You have advantage on saving throws
against wands.
At first-level, gain the armour and
weapon you have proficiency in, and • Add a new proficiency slot
two other items, randomly. • Gain a new proficiency in pick
pockets, open locks, detect noise,
sneak, climb walls, or decipher
script.

8
Classes Classes

at each level. You have advantage on

saving throws against wands.

• Add a new proficiency slot

• Increase charisma by 1, to a
maximum of 18.
• Increase a saving throw by 1
• Gain a new proficiency in
disguise, acrobatics, juggling,
forge documents, climb walls,
ventriloquism or any game
• Increase Dexterity by 1 to a • Increase the size of your HD by 1
maximum of 18 before ninth-level
• Increase a saving throw by 1 • Increase your number of HD
• Increase the size of your HD by 1 before ninth-level
before ninth-level • You gain advantage on reaction
• Increase your number of HD rolls with non-beasts
before ninth-level • You learn to give a performance
• If you are hidden from your for one turn that grants all allies
opponent, you can backstab them who hear it advantage on their
to threaten an additional 1d6 next morale check, next saving
damage. This can be taken again throw or next attack roll.
from 7th and 13th level to • You learn to how to counter any
increase damage threatened by an music-associated magic by
additional 1d6 HP each time. performing against it.
• You can try to use wizardly scrolls • You always know a legend or
– although the referee will roll rumour about a hero or magical
1d6 and on a 1, the magic will item, although the referee will
backfire and likely be dangerously roll 1d6 and on a 1, that rumour
overpowered in its effect or do or legend will not be entirely true.
the precise opposite of what you
intended. • You can try to use wizardly scrolls
– although the referee will roll
◦ Add 4 HP to your HP total 1d6 and on a 1, the magic will
backfire and likely be dangerously
At first-level, gain the light weapon overpowered in its effect or do
you have proficiency in, tools needed the precise opposite of what you
to perform your proficiency, and two intended.
other items, randomly. • You are a polyglot
◦ Learn a random wizard spell after
Bard third-level, as per a wizard of one
Gain proficiency in a light weapon of third the level, rounded down
your choice and proficiency in one ◦ Add 4 HP to your HP total
musical instrument at first-level. Take
two advancements from the following At first-level, gain the light weapon
list at first-level and an additional two you have proficiency in, the musical

9
Classes

10
 Classes

instrument you have proficency in, • Add a new proficiency slot

and two other items, randomly. • Gain the spiritual devotion
downtime proficiency
Polyglot • Increase Wisdom by 1 to a
There is always a chance you know a maximum of 18
few words in a language you • Increase a saving throw by 1
encounter, secret or not, although you
always need proficiency to speak a • Turn undead (once per turn and
dialect fluently. once per creature)
• Increase the size of your HD by 1
d20 Result before ninth-level
1-2 You know nothing of this • Increase your number of HD
language. before ninth-level
3-6 You can read a fourth of the ◦ Add 5 HP to your HP total
words in this language.
7-15 You can read and speak a At first-level, gain any religious
accoutrements you require for your
fourth of the words in this religion, an improvised weapon, and
language, but cannot two other items, randomly.
understand it unless the
speaker speaks to you as an At first-level, you take a patron —
imbecile. usually your god — an additional
15-19 You can half read, speak and
ethos specific to them, and an
a fourth understand the obligation to them.
language.
19-20 You can half read, speak and
Priestly magic
understand the language.
Priests need not memorise a spell to
cast it, but they must spend a watch
You are more likely to be able to read dedicated to their vespers or evening
a language than be able to speak it; prayers. During vespers, as you pray
more likely to be able to speak it than to your god, recite your deeds of the
understand when it is spoken to you. day. If your deeds impress your god,
gain 1 piety. If they are contrary to
Priest their ways, or you do nothing to move
your god, your piety remains the
Gain a granted power appropriate to same.
your deity (see the granted power list
for examples), and proficiency in your You may expend one piety to cast the
religion at first-level. Start with Piety exact spell you want, up to your level.
equal to half your Charisma. Take two If you do not want to spend piety,
advancements from the following list state the spells name, and make a
at first-level and an additional two at reaction check, modified by your
each level. You have advantage on piety: You gain advantage on this
saving throws against domination. check if you make an appropriate
sacrifice, as detailed by the spell
• Gain piety equal to your current description. The value of the sacrifice
level always costs 100gp x the spells level

11
Classes

(although you may find other means If the targets saving throw against
to obtain it than purchasing). turning is less than 1, if you succeed,
you are locked in battle with them
This spell must be the next spell you until a second turn undead is
cast, until your next priestly completed. The powerful undead is
devotions, unless you expand piety to staggered, and only rolls against half
get the spell you want. There is no their the score (round down) of the
limit on the amount of spells you can first round, in the second.
cast in a day.
For example, Gareth, second-level
d20 Result priest, turns a 4 HP skeleton, a 13
HP ghul, and a 50 HP lich. Gareth
1-2 Unreceptive. You gain access rolls 1d20 and subtracts 2 for his
to an inconvenient spell at a level, for a result of 8. The
random level. skeleton (saving throw against
3-6 Suspicious. You gain access to turning of 10–1) flees. The ghul
a random or inconvenient and lich (saving throw against
spell at a similar level. turning of 10–3 and 10–11) are
7-15 Uncertain. You gain access unaffected.
bro a similar spell at a similar
level. Sir Chard, a third-level paladin,
15-19 Deliberating. You gain access faces the same three undead. Sir
to the spell you want. Chard rolls a natural 1 on the
19-20 Receptive. You gain access to d20, both the skeleton is
a similar spell, at a higher level destroyed, the ghul flees, and
than you can usually cast. Gareth is locked in battle with the
lich. Gareth rolls 1d20 the second
Turning Undead attempt and subtracts 1 (half the
modifier of a priest), for a result
To turn undead, roll 1d20 and of of 8. The lich (saving throw
subtract your level, or half your level against turning of 10–5 now)
rounded down, if you are a paladin. licks its lips and begins to chant
You must roll under the undead arcane vocalisations.
creatures’ defy turn score.

Turning affects all undead in reach Granted powers

rank. If you roll a natural 1, any You can choose one major granted
undead that have HP equal to or less power, or two minor granted powers
than 5 x your level are destroyed as suits your deity.
instantly.
Major granted powers
To calculate the defy turn score, the
referee divides their HP by 5 • Call lightning. On a success, the
(rounding up), and subtracts it from target is paralysed for a round. On
10. This calculation should already be a critical, threaten 1d6 damage
performed for undead in the Monster per level. On a critical failure,
Lists. they attempt to turn your
lightning back against you.

12
 Classes

• Inspire fear. As spell. Not turn. At eighth-level, choose two:

effective against undead, and no for one hour, yourself and one
additional effect on a critical. other, or three times in a sunrise.
• Suggest a reasonable action. On • Automatically succeed on a
a success, they undertake your specific saving throw, once per
action for a time up to your level sunrise. At eighth-level, choose
in hours. On a critical, they two: for that saving throw the
continue until the task is done. target is always 10, automatically
On a critical failure, they suggest succeed three times per sunrise,
to you. or automatically succeed for
• Inspire Rage. On a success, they anyone in reach range of you.
rage until the battle is done with Examples include charm effects,
1 bonus to threat and attack. On a paralysis, energy drain, ranged
critical, the bonus is equal to your weapons.
level.
Minor granted powers
• Soothing Words, against a
specific group you choose when
you take the advancement. On a • Identify a category of persons,
success, strong emotions are places, or things in melee range
soothed and reactions are now (beast, script, monster, spell)
neutral. On a critical, magically • Detect a category of persons,
affected emotions are soothed. places, or things in melee range
• Shapechange, once per sunrise, (graves, cheating, matching or
taking only your clothing and one opposing ethos, secret, depth
item in each hand. Choose a underwater, treasure, passage of
single animal incapable of time)
threatening damage. At eighth- • Analyse a category of persons,
level, choose two of: change into places, or things in melee range
any animal, change three times for additional information
per sunrise, or heal d6 times your (plants, fields, quality of goods)
level whenever you change. • Immunity to something minor
• Waterbreathing, once per (spoiled food, intoxication,
sunrise, affecting only yourself, feeling cold)
for one turn. At eighth-level, • Defy obstacle (ice isn’t slippery,
choose two: yourself and one climb doesn’t slow, underbrush
other person, three times per can be ignored, pass through fire)
sunrise, affect a bubble ten feet in
diameter, for one hour. • Speak a specific unusual
language (birds, wolves,
• Infravision, once per sunrise, brownies)
affecting only yourself, for one
round. At eighth-level, choose • Lay on hands or lay on harm
two: simultaneous normal vision once per day as per paladin
and infravision, for one turn, or • Cause a specific small sensory or
yourself and one other person. physical effect (booming voice, a
• Walk on water, once per sunrise, candle flame, glowing eyes, cold
affecting yourself only, for one snap, a flower blooms, birds sing)

13
Classes

14
 Classes

• Weapon mastery (bows, this limitation, wizards often enhance

hammers). Gain mastery over a their power by storing spells in scrolls
specific type of weapon, as a and wands.
fighter.
Spell books
Wizard Spell books contain between 1 and 5
spells, depending on the level of the
Gain one spell at first-level and spell. Spell books are rare and must
proficiency in arcane knowledge at be sought out in tombs or stolen from
first-level. Take two advancements towers, and each has its own name
from the following list at first-level and history. The characters and
and an additional two at each level. formulae of the spell urgently
You have advantage on saving throws attempt to leap from the page. You
against transformation. cannot make a spell book, but once
you have one, you can learn the spells
• Learn a wizard spell of a level within it by researching a spell in
equal to half of your level downtime. You can either keep spell
rounded down books in your inventory, where they
• Increase Intelligence by 1 to a take up one inventory slot each, or
maximum of 18 you can keep them in a library when
you go adventuring.
• Add a new proficiency slot
• Gain the inscribe scroll, study A spell book has a total number of
spell book, charge wand, or create chapters equal to 5. A spell takes a
spell book downtime proficiency number of chapters in a spellbook
• Increase a saving throw by 1 equal to its level divided by 2
• Gain proficiency in magical (rounded up). Therefore, a spellbook
research can have 1 x eighth-level spell and 1 x
second-level spell in it; or 2 x second-
• Increase the size of your HD by 1 level spells and 1 x sixth-level spells.
before ninth-level
• Increase your number of HD Memorising
before ninth-level
A wizard can take a watch to
◦ Add 3 HP to your HP total memorise spells, preparing the spells
they expect to need the following day.
At first-level, gain any components or In order to do so, they must have
focuses you require for your magic, an access to a spell book containing the
improvised weapon, probably a staff, spell — they cannot memorize a spell
a spellbook containing 4 first-level whose spell book they cannot access.
spells including the Cantrip spell, and A wizard can memorise a number of
two other items, randomly. spells equal to their level plus 2. They
can release previously memorised
Wizardly magic spells from their mind if there is no
Magic works by memorising syllables, further need for them.
and the brain can only accommodate
a certain number at once. When the Casting
syllables are uttered, the spell To cast a wizard spell, the wizard
disappears from the mind. Because of simply utters the syllables. If the

15
Classes

wizard is interrupted, the spell is not • Increase your number of HD

cast, but the syllables are not released before ninth-level
from their memory. Some spells have ◦ Add a second attack per round
more syllables, and take more time to once from seventh-level
cast. These specifics are noted in the
description of the spell. ◦ Add 7 HP to your HP total
◦ Can take followers from ninth-
level
Ravager
◦ Add a third attack per round once
Gain proficiency in a melee weapons from 13th level
of your choice and proficiency in
unarmed fighting at first-level. Take At first-level, gain the weapons you
two advancements from the following have proficiency in, and two other
list at first-level and an additional two items, randomly.
at each level. You have advantage on
saving throws against steel. Rage
You can choose to go into a rage, or
• Add a new proficiency slot involuntarily go into a rage when
• Increase Strength by 2 to a under pressure if you fail an ill-
maximum of 20 fortune saving throw. You may
continue to rage until someone is
• Gain 1d6 of natural armour, that incapacitated or slain, but may not
can only be used if not wearing cease unless you just incapacitated or
additional armour slew someone. While raging, you gain
• Gain 1 rage per day. If you have a advantage on all attacks, roll an
rage remaining in your day, you additional damage dice, gain 1d6 HP,
may go into an involuntary rage if and have advantage on domination
you fail a domination saving saves. You cannot choose to change
throw. targets. When you come out of a rage,
• Increase a saving throw by 1 you take 1d6 damage.
• You cannot be surprised
Super-strength
• Gain magic resistance against 1
type of magic When a ravager raises their strength
to 20, they do not fail on a strength
• Animal spirit. Choose a specific checks on a roll of 20.
aspect of an animal, for example,
leap like an eagle; bite like a wolf;
strong as a bear, flexible as a Monk
snake; slippery as a salmon. You
can take on this quality once per Gain proficiency in unarmed fighting
day. Negotiate with your referee at first-level. Take two advancements
what this means contextually. from the following list at first-level
and an additional two at each level.
• You only need to sleep every You have advantage on saving throws
other day. against steel or transformation (your
• Increase the size of your HD by 1 choice).
before ninth-level
• Add a new proficiency slot

16
 Classes

• Increase Strength or Dexterity by advancement, to a maximum of 1d12.

1 to a maximum of 18 For a given turn, the monk can choose
• Once per day, you can stun an which size die they use for their
opponent when you successfully unarmed attack, up to their maximum
hit them with an unarmed attack die size, and their attack speed is
equal to that die size.
• Once per day, you can deflect a
missile without making a saving
throw
• Do not take any damage from
falling a distance equal to 10 x
your level in feet
• Increase the size of your unarmed
attack’s damage die by 1 Psionicist
• Your unarmed attacks are Gain a psionic devotion and
considered magical weapons proficiency in meditation at first-
• Gain resistance to poison, level. Take two advancements from
disease, or charm the following list at first-level and an
• You gain advantage on additional two at each level. Start
domination saving throws with a psi pool of equal to your
Intelligence. You have advantage on
• Once per day, you can instantly saving throws against domination.
heal yourself 1d6 HP of damage
• Increase the size of your HD by 1 • Learn a new psionic devotion, or
before ninth-level expend two advancements to
• Increase your number of HD learn a new psionic science
before ninth-level • Learn a new psionic stance by
◦ After ninth-level, when you stun expending one advancement for
an opponent, you may choose for the first and second, and two
them to make a Transformation advancements thereafter
saving throw or die instantly • Increase your psi pool by 10
◦ Add a second attack per round • Add a new proficiency slot
once from seventh-level
• Increase Constitution or Wisdom
◦ Add 5 HP to your HP total by 1 to a maximum of 18
◦ Add a third attack per round once • Gain the instill psionics
from 13th level downtime proficiency
• Gain the focus psionics rest
At first-level, gain two items, action proficiency
randomly.
◦ Increase the size of your HD by 1
before ninth-level
Unarmed attacks
◦ Increase your number of HD
For most characters, unarmed attacks before ninth-level
cause 1 damage. For monks, they can
increase the power of their unarmed ◦ Add 3 HP to your HP total, and 4
attacks to 1d4, then to 1d6, etc. by HP to your HP total from ninth-
taking the unarmed attack level

19
Proficiencies

At first-level, gain an improvised record your level in each class

weapon equivalent to a club or separately (E.g. Fighter 3 / Wizard 2).
dagger, and two other items,
randomly.
Proficiencies
Powers and psi pool A proficiency is something that a
Psionic powers are manifested by character has expertise in. Almost
sheer force of will. Make an ability anyone in a fantasy adventure game
check using the power’s declared can ride a horse, for example, but in
ability. As a psionicist, you have order to ride a horse in battle, leap a
proficiency in this ability check. On a ravine, or engage in a race — any
failure, you do not manifest the example where the character is under
power. pressure — you need proficiency.

The body and mind can only sustain At first-level, you have 5 proficiency
so much. Unless you roll a full slots. The first proficiency slot you
success, subtract a psionic power’s spend on a skill gains you proficiency,
cost from your psi pool when you use and for each slot spent thereafter, you
it. If your psi pool is empty, you can gain a mastery bonus of 1.
instead subtract it from your HP.
Because of this limitation, psionicists For example:
often spend as much time perfecting Lyre; Leather Armour (1); Fluent
their body as their mind. Your psi (frostwood elfish); Inscribe scroll
pool returns to its full amount when (2)
you rest uninterrupted. As an advancement, a PC can choose
to gain a proficiency slot. During
Focus psionics downtime, a PC can use that
Spend a rest action meditating on proficiency slot to gain a proficiency
focusing your psionic power and by taking the training downtime
gathering your energy, and make a action. By default proficiency slots are
fortune roll. On a failure, gain 1d6 psi empty, and you need to train with a
pool above your usual total; on a teacher to gain proficiency.
partial success gain 2d6 psi pool
above your usual total; on a full Proficiency is required to use most
success gain 3d6 psi pool above your equipment: Armour, shields,
usual total. weapons, lock picks, musical
instruments or games of chance. You
Dual classes cannot use something to perform an
ability check without proficiency.
If you find a teacher and train with Proficiencies always include the use
them as if you are trying to gain an of relevant equipment. For example a
proficiency for 1 month, you can take lock picking proficiency includes use
your next level in a new class. You do of lock picks, and a blacksmithing
not gain any of the starting abilities proficiency includes use of a forge.
of your new class, and you can
henceforth take advancements in If you spend a second or more
either class, as you choose. For ease proficiency slots on the same
when using spells and other abilities, proficiency, you gain mastery. For

20
Heritages

each level of mastery, gain 1 bonus to suffering ill-effects, etiquette of a

your ability checks using that specific court, falconry, fishing,
proficiency. fungus-foraging, mining in a specific
location, orienteering, poetry of a
Only fighters can have mastery in specific heritage, pottery, riding a
weapons; however, aside from that specific type of steed, knots, singing
restriction, any PC can take any from a specific heritage, masonry,
proficiency and have mastery in any swimming, tailoring or dressmaking
proficiency. of a specific heritage, weaving,
winemaking, armoring, bowying,
Training fletching, jousting, use of herbs from
a specific location for minor ills,
Proficiencies do not leap unbidden history of a certain location,
and fully realised into your mind. astrology, book-binding, read (and
After first-level, you must train, study, perhaps speak) a specific language,
and practice to learn a new law of a specific location,
proficiency or gain further mastery. cryptography, stage-disguise,
This occurs during downtime (refer to jewelling, a specific set of circus-
downtime section). tricks, lip-reading, hunting a specific
animal, trapping a specific animal,
Downtime proficiencies lock-smithing, tracking, anatomy,
Some downtime actions require a engineering, knowledge of a specific
proficiency to perform. These religion.
downtime proficiencies are only
available through unique class Language proficiencies
advancements, and are hence It is assumed you are proficient in the
restricted to those classes. Examples dialect of your people. If you have a
include inscribe scroll and charge proficiency in another language, you
wand for a wizards. If you choose to can study to improve your capability
take a downtime proficiency, you do in that language at the cost of one
not gain advantage on any rolls, but proficiency slot. Your proficiency
rather gain access to a new action to moves from poor to basic; basic to
choose from during downtime. fluent; or fluent to erudite.
These proficiencies include: Library
research, inscribe scroll, spiritual Heritages
devotions, rumour-mongering, study For your heritage, pick or randomly
spellbook, charge wand. roll:
Potential proficiencies • Two minor heritable traits or one
Farm a specific crop, train a specific major heritable trait
animal, create a specific art, smith a • One heritable foible
specific metal, sail a specific boat,
build a specific boat, brew a specific • One ethos
alcohol, carpentry, cartography, • Create a small action or daily
cheesemaking, cobbling, fancy ritual your heritage performs
cooking, dancing from a specific • Name your heritage
heritage, drinking heavily without

22
 Heritages

You can choose one of the below fool would ever fight fair. When one
heritages, but it is better to make your requests a harfoot for assistance, they
own unique heritage, such as a must always accept in exchange for a
frostwood elf, a southern reach golden coin.
dragonborn, or a deepcove dwarf.
Murkwood elf
Chimerian Rough-and-tumble, these elves keep
These humans of the chimerian their feelings close to their chest. The
foothills are hardy and proud folk of a murkwood isn’t a place for
noble lineage. A chimerian gets no vulnerability. Magic resistance
heritable traits, but no foibles either. (charm), proficiency (hide in foliage),
A chimerian will never flee. Thunder ultravision. Protect the borders of the
is the sign the gods are angry; we Forest of Murk from outsiders. Each
must avoid repeating what we did this month when the Maiden and Full
day. Moon are together in the sky, we must
celebrate by drinking honey wine with
Starshine elf our family, and take no rest.
Fragile and quick, starshine elves live
a playful existence on Starshine Wolf-touched
Mount, a labyrinth of magic, secrets Many grandfathers ago, the wolf-
and riddles. Choose two of: touched were infected with a foul
proficiency (sense secret doors), curse. Their descendents dwell
magic resistance (sleep) or together in Moonshade Glade, living a
ultravision. Never leave a riddle life of hard work and hard play. Daily
unsolved! Starshine elves only polymorph self at HP cost of 4d6,
remove their greystone cloak when vulnerable to silvered weapons. I
assured of safety.

Hillock dwarf

These stocky, sturdy folk dwell in the

Hillock Vale and are wealthy from
gold-mining. Choose two of
proficiency (sense slope, direction or
depth), proficiency (hammer), or
infravision. A Hillock dwarf will
always win a negotiation. Whenever I
see folk die, I must ward off the spirit
of fate lest he take me next.

Harfoot halfling
These kind-hearted folk enjoy pipe-
smoke and rich breakfasts. They live
on the hills in manicured villages.
Proficiency (hide in foliage), magic
resistance (fear), too small for
common armour and clothing. Only a

23
Heritages

cannot leave shelter when the moon 18. Powerful leap (unencumbered
is full. When the moon is new, we only)
celebrate with drinks for all! 19. Prehensile appendage (tail,
tentacle, etc.)
Devil-marked 20. Natural attack (1d4 melee)
Communities of devil-marked are
close-knitted, largely because Major heritable traits
outsiders often reject them; but they
are kind and protective of any they Major heritable traits are more
adopt as their own. Magic resistance specific but powerful and all spell-like
(devilry), always recognisable (due to abilities last until sunrise and can
horns and vestigial bat-wings). Never only be used on self.
set foot in a god’s holy space. If a bat
comes near, I must repeat the phrase 1. Daily Invisibility or other spell
“Protect me from His eyes” thrice, to cast at second-level at HP cost of
avoid the attention of the devil 2d6
Agremach. 2. Daily Monster Summoning I or
other spell cast at third-level, at
Minor heritable traits HP cost of 3d6
Minor heritable traits are typically 3. Daily Polymorph Self or other
limited or low-level. spell cast at fourth-level, at HP
cost of 4d6
1. Magic resistance (sleep) 4. Natural armour against non-
2. Magic resistance (charm) silvered weapons (7)
3. Magic resistance (fear) 5. Natural armour against slashing
damage (7)
4. Proficiency (weapon)
6. Natural armour against piercing
5. Proficiency (language) damage (7)
6. Proficiency (favoured enemy) 7. Natural armour against crushing
7. Proficiency (speak to a specific damage (7)
species of animal) 8. Immunity (charm)
8. Proficiency (hide in foliage) 9. Immunity (sleep)
9. Proficiency (hold breath) 10. Immunity (fear)
10. Proficiency (mimic sound) 11. Advantage on saving throws
11. Proficiency (track by scent) (poison)
12. Proficiency (sense slope, direction 12. Advantage on saving throws
or depth) (wands)
13. Proficiency (sense tunnel safety) 13. Advantage on saving throws (ill-
14. Proficiency (sense secret doors) fortune)
15. Daily Control Fires or other spell 14. Magic resistance (priestly)
cast at 1st level at HP cost of 1d6 15. Magic resistance (wizardly)
16. Natural armour against fire (7) 16. Magic resistance (devilry)
17. Natural armour against cold (7) 17. Natural attack (2d4 melee)
18. Natural attack (1d4 reach)

24
 Ethos

19. Natural attack (1d4 charge) Create a ritual

20. Flight (unencumbered only) A ritual or social action is something
that happens regularly, and is
Heritable foibles reflective of your heritage. Usually it
consists of a call or external prompt,
Heritable foibles are small negative and a response that you and your folk
effects. do. Create your ritual or social action,
or roll 1d10 on each column for
1. Infravision, but no normal vision suggestions:
2. Ultravision, but no normal vision
3. Too large for common armour d10 Call Response
and clothing 1 Celestial sign Celebration
4. Too small for common armour 2 Animal activity Meditation
and clothing
3 Specific accident Prayer
5. Always recognisable as heritage
(horns, tentacles, eyes, etc.) 4 Weather event Utterance
6. Vulnerable to magic (charm) 5 Magical sign Gesture
7. Vulnerable to magic (fear) 6 Meeting of minds Physical touch
8. Cause magical items to 7 Injury Ward
malfunction when using them as 8 Request for Garment
a consequence assistance
9. Disadvantage when exposed to 9 Death or loss Grooming
hot weather 10 Unexpected Mourning
10. Disadvantage when exposed to change
dry weather
11. Disadvantage when exposed to Ethos
cold weather
12. Threaten damage when exposed All PCs have one or more ethos. An
to loud noises ethos can be a belief or a stricture.
13. Vulnerable to fire damage
• A belief is a folkway, philosophy
14. Vulnerable to lightning damage or superstition, taking the form
15. Vulnerable to cold damage of: This action is always the
16. Vulnerable to poison damage correct action.
17. Vulnerable to silvered weapons • A stricture is a ritual, act of
service, or behaviour, taking the
18. Magic (divine) ineffective at form of: This is true; therefore, I
random must do that.
19. Magic (wizardly) ineffective at
random If an NPC holds the same ethos it may
20. Magic (devilry) ineffective at provide a bonus or penalty to a
random reaction roll.

PCs gain experience for following

their ethos, at the referee’s discretion.

25
Equipment

A guideline is if there is great cost,

gain 2 XP, at a cost, gain 1 XP, and at
no cost, gain no XP. See the
Experience section for more detail.

Potential ethos
d6 Ethos
1 Mercy must be given to all beings
2 Violence is never the answer
3 Stealing is always wrong
4 Merchants are always dishonest;
therefore, they may always be
swindled If you are heavily encumbered, any
5 Gods are evil; therefore, priests movement or combat under duress
must not be tolerated cannot be performed.
6 We are all monsters; therefore, all
monsters should be treated with General equipment
kindness Most equipment simply does what it
does. Climbing gear is for climbing.
Equipment Wagons cannot be used off roads.
When in doubt, discuss your
You have five slots for worn gear equipment with the referee.
(head, hands, feet, body) and a belt
pouch in which to hold 50gp or If equipment is not listed with
similar small items. If you fill only mechanics in brackets next to it, it
these six slots, you are grants a success in a relevant
unencumbered. challenge, facilitates the use of a
proficiency, or is subject to a general
You have additional equipment slots rule.
equal to your strength in your pack
(or equivalent). If you fill up to six • Ale (1gp per round)
slots of these slots, you are lightly
encumbered. If you fill over six slots • Blacksmith’s tools (heavy, 50gp)
of these slots, you are heavily • Ball bearings (1000 for 5gp)
encumbered. If your equipment is in • Bell (light, 1gp)
these pack slots, you can cast your
pack off, and cease to be encumbered • Bear trap (heavy, 5gp)
until you pick it up again. • Block and tackle (1gp)
• Book (25gp)
If you are lightly encumbered, any • Caltrops (light, 20 for 5gp)
movement (for example run, jump or • Candle (light, 10 for 1gp)
swim) or combat check suffers
disadvantage. If you’re wearing a • Chain (heavy, 10 feet, 5gp)
heavy item, you are always lightly • Chalk (light, 10 for 1gp)
encumbered. • Climbing gear (25gp)
• Fishing tackle (heavy, 5gp)

26
 Equipment

• Grappling hook & rope (30 feet, For example:

10gp) Lock (Fine 3, 100gp)
• Iron spikes (10 for 10gp)
• Journal (light, blank, 10gp) Mounts and vehicles
• Lantern (5gp, 10gp for hooded) All horse-sized mounts or vehicles
• Lock (25gp) provide 10 inventory slots.
• Magnifying glass (light, 100gp)
All wagon-sized mounts or vehicles
• Manacles (10gp) provide 20 inventory slots.
• Oil flask (1 use, 1gp)
• Pen & ink (light, 5gp) Flying mounts do not provide
• Pole (heavy, 10 feet, 1gp) inventory slots.
• Rations (heavy, 2 weeks, 1gp)
• Horse (100gp)
• Tent (heavy, 10gp)
• Canoe (50gp)
• Tinderbox (light, 1gp)
• Wagon (150gp)
• Torch (10 for 1gp)
• Sailboat (5000gp)
• Waterskin (1gp)
Weapons
Weight
All weapons have a damage type and
Small items are the size of a coin and a range that is usually self-evident
about two or three handfuls of them (broadsword is slashing; rapier is
fit in your belt pouch or in one slot. piercing; club is crushing; a glaive or
spear is reach range and a crossbow is
Light equipment is purchased in a ranged range). Damage type should
set of two and two fit in an inventory only be mentioned if it is unusual.
slot.
All weapons have a dice value that
Heavy or unwieldy equipment (like should always be listed.
plate armour or a ten foot pole} takes
two inventory slots. For example:
Long bow (heavy, 1d10) — left
50gp or equivalent small items take unsaid is piercing, ranged
up one slot (usually your belt pouch).
• Battle axe (1d8, 50gp)
Quality
• Long bow (heavy, 1d10, 75gp)
Fine equipment is more effective for a • Short bow (1d6, 30gp)
significantly higher price. For each
level of fine, gain 1 bonus, and the • Club (1d6, 10gp)
price doubles. • Crossbow (heavy, 1d6, 35gp)
• Dagger (light, 1d4, 10gp)
• Sling (light, 1d4, 10gp)
• Mace (1d6, 20gp)
• Throwing axe (light, 1d6, 10gp)

27
Station & patrons

• Glaive (heavy, 1d8, 50gp) • Buckler shield (light, half

• Quarterstaff (heavy, 1d6, 10gp) mundane)
• Javelin (1d4 or 1d6 ranged, 15gp) • Standard Shield (all mundane,
half magical)
• Spear (1d6, 20gp)
• Tower shield (heavy, all area of
• Long sword (1d8, 50gp) effect, mundane, half magical)
• Short sword (1d6, 40gp)
• Two-handed sword (1d10, 80gp) Station
• Warhammer (heavy, 1d8, 50gp)
Your station provides for your basic
necessities such as housing, food and
Armour drink, animals, servants and upkeep
Armour is used to prevent certain on belongings and adventuring
types of damage up to its total HP. consumables such as ammunition and
When it has no further HP it is torches. A PC or NPC can be poor,
destroyed. While it still has HP, it can work-folk, gentry or noble. When you
be repaired by someone with make a reaction roll it is with
proficiency and tools. Most armour disadvantage if they are not of your
only protects from one or two sorts of station, if station is applicable.
damage; mundane armour protects
against all non-magical damage. Connections
If you are poor, you have connections
• Rubber shirt (10 lightning, 500gp) amongst the petty criminals and the
• Leather (12 slashing or piercing, downtrodden; if you are work-folk,
100gp) you have connections among clerks,
• Padded (12 crushing, 125gp) servants and white-collar criminals; if
• Studded, 12 mundane,150gp) you are gentry, you have connections
among knights, advisors, and
• Scale (heavy, 14 piercing, 200gp) merchants; if you are nobility, you
• Chain (heavy, 14 slashing, 300gp) have connections at court, through
• Plate (heavy, 16 mundane, marriage, and between nations.
1000gp)
• Full plate (heavy, 18 mundane, Changing station
4000gp) You cannot simply change station.
• Steel helm (5 piercing or slashing, You can only become work-folk by
100gp) keeping 500 GP hidden safely away;
can only become gentry through
owning property and can only become
If you have mastery in heavy armour, nobility through royal decree. When
you do are not encumbered for the you change station, your previous
purposes of combat checks. connections are unlikely to persist
unless you have invested significant
Shields time in them, and even then will be
Shields can be destroyed to ignore all affected negatively by the change.
or half damage from a certain
category. They have no other effect.

28
 Experience, followers, magical duels

Patrons ethos — change your PC. When a PC

has a formative experience, they
Priests, paladins and sometimes other change their ethos or personality, or
classes, offer their allegiance to a they gain a new ethos, and they
supernatural patron who provides advance 1 level for every 5 XP they
them with their power in exchange have.
for significant obligation.
When a PC advances level, they
An NPC patron is a developed choose any two advancement their
character with undisclosed needs and class allows. After ninth-level they
desires. No patron offers a portion of may choose to train during downtime
their power in exchange for nothing, in order to advance instead of waiting
and no patron considers a PC, for a formative experience.
especially at level 1, their equal.

Obligations need to be discussed Class followers

with the referee during character After ninth-level, some classes have
creation, but should be vague enough the option to attract followers of a
for the patron to have flexibility when special nature if they have a
calling upon the PC to fulfil them. stronghold in which to house them.
The referee starts a domain clock All classes can hire followers after
dictating when the next obligation is ninth-level, regardless of whether or
to be called in. When it is called in, not they attracted them.
the patron gives the PC a mission,
and the consequence of failure is the Fighters attract a general (fifth-level
patron’s dissatisfaction. fighter), two standing battalions, and
roll 1d6 for their bodyguard.
A PC of any class may offer allegiance
to a patron – typically a PC or NPC 1d6 Bodyguard
lord of a domain – and if they accept, 1 3-12 x 1st to second-level
become their lieutenant. You will be fighters
given a role, such as marshall or 2 2-5 x 1st to second-level rangers
spymaster, and be offered missions 3 2-6 x 1st to second-level archers
just as any other lieutenant is. These (fighters with longbow mastery)
obligations are treated the same as 4 2-6 x 1st to second-level
priestly or paladin obligations. ravagers
5 2-6 x 1st to second-level
Experience mounted
knights (fighters with warhorses
PCs gain experience for following and lance mastery)
their ethos, at the referee’s discretion. 6 1-3 x 2nd to third-level flying
A guideline is if there is great cost, knights (fighters with hippogriffs
gain 2 XP, at a cost, gain 1 XP, and at or giant eagles and crossbow
no cost, gain no XP. mastery)

Formative experiences — one’s first Rangers attract an animal follower:

brush with death, horror, wealth, Black bear, brown bear, dog, wolf,
sacrifice, or major challenge to one’s falcon, raven, tiger, lion, hippogriff.

29
Experience, followers, magical duels
Combat

Thieves attract 1-4 thieves of 1st to the result of acting stealthily, or

third-level, to start a crew. preparing an ambush.

Wizards attract 1-3 1st to second- Initiative

level apprentices.
Each weapon has a weapon speed
Priests attract 1-3 1st to second-level equal to the highest face of its
acolytes, as well as the 0-level damage die. Combat occurs in order
members of their institution. of weapon speed, lowest to highest. If
more than one person has the same
weapon speed, choose randomly.
Combat
If a PC rolls a full success, the next PC
Most actions taken while in combat in initiative order goes next, skipping
take one round. A round proceeds as the next foe in initiative order.
follows:
1. Combatants declare their If PC or NPC take an action that does
weapons. not involve an attack (a move,
drinking a potion), it takes place first,
2. Combatants proceed in order of in order of highest dexterity.
weapon speed.
3. Follow the basic procedure until If a foe gets promoted in the initiative
each PC resolves their action. order due to a consequence, the order
returns to the original order after that
Repeat the cycle as long as the PCs turn takes place.
are engaged in combat.
Attack
Surprise To make an attack, make a strength
If you might be surprised, make a check for melee attacks, a dexterity
dexterity check. On a failure, you are check for ranged attacks, or a
surprised and must spend 1d6 HP. On proficiency check if you have
a success you are not surprised. On a proficiency in the weapon you are
partial success, you suffer a minor using (a “combat check”).
consequence.
On a success, threaten injury. On a
If you can’t see as daylight or are partial success, threaten injury and
carrying light, you have disadvantage. suffer a minor consequence. On a
If you can’t see the opposing party, failure, suffer a major consequence.
you are automatically surprised.
The most common minor
Other modifiers can impact surprise consequences are:
at the referee’s discretion, for
example noise and state of mind.
• You are threatened with injury,
If an NPC is surprised if it makes • The opposing side goes next
sense for them to be according the • Your morale is shaken.
the PCs actions. This is likely to be

32
 Combat

A major consequence is two of these, to hit allies if firing into ranks with
or anything else. their allies in them.

When you threaten injury, roll your Movement takes a character between
damage dice to find out how much HP adjacent ranks, or from ranged rank
your target must spend to avoid into an adjacent battlefield.
injury, or how much damage their
armour suffers. Areas of effect always affect an
entire battlefield.
NPC attacks
On an NPC’s turn, the referee declares Defences
who is threatened with damage. The
PC makes a saving throw, and the If you are attacked, make a saving
referee rolls the NPC’s damage dice. throw by rolling 1d20. Roll with
Once the damage is known, the PC advantage if your class has advantage
spends HP and armour as they see fit. in that type of saving throw.

Ranged attacks Typically, on a success, take no

If attacking with a ranged weapon, if damageor half damage or no effect,
there are allies in melee combat with and on a failure, take full damage or
your target, on a failure or mixed full effect, however this will vary
success, randomly select an ally, and depending on the precise
threaten damage against them circumstance.
instead.
The save you roll depends on the type
of attack: Domination for psychic,
Positioning enchantment, or death magic, Poison
Each combat has one or more for physical fortitude, Wands for
battlefields based on interesting and magical attacks, Transformation for
interactive landmarks or objectives. anything that changes the nature of
your flesh, Steel for physical attacks
There are three ranks in each and Ill-Fortune for all else.
battlefield, equivalent to the three
weapon ranges: Melee, Reach, and Resistance
Ranged. If you have resistance, you gain
advantage on all saving throws with
Melee weapons can only attack that quality (E.g. Poison, magic, fire).
people within their rank. If you have magic resistance, in
addition, you cannot voluntarily fail a
Reach weapons can only attack saving throw against magic, and you
people one rank away: from reach to must fail a saving throw for any magic
melee, or ranged to reach. to have an effect on you, even friendly
magic. Magic resistance is always
against a certain type, for example
Ranged weapons can attack from divine, wizardry, or demonic.
two or more ranks away, but are likely

33
Combat

Armour “I raise my shield to block it – but

At any point, a PC can use armour I failed my save vs steel!”
they are wearing to prevent damage “The axe whistles past your shield
against certain types of damage. and you feel the wind against
your belly!”
When armour has no further HP it is “I leap back and block with my
destroyed. While it still has HP, it can sword!“
be repaired by someone with the right “That’ll cost 1d6+4 HP!”
proficiency and tools.
“Yipes, I only have 6 HP left, I
Safe zone can’t take that risk. I spin around,
putting a chunk of my armour
NPCs don’t have saving throws, so squarely in the path of the axe.”
instead have safe zones. If a PC rolls
between 0 and the safe zone (0, 1, 2 or “Your armour takes 1d6+4
3 for a safe zone of 3 for example), on damage instead, and now it’s
the attack check, the monster takes your turn. What do you do?”
half damage or limited effect. If a PC
rolls higher or equal to the safe zone Death's door
(and lower than their ability score) on If you’re young, you do not die at 0
the attack, the monster takes full HP, but rather hover at deaths door.
damage or effect. The term “save” is You can do this for 1d6 rounds, until
used to signify both “saving throw” you recieve treatment or healing. You
for PCs and “ability check using a safe may hover at death’s door 3 times
zone” for NPCs, depending on before you are no longer young.
context.
Ability score damage
Hit Points If a spell or power reduces a
You can spend an amount of HP characters ability score, do not
determined by the referee to perform recalculate any derived stats (such as
a stunt or action to avoid injury. inventory). However, any ability
checks you make use your new
reduced ability score. If any ability
Being reduced to 0 HP has no score is reduced to zero, you die. You
immediate effect. When you take recover ability scores at a rate of 1 per
damage in combat and have no HP rest.
remaining, you die. At the referee’s
discretion, you can take a permanent
injury instead of dying. Flight and retreat
You may always retreat from combat
If an attack doesn’t cause damage, or by performing a group disengagement
causes an effect in addition to check against a target of twenty
damage, for example a ghul’s minus the highest encumbrance in
paralysing claws or a wrestler’s the party.
grapple, you can only spend HP to
avoid the damage, not the effect.
You have advantage on the
disengagement check if you can
“The grim-faced orc tries to spill retreat at the beginning of the
your guts with their axe!”
34
 Combat

initiative order. You have Magical duels

disadvantage if you are fleeing
because you failed a morale check. If two wizards engage in a magical
duel, they both act last in initiative. If
You can jettison the items stored in either of them act during the round
your backpack in order to lower your prior, they cannot choose a spell in
encumbrance. the spell duel. If the PC wizard suffers
an injury during the round prior, or is
forced to move to avoid injury, they
On a success, you retreat and have take disadvantage on their rolls for
lost them at no cost. On a partial the round. If the NPC wizard suffers
success, you must spend 1d6 HP each an injury during the round prior, or is
in order to retreat and lose them. On forced to move to avoid injury, the PC
a failure, you must spend 2d6 HP, and takes advantage on their rolls for the
each of you have left tracks as you round.
flee. Your foes will be able to find you,
if they so wish.
A wizard has arcane defence (AD)
equal to their level. Each round in the
Movement speed duel they lose, their arcane defence
Slow” movement is half as fast as decreases. When they reach zero, they
“Moderate” movement. “Fast” are defeated.
movement is twice as fast as
“Moderate” movement. Movement Each round, the wizard chooses an
speeds are only relevant in flight and offensive spell that they have
retreat, as the faster creature memorised. If their opponent has no
according to movement speed gains spell memorised that logically cancels
advantage on flight and retreat. They that spell out (for example, “Fire
are not relevant in travel, when even resistance” against “Flame arc”),
fast creatures cannot keep up high reduce their opponent’s arcane
paces for long periods. defence by 2. If the NPC has a spell
memorised that logically cancels that
Morale spell out, a PC must make an
Intelligence check (for wizards) or
When your morale is shaken, make a Wisdom check (for priests), and
morale check. NPCs use their morale consult the table. If the NPC makes
rating; PCs use their wisdom score. the attack, the PC must make a saving
throw vs. Wands, and consult the
The referee may grant advantage or table.
disadvantage to either the Pcs or
NPCs, depending on factors such as Repeat each combat round until one
training, overwhelming opposition, or the other is defeated. When a
ethos, and how their allies are faring. wizard is defeated, they lose all their
memorised spells and the final spell
On a full success, you rally and fight cast in offence against them takes
on. On a partial success, your first effect as if it were a critical success.
concern is calculated retreat. On a The winning spellcaster expends only
failure, your first concern is the final spell. For priestly duels,
immediate escape. ignore references to memorisation.
When a priest is defeated, they

35
Combat

expend all their piety, and the final deflects the attack, and something
spell cast in offence against them nearby explodes or is thrown to the
takes effect as if it were a critical floor.
success.
Strong Weak
Ability check Saving Thrusting Crushing Blasting
throw inquiry intellect will
Critical -3 AD Whipping Thrusting Mental
success voices inquiry blockade
Full -2 AD Nil effect Blasting Whipping Crushing
success will voices intellect
Partial -1 AD -1 AD Mental Blasting Thrusting
success blockade will inquiry
Failure Reduce own -2 AD Crushing Mental Whipping
AD by 1 intellect blockade voices
Critical Nil effect Reduce own
failure AD by 1
All damage is deducted from one’s psi
pool before it is deducted from HP. A
psionicist can yield when their psi
Psionic Duels pool is exhausted, or continue to
death. If they yield, Contact is
If two psionicists engage in a psychic automatically made with them if the
duel, they are both at the end of the psionicist has the Contact power.
initiative. If either of them act during
the round prior to participating in the
psionic duel, they become vulnerable
to psionic assault.

Each duelist chooses from the six

stances: thrusting inquiry, whipping
voices, blasting will, mental blockade,
or crushing intellect, or open mind.

If they a psionicist chooses open

mind, they can predict their
opponent’s next move. On the
psionicist’s next turn, their opponent
chooses their stance, and tells the
psionicist before they choose theirs.
The psionicist who chose Open Mind
has no defence this turn.

The duelists reveal their stances

simultaneously and consult the table.
If the attack stance is strong, the
defender takes full damage. If the
attack is weak, the defender takes half
damage. Otherwise, the stance

36
 Exploration

Vision darkness. There is no saving throw to

avoid this cost.
You can see as if it were daylight, as
twilight, or as darkness. Special types of vision
If you have infravision, you see heat
• Sight as daylight can see just instead of light. You see in darkness
fine, thank you. as daylight and see daylight as
• Sight as twilight extends only a darkness. In darkness and twilight,
stone’s throw away. you can see additional features such
• Sight as darkness cannot see. as heat-trails and warm air currents.
You are blinded by a suddenly lit
torch or a glance at the sun for a turn.
All artificial light sources allow you to If it is cold and you wear shaded
see as twilight. lenses you can see as twilight during
the day
If travelling in darkness, when you
retreat from the underground, or you If you have ultravision, you can see
are interrupted by an encounter, in starlight and in indirect sunlight as
spend 1d4 HP per turn (while daylight. You see direct sunlight and
underground) or watch (while darkness underground as darkness.
outdoors) you have travelled in

37
Your eyes glow, and under your gaze listen, taste as well as sight) to
white items glow as well. Magic items provide them with more information
and spells are visible to you at a if they agree to follow the prompt.
stone’s throw.

If you have infravision or ultravision,

you do not have standard vision
(whether this is permanently, due to Journeying
your heritage, or temporarily, while Most actions taken while journeying
under the effects of magic). through the wilderness take one
watch. Each day has three watches. A
Perception watch proceeds as follows:
There is no perception proficiency. If
you have a proficiency relevant to 1. Players choose whether they will
your situation, tell the referee. The travel or rest for the new watch.
referee will provide any insight your 2. The referee rolls the exploration
training might grant in the situation, die.
although they may prompt you to 3. Expend a ration, or spend 1d6 HP.
clarify the extent of the insight (“Are
you just looking, or do you touch?
Smell?”). The exploration die is a 1d6, +1 per
watch with no result, interpreted as
follows:
If a PC uses their proficiency to grant
insight into the situation, take this as
an opportunity to tell them secrets or
foreshadow what is to come. Use
clarifying prompts (touch, smell,

38
 Exploration

boats over lakes, wyverns through the

1d6 Exploration Die sky).
1-4 Nothing happens
5-6 Wilderness encounter Speed
Fast creatures do not travel faster,
7-8 The weather changes unless they fly in which case they fly
9 Spells expire twice as fast. Slow creatures travel at
10+ Rest half the pace.

Wilderness encounters prevent PCs Dungeoneering

from gaining the benefits of rest but Most actions taken in a dungeon –
not from completing a watch of movement, lockpicking, searching,
travel. bandaging, spell casting – take a turn.
A turn proceeds as follows:
Follow the basic procedure until each
PC resolves their action, transitioning 1. Roll the exploration die and
to other procedures as appropriate. follow the instructions.
2. Follow the basic procedure until
Repeat the cycle as long as the PCs each PC resolves their action,
are journeying in the wilderness. transitioning to other procedures
as appropriate.
Difficult terrain and forced
marches 3. If you do not carry a light source,
spend 1d6 HP.
If you travel for a watch, move
forward one hex. You must spend an Repeat the cycle as long as the PCs
additional 1d6 HP to travel for a remain in the dungeon.
second or an additional 2d6 HP to
travel a third watch. To travel on
difficult terrain, succeed on a fortune The exploration die is a 1d6, +1 per
roll, succeed on a relevant proficiency turn with no result, interpreted as
check or spend 1d6 HP. follows:

Mounts 1d6 Exploration Die

Using vehicles or mounts does not 1-4 Nothing happens
allow you to travel faster or further, 5-6 Wandering monster
but horse-sized mounts provide 10 7 The environment changes
inventory slots and wagon-sized
vehicles 20 inventory slots. Flying 8 Light sources exhaust
mounts do not provide inventory 9 Spells expire
slots. Your mount or vehicle may not
be able to travel on some difficult 10+ Rest
terrain (for example, wagons in
swamps, or horses on mountains).
Some vehicles or mounts will allow Roll to return
you to travel on terrain that is If you are stranded in the wilderness
otherwise impassible (for example, or dungeon at the end of a session,

39
Exploration

each PC rolls to return to the nearest Approaches include abilities,

settlement. Roll fortune or an proficiencies, special gear, assistance,
appropriate proficiency, against a safe or magical effects. Some approaches
zone equal to the number of days will expend a resource if you use
travel to the nearest settlement. For them, for example, spells or
every point you fail by, choose either consumable equipment.
to spend that amount in HP or ten
times that amount in GP, plus 1 for If an approach is strong against the
each level deep you were in the hazard, grant an additional tick if it
dungeon. succeeds. Approaches that are weak
against a challenge have
Rest disadvantage or have no effect. If you
repeat an approach, you take
If you rest for a watch, roll your disadvantage on the repeated
healing dice (HD) and gain that many attempt. For example, if the wizard
HP up to your maximum. Take one Gallius uses Gust to clear a room of
one additional rest action such as poisonous gas, a second use of Gust
memorise spells, prayer, or repair will have less effect than the first.
weapon or armour. There is no formal
lists of rest actions, although some On a success, tick the hazard clock.
are inferred by other rules, and some On a partial success, tick the hazard
proficiencies provide unique rest clock but suffer a consequence.
actions. You can only perform one Continue until the referee tells you
such action per watch (in addition to that you have filled the clock, or until
all of the other things you must do you can continue no longer. On a
while travelling). You cannot travel failure, suffer the effect.
and rest the same watch.
If there is a competitor in the hazard,
Hazards the referee may choose to grant them
a clock as well, for you to race against,
Hazards have a hazard clock to fill in or may choose to incorporate their
order to avoid them and a success into your failure.
consequence if they are not avoided.
They may also have a trigger (you For example, a rickety rope bridge
must get this close to it to be crosses a ravine ahead of you. A
effected), or a threshold (it will only nasty cobold you are pursuing
effect you if you fill a separate clock). sets it alight with a torch and
then flees. The party must fill a
If a PC approaches the hazard using three-tick clock before the three-
one of their proficiencies (E.g., tick fire destroys the bridge. The
swimming or climbing), they know fire will spread at 1 tick per
the remaining ticks the clock round.
requires. Otherwise, a PC does not Garrius uses Frost Arc to
know. extinguish the flame, ending the
fire clock. Sera uses her
To tick a section of the hazard clock, proficiency in acrobatics to travel
describe what you do (your approach) the length of the bridge and
and roll a check if necessary. steady it for the others, giving

40
 Exploration

them advantage. Drey the giant A pit trap either imprisons or has
uses his massive strength to pull a spiked floor
the bridge taut, steadying it A poison needle instantly kills or
further. The party cross the puts to sleep
bridge without harm.
For example, the floor ahead of 4. Balances the trapper’s protection
the party is clearly identifiable as and convenience
a trick floor, but there are no Never in the main access
seams. This hazard requires 1 tick hallways unless there’s secret
each to cross. Sera the thief access; always in the chest in the
throws a grappling hook into the high priest’s quarters.
rafters, and swings across the
floor; the rafters crack, and they 5. Simple actions can avoid or
are unlikely to take the weight of disarm them
another. Her grappling hook is
lost. Garrius the wizard uses “I stand on a box and pinch the
levitate to hover across the floor. wire so I can set the door slightly
Choosing not to use the ajar. Glorax, you’re slim enough
compromised grappling hook, to to slide through the slightly
Drey attempts to leap across, and open door. Once you’re on the
fails his dexterity, causing the other side, you can cut the wire.”
floor to collapse.
Hirelings, followers &
Traps lieutenants
When the referee creates a trap, the A hireling is any NPC who will do a
trap must be: job for the PC in exchange for a wage
or a fee plus room and board. An
1. Easily identified or easily unskilled hireling is easy to find, and
anticipated a hireling with rare skill requires a
A pit covered in leaves. Find Someone downtime action to
find.
The safe of a master poisoner has
a needle.
Hirelings are considered zero-level,
2. Foreshadowed or gives the PCs a and hence have 1d6 HP, ability scores
chance to react of 10 with one exception (an 8, 12 or
14), and one, two or three
A collapsed pit with two skeletons proficiencies depending on age (these
in it. may be mastery spent on one skill).
“The poisoner is paranoid as
known to trap her most treasured A follower is any NPC who joins a PC
belongings” for reasons other than a wage or a fee.
You hear a click and the flagstone They can have levels in a class, and
moves under you. What do you are usually attracted by a PCs fame
do? when the build a stronghold for the
follower to stay at a meagre to
3. Goes either for a kill or a capture. comfortable lifestyle.

43
Exploration

Followers have levels in a class, Reputation is awarded (+1) for a

therefore they have a simplified significant contribution to a location,
character sheet, based on the PCs. profession or faction, or for being of
Experience and Encumbrance are the same station, and is effective only
simplified, only exceptional ability in that context. It is recorded on your
scores and proficiencies are noted, for character sheet.
example.
1d20 Reaction roll
A lieutenant is any NPC to whom the 1-2 Positive (friendly, welcoming
PC delegates a task in the governance or receptive)
of their stronghold. The NPC usually 3-6 Possibly positive (amiable or
does this in exchange for a significant considered)
wage, a noble lifestyle and a place of 7-14 Uncertain (indecisive or
honour in the stronghold. Hirelings or neutral)
followers who become lieutenants 15-18 Possibly negative (suspicious
keep their class levels and/or rare or skeptical)
skills. 19-20 Negative (hostile, fleeing or
unreceptive)
NPCs not in the party are
documented similarly. Once starting reaction has been
determined, it is not rolled again for
For example, the same NPC, and their reaction
Therabond (0-level sage, int 14, remains stable between meetings. In-
North Irughai history mastery +2) world choices can change an NPCs
disposition towards the party, but
Gladhelm (2-level warrior, str 12, rolls (for example, a charisma check)
axe mastery, riverboats) cannot.

Languages
Languages are heritage-based — not
all elves speak the same language but
all elf languages are related to elvish
and sylvan.

Ur-language Languages
Ur-elvish Elvish, Sylvan
Reaction & reputation Ur-dwarvish Dwarvish, Giantish,
Gnomish, Goblinish
When you encounter a new NPC or Ur-human Various human,
group of NPCs, the referee makes a Halfling
reaction check, modified by your Ur-primordial Devilish, Angelic,
reputation. If you have bardic Primordial, Sylvan
influence, roll with advantage, and if
the NPCS are predisposed against you When you encounter a new language,
or are not of your station, roll with you may make an Intelligence check if
disadvantage. Their reaction is you have any language slots available.
determined by the result.
44
 Exploration

The check is with disadvantage if the research is often written in devilish,

language is ancient or ur-primordial, angelic, primordial, or an ancient
or advantage if it is related to a variant. These languages can only be
language you already know. learnt by those outside their group in
exceptional circumstances. If you
• On a full success, you gain the have a secret language, it takes up a
"Fluent" proficiency in that language slots.
language. You can read and speak
the language with a slight accent.
• On a mixed success, you gain the
"Basic" proficiency in that
language. You can speak the
language enough to convey
simple ideas (or read it well
enough to discern simple ideas if
it is an ancient or dead language).
• On a failure, you do not
understand the language. Do not
gain a proficiency.
• On a critical failure, gain the
"Poor" proficiency in that
language. You believe you
understand the language, but
your misunderstandings will lead
to offence.
• On a critical success, gain the
"Erudite" proficency in that
language. You speak, read and
write eloquently in this language
indistinguishably from an
educated native speaker.

The exception is the Common

language. Common is a pidgin of
various languages. It’s useless for
anything apart from buying and
selling; no books are written in
common. Everyone can speak
common. It does not take up a
language slot.

Secret languages
Some groups have secret languages —
druids have their own script, thieves
have their own signs and symbols —
and monsters often speak their own
unique languages too. Magical

45
Downtime

Downtime tick two sections. On a full success,

tick three sections. A complication is
Downtime is measured in real-time usually an unexpected wall, an
weeks occurring between gaming unexpected branch, a relationship
sessions. Downtime actions are of consequence, or a hook for further
different lengths, represented as a adventure.
clock, the length of which is dictated
by the action. When the clock is full, Choosing a clock
you have completed the downtime A 1-step clock will result in a minor
action. For each week: and temporary advantage. A 6-step
clock a slight campaign goal or minor
1. Choose an available downtime advantage. A 10-step clock a minor
action that the PC took during campaign goal or moderate
the previous week. advantage. 20-step clock moderate
2. Follow the basic procedure until campaign goal or significant
the PC resolves their action, advantage. A 40-step clock is an epic
transitioning to other procedures or campaign-changing achievement.
as appropriate.
3. If the downtime action is Downtime actions
completed, resolve it and change Recovery: You may visit a physicker,
the situation accordingly. apothecary or priest for healing, if
you have a relationship with one.
Repeat the cycle for each PC. They roll their appropriate
proficiency. On a failure, recover 2d6
Walls & branches HP. On a partial success, recover 4d6
HP. On a full success, recover 6d6 HP.
Downtime actions can have walls and
branches. Walls are points at which a Training: You may train with a sage,
PC cannot advance in their clock until master or expert, if you have a
they perform a task. Branches are relationship with one. To do so, you
points at which the clock ends must have a spare proficiency slot
prematurely, and the PC is presented available. The downtime clock is
the option to continue with one of a equal to two ticks for each proficiency
number of new clocks. slot that will be dedicated to the
proficiency when you complete your
Downtime checks training. For example, to train from
Make an ability check using an ability Mastery +2 to Mastery +3, you’ll
or proficiency relevant to the require an 8-tick clock. But, for
downtime action. Some downtime example, to train in horse riding for
actions require a specific proficiency the first time, it will require a 2-tick
in order to perform them; this is in clock.
the description. This is known as a
downtime check. Non-magical Research: If you have
the non-magical research proficiency,
On a failure, tick one section of the you may perform non-magical
downtime clock and describe a research. Specify what you want to
complication. On a partial success, research, and find a trove of

48
 Downtime

your god is impressed, you may be

granted piety in addition.

Collect Intelligence: If you have the

rumourmongering proficiency, you
may seek intelligence. Decide what
information you seek, from whom you
are trying to gain it, and how you are
going to attempt to get them to tell
you. The referee will tell you if these
people can provide you with the
information required before you
commence the action. Spend your
downtime check x 25gp. The referee
may choose to roll secretly on the
player’s behalf. On a failure, two
pieces of ambiguous or misleading
information. On a partial success, one
piece of ambiguous or misleading
information and one true piece of
information. On a full success, solid
intelligence.

Cultivate Relationship:
Relationships are always consecutive
branching clocks, with at least four
ticks per clock. For friendships, these
clocks are Acquaintances, Associates,
Friends, and Intimates. For romantic
relationships, these clocks are
information relevant to the topic at Attention, Flirtation, Flings, Lovers,
hand, for example, a specialist library. Paramours.
The referee will create a clock out of
sight, and tell you when and if your The referee can create clocks for
trove is exhausted. specific relationship or relationship
goals, for example “Prove My Worth
to Captain Urutangi” might be
Spiritual Devotion: If you have the Suspicious, Neutral, Deliberating,
Spiritual Devotions proficiency, you Receptive, reflecting Captain
may seek connection with a greater Urutangi’s disposition when first
power. Specify a goal and a spiritual encountered. Because Captain
or mystical method through which it
will be achieved (meditation, Uturangi is starting as hostile to the
PC, the first clock may be eight steps
pilgrimage, service, flagellation, or be walled with a specific quest
fasting, alms, gardening, ceremony, before it can progress. Relationship
poetry, etc.). The referee will create a often have walls that cannot be
clock out of sight, and be cryptic advanced past without a specific way
regarding your progress. If a to deepen the bond. One might also
significant milestone is reached, and

49
Downtime

take a free tick for something that the goods and services available
occurs outside of downtime that through the institution free of charge.
deepens the bond. To advance the Typically developing an institution
clock on a relationship, the player takes 6-ticks and cost varies by how
says how their character is significant the institution is. An
strengthening the bond between inconsequential institution costs
them. The referee will judge if this 250gp per roll, minor 1000gp,
makes sense. middling 2500gp, major 5000gp,
influential 10 000gp, and famous 25
Invest in an Institution: To support, 000gp. You can spend half this much
invest in, or develop an institution again as often as you wish for a
(for example a business, temple, or cumulative +1 bonus to your
guild), state how you invest in the downtime check.
institution, and if this investment
requires expenses, spend sufficient Find Someone: When you need to
gold to do so at the referee’s find a someone hard to find, state
discretion. On a failure, progress your what skills you require from them and
clock 1-tick, you hit a wall and how you will approach finding them.
describe a complication. On a partial The referee will create a 3-tick clock.
success, progress your clock by 2- When you complete the clock, you
ticks, and you hit a wall and a find them. If you need them with
complication occurs. On a full urgency, you can take whoever you
success, progress your clock 3-ticks. find. On 1-tick, they may not be who
Generally, speaking, robust support they say they are, and are double
for the institution gives one access to market price and in a hard to reach

50
 Downtime

place. On 2-ticks they may not be who Spend 300gp per downtime roll to
they say they are, and are double procure required materials. The
market price or are in a hard to reach downtime clock is equal to the spell’s
place. The referee will provide you level. Scrolls are light items and are
with details regarding the NPC. expended on use.

Find Buyer: When you need to find a Charge Wand: If you have the
buyer for something hard to sell, state charge wand proficiency, you may
what item you want to find a buyer for imbue arcane syllables into a wand
and how you will approach finding such that it might cast a spell you
them. The referee will create a 3-tick know. You must have a wand in which
clock. A buyer will buy a certain to imbue to spell. Spend 500gp per
category of items only (for example, downtime roll to procure required
magic items, antique furniture, or materials. The downtime clock is
gemstones). When you complete the equal to the spell’s level. Once you
clock you find a buyer who will buy at have charged a wand with a spell, you
a generous price, or one whom you can attempt to charge it with
will be able to utilise again for a additional castings of the spell, at one
similar category without having to additional casting per tick. On a
search for another buyer. If you need failure, the wand cannot hold any
them with urgency, you can take more castings.
whoever you find. On one tick, you
find a seller, but they offer an Create Spellbook: A wizard can
insulting price and only buy such a create a spell book as their magnum
specific niche that they will never buy opus. It costs 1000gp per downtime
from you again. On two ticks you find roll, and will take at least 20 ticks to
a seller, but they offer an insulting be completed, at the discretion of the
price or only buy such a specific referee. You can choose which spells
niche. The referee will provide you to place in the spell book and give it
with details regarding the NPC. an appropriately pompous title.

Study Spellbook: If you have the Instill psionics: If you have the
study spell book proficiency, you may Instill Psionic Power proficiency, you
study a spell book to understand one may instill a psionic power you know
of its spells. You can’t cast the spell into an item of fine quality of your
until you have studied it; the referee choice. If you wish to splice two
will tell you when the spell is learnt. psionic powers together (for example,
Spend 300gp per downtime roll to Contact and Empathic Projection),
procure required materials. The you must buy a Fine (2) item. You
downtime clock is equal to the level must first purchase the items. The
of the spell you are studying. The downtime clock is equal to the initial
number of spells in the spellbook will plus maintenance cost. The psionic
remain a mystery until there are no powers triggers when you use the
further spells to learn. item for its intended use, so choose
your item wisely. You may instill up to
Inscribe Scroll: If you have the your psi pool each week into a fine
inscribe scroll proficiency, you may gemstone of your choice, and use
create a scroll for a spell you know. these points by holding it aloft.

51
Downtime

52
Strongholds & domains

Strongholds power; a sub-faction is a smaller

faction that may not be yet known
Land can be stolen, granted, making a play for the big leagues.
conquered, claimed or purchased.
Local royalty will be able to legitimise
your ownership, if the land hasn't be Domain actions
granted or claimed already. Your Domain actions are special downtime
reputation with the locals will impact actions that you can use only when
your reception considerably. you have a stronghold and an
appropriate lieutenant assigned to
The land attached to your stronghold the action.
generates enough revenue to cover
upkeep and a noble lifestyle for you Each domain action has a clock, and
and your lieutenants, unless the while that clock is ticking, the
referee determines you have holdings lieutenant assigned to that action is
or lifestyle requirements that would unavailable for other actions. Discuss
increase your debt. the implications of the action with
the referee. They will determine with
Domain events you the cost and outcome of the
action, based on what you have in
Your land is affected by random mind, and the diplomatic relations
events. For each week of downtime, you and your domain have with the
the referee will roll 2d6 on the people involved.
domain events table.
For each real-time week, progress
2d6 Domain events your clock by one. Every fourth tick,
2 Natural disaster increase your debt by 1 then make a
3 Major figure in your domain dies, fortune roll. On a failure, your
is imprisoned or exiled progress is halted by a wall or branch,
4 Opposing domain receives a as chosen by the referee. You can
boon unexpectedly withdraw from a domain action but
5 Powerful monster or person gain no advantage.
interferes
6 Sub-faction action Building a stronghold
7 You get a free domain tick Building a stronghold is a domain
8 Public need arises in your action, and the first required for a PC
domain to take other domain actions.
9 Public discovery
10 Your alliances or experts are To construct a stronghold you must
threatened have claim to the land it is on or will
11 Your tools or programs are be on, gold for construction and
threatened access to workers. If you have these
12 A new faction appears things, spend gold and roll fortune.

Most of these are self-explanatory. A Building a stronghold requires a

powerful monster or person is usually number of successes on this fortune
a local wizard or dragon of incredible roll, dependent on the size of the

54
 Strongholds & domains

stronghold. Each attempt costs 12 000 If you have a secretary, you can
GP. provide patronage to someone of
lesser station or to an artist. You can
Type Holdings Ticks also issue decrees or enact laws
Moat house or 3 15 within your domain.
tower
Keep 4 30
Small Castle 5 45
Concentric Castle 6 60

Your stronghold can fit holdings

according to its size. Holdings
available are at the referee's
discretion and grant access to special
resources.

If you wish to claim a preexisting

stronghold, you must refurbish it.
You can do so for a third of the cost
and time it would take to build a
similar stronghold. If you have a chancellor, you can
build a holding to gain access ro a
unique asset, can peculate to gain
For example, riches from your holdings, or invest
Refubishing the Chateau du la your riches into your holdings. To
Dragonne, small castle taken peculate, convert credit to gold at a
from a cruel baron, costs 4000gp rate of 600gp + 1d6 x 100gp per credit.
per tick for 15 ticks. To invest, convert gold into credit at 1
credit per 500gp.
When your stronghold is built or
refurbished, you must appoint a If you have an ambassador, you can
Castellan (a type of lieutenant) to send them to establish a trade route
manage the day-to-day needs of the with a neighbouring or distant
stronghold. You can promote domain with which you have a
hirelings or long-term followers to connection. Once the trade route is
this role. complete, you can trade an existing
unique asset and gain favour with
that domain. You can also appease
Lieutenants your creditors by offering them
You can appoint additional something they need, if you are in
lieutenants for access to special debt.
resources or domains actions, at the
referee’s discretion. However, their If you have a spymaster, you can
wages will increase your debt. engage in intelligence collection or
violent espionage. You can also seed
disinformation and propaganda.

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Strongholds & domains

If you have a marshall, you can raise If your domain is in debt either
battalions to send to war. A marshal appease your creditors, peculate, or
can also be used to take control of a face the consequences. See
holding in or adjacent to your domain lieutenants for details on peculating
to gain access to a unique asset that or appeasing your creditors.
someone else possesses – when this
clock is complete, gain credit each Favour
week and access to a unique asset. Your domain has a diplomatic
standing with every other domain:
When raising battalions, you must Either they owe you favour, or they do
have access to any neccesary not.
resources, and the size of the domain
clock and debt are relative to the type You may spend all your favour with a
of battalion. domain to have them do something
for you for free. Once your favour with
Battalion Debt Ticks a domain is spent, you must earn it
Rabble 1 2 again.
Regulars 2 4
Holdings & unique assets
Elite 4 8
A holding is a location or faction that
Engine 6 12 possesses a unique asset. A unique
Strike force 8 16 asset is a named thing that can be
traded or used, such as an air
shipyard, a lake of acid, a portal to
Domain economics another dimension, or battalion of
griffon-knights.
Your domain earns credit each season
for each unique asset it can trade Unique assets can be used in war, as
along a trade route and for holdings bargaining tools in negotiations, for
in the domain. trade to generate credits, or whatever
else makes sense for those assets.
Debt & credit
Engaging in or succeeding at certain
domain actions increases your War
domain's debt. War is waged primarily through
sending battalions of soldiers into
Track your credit and debt on your battle for you.
character sheet. At the end of each
season, balance your books: subtract When you issue an order to a
debt from credit. If the difference is battalion, tell your general. They will
negative, you're in debt; if positive, report back to you when the order has
you're in credit. been resolved. Orders are usually
along the lines of “Send Eagle and
If your domain is in credit either Falcon Battalions to take Saint
peculate or keep the remaining credit Garifods”. The battalion will follow
for next season. the order as best it can.

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 Strongholds & domains

Types of battalions
There are several types of battalions:
rabble, regulars, elites, strikeforces
and engines.

A battalion of rabble has 1 move, 1

power, but 0 power before any other
battalion. These are untrained but
armed people.

A battalion of regular troops has 1

move, 1 power; these are typically
trained and outfitted troops.

An elite battalion has 1 move, 2

power; these are things like mounted
knights or trained archers.
Battalion movement A strike force has 2 move, 1 power,
Battalions move every real-time week. and can move through certain
If battalions of opposing sides end a difficult terrain. They can also
week in the same county, they battle. perform special operations. These are
Most battalions can’t move through dragon-riders, bladesingers or
difficult terrain. 1 move for a adventuring parties.
battalion is one county.
An engine moves every other week,
The referee tracks the movement of but has 3 power. These are things like
battalions during downtime, siege trains, olyphant riders or flying
including non-player battalions. fortresses.
Battle For example,
To battle, compare power. If power is Union of furious farmers (rabble,
equal, the attacker is forced back. If 1 move, 1 untrained power)
one side’s power is greater, all
battalions on the side with less power Red Street Regulars (regulars, 1
are destroyed. move, 1 power)
Lord Cabaleros’ Cavalry (elite, 1
A successful battle allows the winner move, 2 power)
to lay claim to the county as part of Griffon-riders of Montan Peak
their domain once peace has been (strike force, 2 move, 1 power,
sued for, along with access to its flight over mountain or water)
holdings and potential trade routes.
Strike force operations
If a battle is resolved, a player’s
general reports the results A strike force operation is a specific
immediately. action a strike force takes in order to
achieve a win in battle, irregardless of

57
Strongholds & domains

opposing power. Make a fortune roll,

with advantage if the strike force has
a specific advantage. On a full
success, the battle is won. On a partial
success, the battle takes no losses,
regardless of outcome. On a failure,
the strike force makes no impact on
the battle, and contributes no power.

A strike force operation is a great

opportunity for a one-shot or for the
PCs to be involved in a battle, on the
field or behind the scenes, aiming for
a particular objective to turn the tide.
This “special episode” can replace the
fortune roll associated with a strike
force.

Suing for peace

To end a war, whether you are on a
losing side, you must formally sue for
peace. Appoint a lieutenant to
perform this duty, and make a fortune
roll. The ambassador will suffice,
although you may appoint a special
lieutenant — a diplomat — with
special knowledge or insight into your
foe for advantage, or offer gifts of
appeasement as you would a creditor.

This is another opportunity for the

PCs to be involved, replacing the
fortune roll associated with suing for
peace with a “special episode”.

Allegiance
If you do not wish to be lord of a
domain, you may offer allegiance to a
lord – either a PC or NPC – and if they
accept, become their lieutenant. You
will be given a role such as marshall
or spymaster, and be offered missions
just as any other lieutenant is, which
you will have to play out during game
sessions, perhaps with an alternate
party.

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Running the game

Starting a campaign the longer your campaign continues.

As your map expands, it is necessary
A campaign is a series of game to split it into counties, to facilitate
sessions that take place in a detailed domain play and war. Turning your
passionate world, developed with the hex map into a domain map is not
players, where desire, probability, urgent, but it’ll become necessary by
intrigue and virtue combine to create about ninth-level.
unexpected situations and events.
When you’re ready to do so, break
In this world, there are many PCs your hex map into counties 3-5 hexes
playing adventure modules in both in size, according to local politics and
parallel and serial, often by the same resources. Attach known or new
players. factions to each of these counties,
and give them all strongholds and
The actions of these PCs change the holdings according to their
progression of world events, and the strongholds (although their holdings
progression of world events affect the may be secret to the PCs).
PCs.
Your campaign calendar
To start a campaign, choose a pre- A campaign calendar is a real-time
existing campaign starter with a calendar, divided into 52 weeks rather
town, countryside, and dungeon, such than months or days. Populate it with
as Against the Cult of the Reptile God, holidays and events as per your living
or the Village of Hommlet, or follow world prep. You can simply purchase
the procedure in the workbook in the a 52 week planner to help you with
appendix to create your campaign this; you don’t need anything fancy.
world together.
Each time you complete preparation,
Some players may be reluctant to be sure the record of what happened
collaborate on building the campaign, — PC and NPC actions, world events
wary of spoilers. The nature of the both off and on-screen — is written in
game means that once control of the the calendar. It helps to colour code
campaign world has passed to the or highlight different types of event,
referee, the chance of being spoiled so it’s easier to track across the whole
ends quickly, as the outcomes of the calendar.
PCs' actions become the source of
tension.
Running a session
From the end of the first session, The referee's job is to generously and
change is inevitable, and any truthfully say what every thing and
familiarity will turn to excitement every one in the world, except the
about how things will be twisted by PCs, says and wants to do. The referee
the PCs' impact. needs to prepare for the campaign to
the degree necessary to achieve this.
Building the domain map
As part of the campaign workbook, The referee’s job is also to make
you will create a hex map of your rulings where the rules are not clear
starting area. This is likely to expand

60
 Running the game

or are unknown, and to maintain Referee actions

consistency in doing so. Referee actions are always directed at
a PC unless otherwise stated. The
Clarifying risk referee takes an action when a session
When clarifying the level of risk begins, a scene loses momentum, or
involved in an action, the referee when a roll results in a consequence.
considers the situation the PCs are in,
and the action they are proposing. If When there is a consequence with
there is no risk, the action happens. If direct impact, use one of these:
there is risk, an ability check (or other
roll) is required. 1d10 Direct consequence
1 Foreshadow danger
On a full success, it happens. On a
partial success, it happens and the 2 Increase the level of risk
referee takes an action that does not 3 Escalate the stakes
negate the success. On a failure, it 4 Separate the PCs to face
does not happen and the referee takes temptation alone
an action. 5 Threaten damage
6 Threaten something dear to the
The action the referee takes on a PCs
failure or partial success depends on 7 Limit the impact of the PCs
the level of risk. For a low-risk action, actions
the referee action taken in response 8 Take away an opportunity
should be to foreshadow danger, to
increase the level of risk, or to 9 Introduce a complication
escalate the stakes. For a risky action, 10 An NPC does something
the referee can take any action to impactful
threaten the PCs or their agenda. For
a high-risk action, the referee should If no immediate consequence is
take an action that will cause harm to apparent, use one of these:
the PCs or their agenda.
1d6 Indirect consequence
Player goals
1 Offer an opportunity at a cost
The referee and the players share the
following goals: 2 Give what the PCs earnt
3 Tell a secret
• Let the PCs' goals drive the story 4 Show the impact of the PCs
• Let the consequences of the PCs' actions
actions change the world 5 Cut to the action
• Hold your plans lightly 6 Something happens off-screen
• Describe the world truthfully
• Maintain the world’s integrity Critical successes are simply
consequences that have positive
• Maintain the integrity of the rules results. If no critical success is
and any rulings apparent, use one of these:
• Bring the rules to life on-screen

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Running the game

1d6 Critical success • Campaign prep the campaign is

1 Offer an opportunity at no cost infinitely expanding. Do this as
2 De-escalate the stakes little or as much as you wish.
3 Double any damage caused
For all of these, it is useful to keep is a
4 Magnify the impact of the PCs campaign history history (i.e. A
actions record of what the PCs did in session,
5 Bring the PCs back together how the world responds, and what
6 A deus ex machina appears happens in the background).

Whenever a PC or NPC acts on a piece

Five things you should never do of prep, add it to your campaign
1. Don’t prepare plots; instead, calendar, your map, enshrining it as
prepare powderkeg situations part of your world.
2. Don’t block the players; instead,
say yes, if they can first do this. Response prep
3. Don’t make the PCs look When doing response prep for a
incompetent when they roll session that just happened, simply let
badly; instead, make their foes the world change in the PCs' wake.
look badass Each PC likely changed the world in
4. Don’t overcomplicate at least one of these ways:
consequences; instead, choose
the simplest logical consequence The PC emptied something, drove
5. Don’t roll twice for the same away someone, or took something
thing; instead, hold the first away. How did it change the world
result until the PCs are in a more permanently and obviously?
desperate position
The PC interacted with an NPC
Preparing for a session who did not die. How did they
change that NPC irrevocably?
There are four types of preparation
you can perform as referee for play. The PC gave something away, told
Don't do all of them at once, and not someone about something or left
every type must be done after every something behind. How did it
session. change the world permanently and
obviously?
• Response prep should take
about ten minutes. Do this The PC chose inaction when
immediately after a session.
action would have helped
• Improv prep should take about someone. How did it change an NPC
ten minutes. Do this between irrevocably?
sessions.
• Living world prep should take Implement these changes
between ten and twenty minutes. immediately if you can, and record
Do this every week or between them in the campaign calendar.
sessions, whatever is longer. Change any maps or map keys.

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Running the game Running the game

Improv prep especially as the campaign becomes

Improv prep is quantum prep, in the more complex:
sense that it doesn’t exist until a PC
or NPC acts on it or reacts to it. Keep 1. Dungeons: Progress the dungeon
your prompts topped up, but delete using the dungeon stocking
things you haven’t used in a while as procedure.
that usually indicates they aren’t 2. NPCs and Factions: Progress
inspiring you. These prompts need to projects randomly or as per your
be generic so you can work them in interest.
easily, but also specific and
interesting to serve as hooks in a 3. PCs: What are the next stages in
pinch. their projects?
4. Rumours: Delete investigated
Top up your improv prompts to six of rumours and progress
each of these, eliminating or uninvestigated rumours using the
modifying any you have used: rumour stocking procedure.
5. Calendar: Create a new a holy
1. Rumours: See stocking rumours day, a celestial occurrence, or a
for more information magical event. Remember that
2. Strange or fantastic locations: different regions will celebrate
Create a visually striking or different religions and festivals,
magical location so as your party moves, you can
introduce different events.
3. Named and sketched NPCs: See
the non-player characters
section. Campaign prep
4. Unique treasures: See the Continue to expand your campaign
treasure section world in discrete chunks between
sessions at a leisurely pace. Pick any
5. Monster transformations: See the of the following, whatever seems
stocking dungeons section most interesting to you at the time:
6. Events: Check your campaign
calendar for events you can • Map out an area adjacent and
incorporate this session similar in size to an already
7. Modules or locations: Review any mapped area
module or location you’re using • Map out a similarly sized area
8. PCs: Review any PC goals or related to a PC after asking them
backgrounds that might be for details about their backstory
relevant to the upcoming session and the area
• Create a villain, important NPC or
Living world prep god
Living world prep consists all the • Create a faction that interacts
moving parts of the world that the with an existing faction but in
PCs do not interact with but which another area (always keep a spare
make the world feel alive. This faction or two up your sleeve in
happens in real time. Progress things case of domain events!)
randomly or as it interests you,

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 Running the game

• Create a faction that is related to Assign them to the wilderness

a PC after asking them for details encounter or wandering monster
• Add an arcane conjunction, table like this:
celestial event or festival to the
real-time calendar 1d20 Encounter rarity
• Add two or three rumours and 1 Very rare
events to an area you have 2-3 Rare
developed to draw PCs or NPCs
there from afar 4-6 Uncommon
• Create a unique magical item and 7-10 Common
its ancient and recent history 11-14 Common
• Make a special random encounter 15-17 Uncommon
table for a terrain that already
exists on your maps 18-19 Rare
• Expand an existing dungeon by 20 Very rare
one to three floors by opening up
blocked passageways You do not have to prepare this in
• Add a dungeon to an existing advance if you’re confident that you
map that doesn’t have one can improvise these, but remember
that on the Type of Encounter table,
For any of these, simply follow the you’ll be asked to know what the
procedures in the worksheet or in the monster’s traces, tracks, and lair are
section on NPCs. like:

1d8 Encounter types

Wilderness encounters
1-4 Nothing
and wandering
5 Monster Traces (Nondirectional
monsters signs such as a shed snakeskin,
an old camp or a victim)
When designing a wilderness or 6 Monster Tracks (directional sign
dungeon area, create a table of eight such as tracks, sounds of
encounters for the area. They are grinding gears or growling)
usually monsters, with rarer monsters 7 Monster (in sight, perhaps not
being more deadly. It’s fine to put 1 or aware)
2 non-combat encounters in there 8 Monster Lair (where the
too! The table of encounters you monster sleeps, hordes, or
create will be rolled on when the thrones)
exploration die result is a 5-6.
Roll on the wandering monster or
Your area will be more memorable if wilderness encounter tables you have
all of these encounters relate to the created when the exploration die
area around them, rather than if they indicates for you to do so.
are isolated with no source in the
environment they will be
encountered in.

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Running the game

Stocking dungeons 1d6 Transformations

Dungeons require restocking after the 1 New Tenants. Use a random
PCs cause a power shift or they spend encounter table from an adjacent
extended time away from the area or the wilderness.
dungeon. Restock areas in the 2 Trappers. After your first
dungeon — be they floors, zones or monster, replace two wandering
lairs — not the entire dungeon. Each monsters with traps instead.
3 Warlords. The first two lair
monsters lord over the monsters
in their adjacent rooms. They are
at war with each other.
4 Dominator. The first lair monster
mind controls all the other
monsters in the area.
5 Burrowed. Any two rooms that
contain the first monster rolled,
will have a new secret passage
connecting them.
6 Hostile Takeover. Roll again for
any empty rooms, on a
wandering monster table from
an adjacent area.
area can have its own wandering
monster and trap tables, or the entire
dungeon can have just the one: It’s up Type of encounter or trap
to you. For each room, roll 1d8 on this table
for the type of encounter or trap:
Here, the transformation table is part
of restocking the dungeon. For each 1d8 Encounter types
room roll on the encounter table for 1-4 Nothing
the dungeon and on the monster and
trap grid. If an entry doesn’t make 5 Monster Traces/Broken Traps:
sense, leave the room empty. Nondirectional signs such as a
Generate treasure as appropriate. trap not reset, a shed snakeskin,
an old camp or a victim.
6 Monster Tracks/Trap Signs:
Transformation table directional sign such as tracks,
The entries are intentionally vague: poison darts on the floor, sounds
Always ask yourself why the of grinding gears or growling.
transformation has occurred and work 7 Monster/Trap: The monster in
it into your new entries. sight (perhaps not aware) or the
trap has triggered and the PC has
to act or be trapped.
8 Monster Lair/Trap Danger Zone:
Where the monster sleeps,
hordes, or thrones. Your foot on
the pressure plate.

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Running the game Running the game

Stocking rumours • What are three aesthetics and

materials they use?
Make a d6 or d8 (depending on size or • What are three magical effects
population) list of rumours for each their weapons use?
area. Rumours are not part of the • What do their scrolls and potions
world until a PC or NPC learns them look like?
or acts on them. • What are the themes of their
technology?
Rumours should be a single sentence,
enticing or interesting, never trivial, Potential treasure themes
and should make sense in the
possession of most anything or Barricade, Ally, Animal, Light, Places,
anyone. Enemy, Self, Vegetation, Civilization,
Dark, Ruler, Body, Servant,
When a PC finds or seeks information, Wilderness, Emotion, Monster, Soul,
roll either fortune or a relevant ability People, Element, Pathways, Requires
check, where a failure indicates that sacrifice, Invert, Secretive origin,
the rumour is false, but leads Specific owner, Subtle, Repurposed,
somewhere interesting; a partial Ugly, Purify the origin, Unease,
success that it is partly true, and leads Precious Metals, Corrupt, Tell a story,
to further secrets; and a full success Corrupt the origin, Natural materials,
that it is true. Heavy, Recognizable, Purify, Protect,
Past, Copy, Create, Exploit, Grow,
Strengthen, Curse, Heal, Reveal,
Once a rumour is part of the world, Weaken, Harm, Mutate, Destroy,
between sessions, when the PCs don’t Future, Solitude, Trick, Harvest, Hide,
follow up on a rumour they’ve learnt, Commune, Isolate, Pride,
roll on the reaction table. Apply the Displacement, Fate, Betrayal,
reaction table’s adjective to modify Empowerment, Communication,
the secret and change how the Faith, Order, Rebellion, War, Vanity,
situation develops, recycling names Beauty, Chaos, Control, Change,
and problems within the area. Youth, Love, Dreams, Glory.
When replacing rumours, recycle
names and problems within the area Factions
as things develop to give the area Factions are groups of people who
more personality. share a similar goal and have
collective power to shape the world
Treasure around them. They might be a
council, coalition, cabal, cartel,
For each potential origin of treasure conspiracy or more. Give them one or
in your world — typically a culture, more of:
organisation, or individual — that
might have artefacts or items in the 1. A goal that will impact the PCs
hoard or treasure, define what makes
their treasure unique: 2. An insignificant sign that they are
impacting the world
• What do their coins look like? 3. A significant warning that they
are close to achieving their goal

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 Running the game

4. An action they can take to derail • A common belief, whom it affects,

the PCs’ plans and how people will act in
5. An action they can take to spur response to it.
the PCs to action
Not all members of a faction, society
For example: or religion will follow that ethos.
They are best used, therefore, as a
The Garrulous Guild of Thieves way to impress upon the PCs the
They seek access to the Vault of overarching attitudes and atmosphere
St. Lemay so that the saint's of an area and its people.
undead soul may ascend to
godhood. Factions in downtime
Thieves throughout the city bear Factions, NPCs and natural
their mark: a jester’s hat. phenomenon do things during
When the Vault is claimed, the downtime, just as the PCs do. If those
undead rise every night in the city things are likely to impact the world
in small but significant numbers, and PCs, the referee should give them
causing fear and unrest in the one or two goals, each with a clock.
population. Each week of downtime, roll a fortune
They can send their thieves to set check for each relevant faction or
traps and thwart the PCs' gains. NPC and progress one of their clocks.
They can frame the PCs for
crimes they did not commit. Factions and NPCs downtime actions
can reflect any goal. Pick the length
of the clock in all fairness. It is less
Faction ethos important to identify specific walls,
Factions, societies and religions have branches and achievements, as often
ethos or a number of ethos, just as
individuals do. Their ethos are
defined by their leaders and their
heroes or gods. Their ethos define
their laws, how those laws are
enforced, and the kind of treatment
people can expect to find in their area
of influence.

Choose three ethos for each faction,

society or religion. These can be the
same for each area of influence, or
similar:

• A law, what drives its enactment,

and how you will show it
enforced.
• A small, common ritual or phrase,
what it means, and when you will
show it enacted.

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Running the game

PCs will not be aware of the outcome NPCs negotiate based on their
of a faction or NPC action until it has desires.
been achieved.
1d20 What the NPCs want
Non-player characters 1 Grovelling
To sketch a walk-on or one-note NPC, 2-3 The PCs to leave now
give them A-DNA: An asset the PCs 4-6 The PCs to come with them
want, a distinguishing trait, what 7-10 Information
they need from the PCs, and an
11-14 Treasure
agenda.
15-17 Help
To portray a significant NPC, add A- 18-19 Entertainment
VOW: A preferred approach, a visage 20 Violence
they falsely present to the world, an
obsession they cannot let go and a
weakness that will always defeat If the PCs dally or there's a stalemate:
them.
1d20 Impatient or stalemated?
Parley 1-3 Attack
4-6 Switch the demands for
If the PCs have to negotiate with higher stakes
NPCs, they are entering a parley. 7-10 Agree to leave each other
Some parleys are straightforward to alone, perhaps until an
roleplay. If a parley promises to be exchange later
contentious, follow the five principles 11-14 Retreat, but will be back and
of parley, and use the three tables to fulfil their threat
assist you when you’re stuck. 15-17 Switch the demands for lower
stakes
Five principles of parley 18-20 Capitulate, and later betray
1. The consequences of a failed
parley should be obvious. NPCs who don't attack you, don't
2. The traits of the NPCs that are attack for a reason:
relevant to the parley should be
obvious and not hidden from the 1d20 Why they don’t attack
PCs.
1 They want something
3. There should be more than one
solution to the parley. 2-3 Unequipped
4. These solutions should be 4-6 Wounded or weakened
challenging, and require coming 7-10 Untrained and uncertain
back, giving up something
important, physical or related to 11-14 Unmotivated or disloyal
the PCs' beliefs. 15-17 Stupid or making an error
5. NPCs leverage their power if they 18-19 Unconfident
outnumber the PCs or have 20 Curiosity
something the PCs want.

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 Running the game

you buy the local stores’ supply of

hemp rope, that last length will
be double the price of the first,
and next time even more so.
5. Shopkeepers think in whole
numbers. Charge double or triple
to sell. Offer half or a quarter of
the price to buy.

Special damages
Fantasy economics There are many special damages that
There are five principles of fantasy are worth mentioning in brief.
economics. Follow these principles to Falling causes 1d6 damage for every
keep shopping interesting. It’s worth 10 feet fallen, with half on a
acting out shopping because successful save vs. poison. Energy
shopkeepers have mouths to feed, and drain reduces a statistic (usually
they’ll routinely charge double or Constitution), which effects future
triple price, or offer a tenth of the ability checks but does not require
value of an item, because their job is any items on the character sheet to be
to squeeze the PCs for all they’re rerolled. Note your original score for
worth. when you recover. Poison has a
strength, an effect, methods and
1. Shopkeepers are people. Give latency. The strength is the number of
them at least A-DNA, and A-VOW d6 damage it causes. The effect is
too if they’re a local who will be whether it debilitates, paralyses, or
met regularly. Shopkeepers can’t slows. The method is whether it
afford to buy things that they requires contact, ingestion, or wound
can’t sell to the people already in The latency is if it occurs in 1d6
their town. If they could afford a minutes, hours, or days. If it is a
1000 GP diamond, it’s at a tenth latent poison, you’re always
the price, and they leave town to debilitated until the final effect
sell it and retire in the city. occurs. Always name poisons.
2. Shopkeepers can’t afford to
give discounts. If they like your Monsters
chances, though they might just Monsters can be categorised as
take a percentage of the treasure natural — simply animals in the
you bring back. campaign world — or mythic — they
3. Shopkeepers can tell if you’re follow story-book rather than
desperate. If you walk into town ecological rules. A giant spider is
looking like adventurers, climbing considered natural; a dragon could be
gear and torches are going to be considered either. It is your choice
at a premium. how you categorise a monster or
4. Shopkeepers sell rare items at whether you want any of a certain
category in your game world.
high prices. The shorter the
supply, the more expensive it is. If

71
Running the game

For a natural monster, always have an most popular fantasy adventure

immediate cause in mind, then the games, except for armour and morale.
distant cause which caused the
immediate one. It may be beneficial to include
information for the referee’s
For the mythic monster, consider how inspiration, on frequency,
the environment and any associated organisation, intelligence, ethos, diet,
monsters will act in concert with it, sleep cycle, climate and habitat,
and what it’s malign intent is. society and ecology, or tactics.

For example, To calculate morale from basic

There is an ursastrix rampaging adventure games, use the table below.
through the farmland, killing the From advanced adventure games, use
dairy cattle that keep the locals in their morale rating, averaging if given
coin. The bear-owl’s diet a range.
consisted easy to catch humming-
bloods, but a local priest ordered Basic morale AFD morale rating
them hunted down and their ≤5 5
nests burnt to prevent further
plague. That plague was being 6-9 10
spread by the humming-bloods, ≥10 15
but only because they’d been used
by a young love-witch who is
gathering blood for love potions To convert an NPCs armour class,
for the youth of the local town. consult the following table. Here,
Corpses of humming-bloods fill “limited” means only applicable to a
the ursastrix’ den and it is pocked single damage type, where
with scars from their proboscis, “mundane” refers to all all three
and there has been a run of common damage types. Applicable to
marriages among the young of the a unique damage type (“lightning” or
town lately, against all the “magical”) counts as the next AC
expectations of the village higher for the purposes of conversion.
gossips.
AC Type Armour
10 None 10 limited
Converting and 9 10 mundane
creating monsters 8 Leather 12 limited
A monster requires the following 7 Studded 12 mundane
statistics:
6 Scale 14 limited
Number appearing, attacks/damage, 5 Chain 14 mundane
save as, armour, hit points, movement 4 16 limited
type, morale, treasure type, special
notes on attacks and defences. 3 Plate 16 mundane
2 18 limited
All numbers are compatible with both 1 Full plate 18 mundane
basic and advanced versions of the

72
 Running the game

Hit Dice are in d8s. If you choose, you ▪ Add magical for creatures
can use the average rather than roll to that possess magical items
generate hit points, by adding the (Types S, T, and V)
number of HD times 4.5 (rounded
down). Secondly, calculate the value of its
treasure, which is equal to 6gp per HP,
To convert a monster’s “save as” or or 3540gp if their treasure is in a
saving throw to a “Safe zone”, choose horde.
relevant areas where the monster has
special strength, and give that a safe Thirdly, ascertain magical items. If it
zone of half their hit dice. This is best is a horde, the creature's treasure will
used analogously so they can be have 1d6 magical items in it. If an
interpreted by the referee easily individual has magical treasure type,
(“mind-powers”, or “breath- roll 2d6 and take the lowest for the
weapons”, or “metabolism”). Safe number of magical items it possesses.
zones always include other things The roll taken, if it's 3 or less, will
that are alike to the description: consist of consumable magical items
“breath-weapons” includes fireballs, such as potions or scrolls. If it is 4 or
or webs, and “poison” includes higher, any additional magical items
diseases and drunkenness, for will be permanent
example. To generate a defy turn
score is calculated as HP, divided by 5, Finally, assign a third of its total value
subtracted from 10. to coins, a third to gems and a third to
art objects. Detail the treasure and
To assign a monster treasure, firstly, any magical items as per the Treasure
assign a treasure type according to its section.
kind (equivalencies to advanced
adventure games are in parentheses): Typically, number of attacks relate
to monster size. Human-sized
▪ Leavings for monsters who creatures get one attack, huge
simply leave a pile of their creatures get two, and giant creatures
victims (Types A to F) get three.
▪ Belongings for large groups of
humanoids, largely consisting The nature of a monster's attacks and
of their everyday livings the size of their attack dice can be
(Types G, I , O, P, R, or W) translated directly, but for the most
▪ Hordes for dragons and other part relates to theme and weapon
similar creatures (Type H) type.
▪ Collections for creatures who Include the monster’s special
collect sparkly things (Type
Q) powers. These can often be related as
spells to be cast per day, or watch, or
▪ Incidental for stuff found on per round. If they are unique, it is best
odd bodies (Types J to N) to give their special powers a chance
▪ Bosses for unique, high-level on a six-sided dice (e.g. a 1-in-6
monsters (Type U) chance).

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 Monster list

Aberrant, many-eyed
A ball of roiling tentacles and eyes,
with one great baleful eye in its
centre, hovering three feet from the
ground.

# 1
Attacks Nil
Defences Nil
Armour 18 mundane (body).
HP 25 (body); 12 (central eye);
2 (each eyestalk)
Morale 18
Treasure Magical
Special Dispelling Ray: All magic
within melee range of the Annis
abberant is negated, unless Witches, twisted and strengthened by
cast from behind the their devotion to power. Disguised
aberrant. often as harmless old ladies, they are
giant, able to crush a gobling in one
Random ray: The abberant hand, are spry and cruel. They often
shoots a prismatic ray from live in covens of three and take
a random eyestalk. If one is minions they can easily cow. They eat
destroyed, randomly cross flesh, and their skin is black as if it
one off the list: 1. Charm; were melted by hellfire. Their eyes are
2. Sleep; 3. Telekinesis; 4. green like the deepest ocean.
Flesh to stone; 5.
Disintegrate; 6. Fear; 7. # 1d3
Slow; 8. Cause serious
wounds; 9. Death ; 10. Attacks 2 x 2d4 (talons) + 2d8 (iron
Laughter. teeth)
Defences Safe zone 8 (devilry)
Armour Nil
HP 80
Morale 15
Treasure Magical
Special Change self at will.
Coven: A coven can cast
control weather, dream,
animate dead, curse, and
polymorph other once per
day. They use these to
weave wicked plots, rather
than for combat.

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Monster list

Bear, cave
Huge, aggressive, grey-furred and can
see well in dim light. They’ll never
stop tracking you if you invade their
home.

# 1d2
Attacks 2 x claw (1d3), 1 x bite
(1d6)
Defences Safe zone 3 (steel)
Armour 12 bludgeoning (hide)
HP 27
Morale 9
Treasure Leavings
Special Bear hug: If a victim is hit
by both paws in the same
round, the bear hugs for an
extra 2d8 automatic
damage.
Last Stand: When reduced
to 0 HP, continues to attack
for 1d4 rounds.

Bearblin
Hulking, yeti-like, with red, bristling
fur. They have a bearlike snout and
long, upright ears.

# 2d4
Attacks 2d4 fists or by weapon
Defences Nil
Armour 14 mundane (chain mail)
HP 16
Morale 12
Treasure Belongings
Special Infravision

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 Monster list

Brain-hound
A brain, with four, scaly lacertine
limbs. They "see" psychic activity and,
if well fed, make excellent watchdogs.
When left hungry, they're known to
feed on their masters, so keep one at
your own risk.

# 1d2
Attacks 4 x 1d4 (claws)
Defences Safe zone 3 (psychic
intrusion)
Armour Nil
HP 33
Morale 17
Treasure Collection
Special Shrink: Can psionically
shrink self and crawl up Cerbereus
the target’s nose while Shaggy, blood-red fur; glowing, red
they sleep, devouring their eyes; brimstone breath. Their
brain from within and pawprints burn into stone, and their
replacing it. They then baying sets fear into any heart. They
animate the body from hunt cleverly for prey they are
within. summoned to kill; they play with
their prey whether or not they have
Manifest powers as a been summoned.
fourth-level psionicist,
once per watch. # 2d4
Attacks 2d4 bite. On a critical hit,
they grasp onto their
target and breathe fire
(+3d6).
Defences Safe zone 3 (fire, devilry)
Armour Nil
HP 25
Morale 13
Treasure Leavings
Special Breathe flame. Once per
day, they can breathe flame
in an area of effect for 3d6
damage.
3-in-6 chance of locating
invisible creatures by nose.

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Monster list

Cobold
Cunning, child-sized beagle-folk,
smell like wet dog. Their diminutive
size and relative fragility means they
rely on kowtowing, ambush, traps,
trained or trapped animals and
alliances to survive. Never a fair fight.

# 5d4
Attacks 1d4 (club) or 1d6 (blade)
Defences Nil
Armour 12 piercing & slashing
(leather and hide)
HP 2
Morale 8
Treasure Belongings
Special Winged boggarts are
occasionally born of cobold
mothers; they appear as
cobolds, but are winged
and scaled. These children
of dragons are holy and
upstanding members of
the cobold community.

Cyclops
Eight feet tall, with deep blue hair, a
rough voice, and a single, bloodshot
eye.

# 1d4
Attacks 1d6 + 1d6 (club) or 6d6
(hurl boulder)
Defences Nil
Armour Nil
HP 58
Morale 16
Treasure Leavings
Special Disadvantage on boulder
throws due to poor depth
perception.

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 Monster list

Dendrobate
Human-sized bipedal, multicoloured
frog-folk.

# 1d8 x 10
Attacks 1 x by weapon (+1d6
venom)
Defences Nil
Armour 14 mundane (Scale)
HP 4
Morale 10
Treasure Belongings
Special Leaping strike: Gain
advantage if striking after
a leap between ranges.
Poison: Slimy sweat is
poisonous if ingested (3d6
damage, 2d6 hours latency,
hallucinations). Demon
Six-armed, snake-tailed giants of
apocalyptic renown, arrive at
battlefields at the turn of the tide, to
wreak
havok.
# 1
Attacks 6 x 1d8 (or by weapon)
Defences Safe zone 6 (steel)
Armour Can only be harmed by
magical weapons;
Resistance (wizardly
magic)
HP 72
Morale 18
Treasure Magical
Special Constrict: Save vs. steel or
be wrapped in a
constricting tail, causing
4d8 damage per round.
Can cast comprehend
language, detect
invisibility, polymorph self
and telekenesis at will.

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Monster list

Devil
Humanoid, red-skinned, well-dressed.
Their suit hides giant bat wings and
their smile reveals shark-sharp teeth.
Their tail is tipped with spines and
their claws are razors. They come to
fulfil your greatest wishes.

# 1
Attacks 1d4 +1d4 (claws) +2d4
(bladed tail)
Defences Safe zone 3 (steel);
resistance (wizardly magic)
Armour +1 or better weapons to hit
HP 36
Morale 11
Treasure Nil
Special Dive: If flying, dive from a
height to inflict double
damage with both claws.

Can cast change self,

command, produce flame
once per turn.

Regenerating: Recovers 1
HP each round,.

Dimensional dingo
Dingo-like, highly intelligent canines.

# 4d4
Attacks 1d6 (bite)
Defences Nil
Armour Nil
HP 13
Morale 11
Treasure Nil
Special Blink: On a failed PC attack
roll, they disappear and do
not reappear until their
next attack.

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 Monster list

Doppelganger
Hairless, grey, eyes pupilless and
huge. When stressed, change their
form instinctively and emotionally.

# 3d4
Attacks As weapon
Defences Immunity (charm, sleep)
Armour As armour
HP 18
Morale 13
Treasure Collection
Special ESP at will.
Mimic: Can imitate its
target with incredible
accuracy, even to their
closest loved ones.

Dragon, crimson
Covetous and greedy, bloated and
obsessive, exceptionally vain, their
scales glossy scarlet and their eyes
intelligent. They make their lairs in
ruined dungeons atop mountains or
great hills.

# 1
Attacks 1d10 + 1d10 (claws) + 3d10
(bite)
Defences Safe zone 7 (steel);
immunity (fire).
Armour 67 mundane (scaly hide)
HP 37
Morale 17
Treasure Horde
Special Fire breath: 12d10 +6 to all
in area of effect, save vs.
ill-fortune for half damage.
Has two first-level and one
second-level wizardly
spells memorised.

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Monster list

Dragonisle
The shell of a dragonisle resembles a
small, rocky island, often complete
with tropical flora. They float in the
ocean, sleeping for long periods of
time, only waking to feed on huge sea
creatures, or more often, ships.

# 1
Attacks 2d6 + 2d6 (claws) + 4d8
(bite)
Defences Safe zone 7 (Steel)
Armour 57 magical (shell only)
HP 57
Morale 17
Treasure Horde
Special Capsize ship: 3-in-6
chance to capsize ship on
an attempt.
Scalding breath: 20d6 heat
damage in area of effect,
save vs. Ill-fortune for half.
(can use again on 2-in-6). Drisheen
A human-sized mass of reddish black
cells, moving slowly but inexorably
towards the heat generated by
animals or plants. Cutting one splits
it into two of half the size.

# 1
Attacks 3d8 (pseudopod)
Defences Immune to acid, cold, and
poison
Armour Nil
HP 45
Morale Nil
Treasure Nil
Special Dissolves 2 inches of wood
in 1 round, 2 inches of
light metal or chain in 2
rounds, and 2 inches of
thick metal or plate in 3
rounds.

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 Monster list

Elemental, flame
Fierce, vaguely-humanoid bonfire.
Resentful, direct and savage when
pulled from their flame-world. Their
eyes are white-hot.

# 1
Attacks 3d8 (flame whip)
Defences Safe zone 6 (steel), safe
zone 3 (magic); immunity
(fire)
Armour Nil
HP 70
Morale 17
Treasure Nil
Special Unable to cross bodies of
water.
Hypnotise: Their dance is Fishlord, elder
alluring and their form Loathsome, ancient, precursor
appears as whatever the sucker-walking fish with vile
watcher most desires. Save intelligence and psionic powers.
vs. domination or stand in
awe for 1d4 turns, # 2d4
oblivious to the burning
carnage around you. Attacks 3 x d8 (tentacles)
Defences Safe zone 4 (psionic)
Armour 16 slashing & bludgeoning
(slime)
HP 27
Morale 13
Treasure Magical
Special Poison tentacles: Save vs.
transformation or your
skin transforms into a
slimy membrane that must
be kept damp or suffer 1d4
damage per turn.
Illusory lures: Can create a
realistic, multisensory
illusion at will.
Dominate: Can dominate a
creature in reach range
three times per day.

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Monster list

Flail jaguar
Huge, black jaguar. They have
tentacles with tooth-like growths
extruding from the ends. They
shudder in your vision as it snarls.

# 1d4 +1
Attacks 2d4 + 2d4 (tentacles) or
bite at claws (1d4 +1d4 +
1d8)
Defences Safe zone 3 (steel)
Armour 14 mundane (hide)
HP 13
Morale 13
Treasure Leavings
Special Illusory position: 3-in-6
chance the flail jaguar is
not actually there when
you strike it.

Fungoid
Shrunken humanoids with leaf-like
tendrils and thorn-like claws. The
product of a mahogany mold
infection. They communicate in a
language of drumming, having no
speech.

# 6d4
Attacks By weapon or 1d4 (thorn-
claws)
Defences Safe zone 3 (fungus);
immunity to electricity and
charm.
Armour 13 piercing (sturdy plant-
flesh)
HP 13
Morale 8
Treasure Belongings
Special Camouflage: In their
chosen habitats, they are
coloured to blend into
their surroundings, gaining
advantage on hiding.

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 Monster list

Gargouiille
Stone-skinned imps, collectors of
shinies, most often found squatting in
ruins or acting as guards or
messengers. They are ambush-
predators: Disguised as sculptures,
then swooping down from above or
behind.

# 2d8
Attacks 1d6 (claws) + 1d6 (bite)
Defences +1 magical weapon to hit
Armour 16 slashing, piercing (stone
carapace)
HP 19
Morale 11
Treasure Collection
Special Swoop. Double damage if
attacking from above.

Ghul
Living humans: infected with a
disease of undeath, their minds
instilled with the guile of pack
animals, and a thirst for marrow. If
you’re bitten and survive, you become
a ghul yourself.

# 2d12
Attacks 2d3 (claws) or 1d6 (bite)
Defences Defy turn 8
Armour Nil
HP 9
Morale 11
Treasure Leavings
Special Paralysing claws: Save vs.
poison or be paralysed for
2 +1d6 rounds.
Infectious bite: Save vs.
poison if bitten; on a fail,
you will become a ghul at
next new moon.

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Monster list

Gobling
Child-sized, big-eared, gleeful, green-
skinned, squeaking things with a
nasty and clever humour. They live in
huge extended family networks,
where they make all they need from
everything they can steal.

# 4d6
Attacks 1d6 (short sword) or as
weapon)
Defences Nil
Armour 12 slashing & piercing
(leather armour)
HP 3
Morale 10
Treasure Belongings
Special Infravision. They prefer the
dark.
Golem
A perfect ceramic sculpture. Often
painted, although usually faded by
age. Human-sized or a bit larger, they
move carefully. Their clothes are part
of their flesh.

# 1
Attacks 3d10 fists
Defences Safe zone 5 (domination);
immunity (sleep, charm,
anything that would not
affect clay)
Armour Can only be harmed by
blunt or magical weapons
HP 49
Morale 19
Treasure Nil
Special Cast haste on self, once per
day.
Not prone to shattering by
normal means, but
vulnerable to magical
shattering.

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 Monster list

Gorgo
Beautiful, snake-haired woman. Her
eyes are a pale grey, as if they were
made of stone...wait, what’s
happening to me? A gorgo’s home is
full of statuary and flickering lights;
they live a life of luxury, masked such
that they have the care of servants
who fear them for what their
vengeance will be.

# 1
Attacks As weapon + 1d4
(snakebites)
Defences Nil
Armour As armour
HP 27
Morale 13
Treasure Belongings
Special Gaze: The gorgo reveals
their eyes, and the target
must make a save vs.
transformation or be
turned to stone.

Hobknoblin
Red-skinned, richly-dressed,
gluttonous and arrogant, these
mercenaries live only to fight.

# 2d10
Attacks By weapon
Defences Nil
Armour 14 mundane (chain mail)
HP 5
Morale 11
Treasure Belongings
Special Nil

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Monster list

Hrimavolk giant
Ivory-skinned, blonde-haired hunters,
wear chain mail decorated with beast
horns, feathers, or pelts of past
quarries. They adore anything gilden
or bejewelled

# 1d8
Attacks 2d8 + 9 (great axes or
mighty hammers) or 2d10
(boulder hurl)
Defences Safe zone 7 (steel);
immunity (cold)
Armour 14 mundane (chain mail)
HP 47
Morale 13
Imp
Treasure Belongings
Two-feet tall, winged, humanoid with
Special Catch: 2-in-6 chance goat horns and scorpion tails, formed
they’ll catch a boulder of elemental matter. They are born of
thrown at them. ice, lava, mist, smoke or steam.
Mischievious and wicked, but in banal
ways. Often familiars, but their
powers make them good domestic
servants or spies.

# 1
Attacks 1d4 + 1d4 (claws)
Defences Safe zone 1 (devilry);
immunity (attacks based
on the substance from
which they were born, i.e.
cold for an ice imp)
Armour Nil
HP 13
Morale 8
Treasure Collection
Special Shapechage to the form of
a raven, rat, or goat.
Invisibility at will.
Elemental burst: When
struck, a burst of their
matter causes 1d4 damage
to their attacker.

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 Monster list

Jelly scavenger
Giant amoebas of transparent jelly,
they slide down corridors absorbing
carrion and trash. They leave a slimy
trail, but cannot climb walls or cling
from ceilings. Usually visible due to
indigestibles stuck in them, which
appear as if levitating: Swords, wands,
and the like.

#
Attacks 2d4 damage per round
while inside
Defences Nil
Armour Nil Jinn
HP 18 Richly dressed giants, their steps and
Morale 10 gestures like heat rippling on the
horizon. They live in their world of
Treasure Leavings magical sculptures and floating
islands. Some visit our world while
Special Paralysing touch: Save vs adventuring. When bound, will grant
poison or be paralysed for three wishes.
5d4 rounds.
# 1
Attacks 2d8 (absurdly large
scimitar)
Defences Safe zone 3 (steel)
Armour 21 magical
HP 31
Morale 13
Treasure Nil
Special Whirlwind, at will. Obeys
commands, can be ridden
as a horse for up to six
people, and attacks for 2d6
damage per round.
Create food, water, wine,
soft goods, wooden items,
metal or illusions at will.
If captured will grant three
wishes. Upon the third
wish they must be freed, or
else a battalion of jinn will
ride to free them.

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Monster list

Jotun
Swollen, red-skinned, two pig-like
bickering faces. Highwaymen that
feed on their victims.

# 1
Attacks 2d8 + 3d6 (two spiked
clubs)
Defences Nil
Armour As armour
HP 45
Morale 14
Treasure Collection
Special Never surprised. Kraken
A squid whose entire body constitutes
many battlefields, that crushes 60-
foot ships with impunity, that wields
wicked intelligence and summons the
storm.

# 1
Attacks 2 x 3d6 (barbed tentacle) +
7d4 (gaping maw) + 6 x 2d6
(grasping tentacles)
Defences Safe zone 10 (steel)
Armour 14 mundane (carapace)
HP 81 (body) 18 (each
tentacle)
Morale 18
Treasure 1d6 entire sunken ships
Special Crush: On a failed save
against grasping tentacles,
you are constricted for 3d6
damage per round and are
carried with the Kraken
(perhaps underwater).
Ink cloud: If 3+ tentacles
are severed, they will
retreat, releasing an ink
cloud Any in the cloud
cannot see, and recieve 2d4
damage each round they
remain in the cloud.

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 Monster list

Lacertite
Very tall, bipedal Komodo dragons.
Isolationist. Religious. Foreigners
must be kept out, to protect the
hatchlings.

# 1d8 +7
Attacks 1d6 (bite) + as weapon
Defences Nil
Armour As armour
HP 11
Morale 14
Treasure Belongings
Special Nil

Leech, giant
Bloated, many-toothed, sucker-
mawed slime-slug. They live in fetid
and dark swamp-water and sewers.

# 4d4
Attacks 1d4 (maw)
Defences Nil
Armour Nil
HP 13
Morale 7
Treasure Leavings
Special Sucker: After a successful
attack; latches on;
thereafter, it sucks 3HP per
turn of blood. There is only
1-in-6 chance of the target
noticing due to
anaesthetising saliva,
although they may notice
the huge weight of the
leech as they try to move.

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Monster list

Laughing folk
Hyena-faced, spotted, and maned.
Their language sounds like your
laughter, but crueller. A society built
on betrayal will never prosper, but
they will come together for payout or
a feed, in a fearful swarm that deafens
the land with their foul cackling.

# 2d6
Attacks 2d6 (polearm, battle axe, or
morning star)
Defences Nil
Armour 14 chain mail (mundane)
HP 9
Morale 11
Treasure Belongings Lich-drake
Special Deafening cackle: If 5 or A rotting dragon-corpse, with
more Laughing Folk are galaxies for eyes. Sometimes,
near, none within area of desperate dragons seek the same
effect can communicate power evil wizards do through
verbally due to the lichdom; they become something
cacophony of their more empty, colder, and
laughter. crueller.
# 1
Attacks 2 x 1d6 (claws) + 3d6 (bite)
Defences Safe zone 6 (steel); defy
turn -1; immunity (charm,
sleep, anything else for
which it would not make
sense to affect the dead)
Armour 16 magical (imbued scales)
HP 54
Morale 19
Treasure Horde
Special Immune to all magic of
fifth-level or lower.
Fear aura: As fear spell,
affects entire battlefield.
Flesh-rotting breath: Save
vs. poison or lose half your
hit points; lose one quarter
on a success.

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 Monster list

Lichknight
A knight built like an ogre, its face a
blackened skull and its eyes glowing
coals. Its armour is burnt black and its
death echoes as if in a cavern. It can
always speak your language.

# 1
Attacks 2 x d10+2 (magical two-
handed sword)
Defences Safe zone 6 (wizardly
magic, steel); defy turn -1
Armour 18 mundane (full plate)
HP 49
Morale 17
Treasure Magical
Special Aura of fear: When you
come within melee range
of the Death Knight, there
is a 5-in-6 chance that you
will flee uncontrollably.
Power word, Blind, as spell,
once per day.
Fireball: 10d6, as spell,
once per day. Manscorpion
Noble, rigid scorpion-centaurs, living
in great inverted cities and citadels.

# 4d4
Attacks As weapon + 1d4 (tail)
Defences Nil
Armour 14 mundane (carapace)
HP 18
Morale 13
Treasure Belongings. Almost always
have a magical munane
tool on their belt (e.g. a
magical, wall-shattering
hammer).
Special Tail sting: Any hit from the
tail must save vs. poison or
die in 2d4 rounds. On a
success, they lost 2d4 HP
and convulse for 1 round.

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Monster list

Minotaur
Big, bull-headed men, erudite and
bluff. In the distant past they were
imprisoned in labyrinths for sport,
but now they are known as sailors and
pirates.

# 4d4
Attacks As weapon + 2d4 (horns)
Defences Safe zone 3 (Being lost)
Armour As armour
HP 27
Morale 13
Treasure Belongings
Special Nil

Mold, dungeon
Some molds pose a deadly threat, but
are more hazards than monsters.

Chestnut mold is a creeping

quivering fur. It is foreshadowed by a
sudden chill and drains heat equal to
4d8 points of damage from any who
touch it. It grows quickly from heat.
Proximity to a torch will double its
size each round.

Mahogany mold has the texture of

cold porridge, and can only be
removed with salt, acid or alcohol. It
releases a cloud of spores when
touched that cause 5d4 damage per
round in the cloud. On a failed save
vs. poison they are infected with
spore sickness (see Moldman).

Golden mold is rough and coralish.

It is vulnerable to extreme cold. If
touched it releases a cloud of
extremely flamable spores, which will
cause 5d4 damage if ignited.
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 Monster list

Mole-mantis
Borrowing monstrous insect, with six
hooked burrowing legs and yellow
chitinous shell. Sensitive antennae.
# 1d6
Attacks 3d6 (crushing bite) + 1d4
(acid)
Defences Nil
Armour 18 mundane (not on belly)
HP 16
Morale 9
Treasure None
Special Enzyme spray: Spray acidic
stomach enzymes as a
ranged attack, 8d4 damage.
Save vs. poison for half.
Tremor sense: Can feel
vibrations of prey half a
mile away.

Mole-orca
Blue and brown orca with clawed feet,
and a rocky dorsal fin that mimics a
stone when at rest. They rely on
vibrations to sense their prey up to a
mile away, but often sit still with their
fins above ground, waiting to ambush.
# ½ x d4
Attacks 4d8 (bite)
Defences Safe zone 4 (steel)
Armour 40 mundane (back only)
HP 10
Morale 11
Treasure Scraps
Special Crushing leap. Leap
between ranges to inflict
3d6 crushing damage;
pinned beneath the Mole-
orca

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Monster list

Ocypete
Beautiful, lovely haired girls with
sparrow wings. They dance upon
storm winds, stealing food and
trinkets. If threatened, their faces
twist, their bodies become as vultures,
and their eyes drip with hateful tears.

# 2d6
Attacks 2d6 (claws)
Defences Nil
Armour Nil
HP 30
Morale 10
Treasure Collection
Special Song: Any who hear an
ocypete’s song becomes
calmed, and approaches
the ocypete in awe. The
charm ceases if the ocypete
attacks.

Ogre
Nine-feet tall, heavily muscled
humanoids built like brick outhouses.
They are typically characterised as
greedy brigands or mercenaries,
although there are rumours of ogre
civilisations with great beauty and
magic.
# 2d10
Attacks 1d10 (club)
Defences Nil
Armour As armour
HP 22
Morale 11
Treasure Belongings
Special Nil

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 Monster list

Orq
Pig-faced folk, with glinting red eyes.
A people like any other, but weighed
down with a reputation for violence
after a great war many centuries ago.

# 3d10
Attacks 1d8 (axe) or as weapon
Defences Nil
Armour 14 mundane (scale)
HP 5
Morale 11
Treasure Belongings
Special Nil

Ore-eater
A giant blind crickets with a raised
tail that resembles a television
antenna. They sense the vibrations in
metal and oxidise it for sustenance.
They are not aggressive unless
provoked, but are the bane of miners.

# 1d2
Attacks Special
Defences Safe zone 2 (steel)
Armour 14 mundane (carapace)
HP 11
Morale 9
Treasure Nil
Special Oxidizer: Sprays a mist at
someone or something in
melee range, causing steel,
iron or alloys that rust to
rust.
Single-minded: 2-in-6
chance it will stop to eat
rusted metal even during
combat.

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Monster list

Phanin
Giant snakes with human heads and
prismatic scales and spined crests
that rise up when angry. Long-lived,
studious and never-sleeping, they
often serve as oracles and sages.

# 1
Attacks 2d4 (bite)
Defences Safe zone 5 (wizardly
magic or devilry)
Armour 12 piercing & slashing
(scales)
HP 42
Morale 15
Treasure Collection
Special Poison spit: On a failed
save vs. poison, die in 1d4
rounds.
Psimole
Small, white, star-nosed moles that
burrow through stone and dirt. They
feed on psionic energy, using their
innate psionic powers.

# ½ x d6
Attacks Nil
Defences Nil
Armour Nil
HP 1
Morale 5
Treasure Nil
Special Psychic drain: Can drain a
creature they touch of
their psi pool, at a rate of
10 psi pool per round. This
is painless, and occurs
typically during sleep. No
sign is left beside not
recovering your psi pool
during a rest, and a star-
shaped mark on your
forehead.

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 Monster list

Skeleton
Battered or rotting flesh hanging off
them, or polished and in suits, they
are still just cackling bones with no
speech and few wits.

# 3d10
Attacks 1d6 (as weapon)
Defences Defy turn 9; immunity
(sleep, charm, hold, and
cold)
Armour 18 bone,(piercing and
slashing)
HP 3
Morale Follow orders without
question.
Treasure Nil
Special Revivifying: If their skull is
not smashed to dust after
they are reduced to 0 HP, Spider, giant
they will rise again in a A red-crested spide that could wrap a
bony clatter the next turn. full-sized human in its arms. They
spin webs around their paralysed prey
to let them ripe before drinking their
flesh.

# 1d8
Attacks 1d8 (bite)
Defences Nil
Armour Nil
HP 23
Morale 13
Treasure Leavings
Special Venom: Save vs. poison or
be paralysed for 2d4 turns.
In this time, the spider will
wrap you in webs that will
restrain you with a Safe
zone of 5 to break out of
(although they can easily
be cut by another). This
web is acidic; while
trapped suffer 1d4 damage
per turn.

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Monster list

Spider, phase
Pale, almost transparent in places,
long-limbed spiders that spin
invisible webs and hunt in packs.

# 1d4
Attacks 1d6 (bite)
Defences Nil
Armour Nil
HP 22
Morale 15
Treasure Leavings
Special Phase: Disappears at the
end of every round, and
reappears at the beginning
of their next round
Transparent webs: Once
per turn, can spin a
transparent, sticky web big
enough to entrap a human.
If anyone steps into it is
trapped until they are cut
free. Tesh-tesh (Griffon)
Rooster-faced, lion-bodied
carnivorous monstrosities. Hunting
prides of the skies, for horse-like prey.
Defend their hatchlings and eggs with
a spiteful rage. Eagle-faced breeds
have been trained as steeds by the
foolish.

# 2d6
Attacks 1d4+1d4 (claws)
Defences Safe zone 3 (breath
weapons)
Armour Nil
HP 31
Morale 11
Treasure Leavings
Special Ambush: 2d8 damage
when surprising their
opponent.

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 Monster list

Treant
Indistinguishable from trees at first,
until their arms, face and legs
delineate themselves from the shape
of the tree. The leaves of treants
never fall. Treants are slow to act but
fearful in anger.

# 3d6
Attacks 3d6
Defences Safe zone 5 (plants)
Armour 14 mundane (bark)
HP 29
Morale 16
Treasure Collection
Special Vulnerable to fire.

Animate trees, which are

too slow to harm people
but can harm buildings or
fortifications.

Treesister
Elegant, look as if chiseled from
wood. Skin and hair the colour of the
seasons; clothes as leaf-fall and floral
hair. Spirit of their own tree, bringing
blessing to their forest.

# 1
Attacks 1 x 1d4 (knife)
Defences Safe zone 2 (magic)
Armour Nil
HP 9
Morale 12
Treasure Collection
Special Enchant person, thrice per
day.
Portal through any tree
into her tree.
Speak with plants.

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Monster list

Trogdolyte
Axolotyl-folk, typically living simple
lives in upper subterranea, benefitting
from the leavings of cities and towns
above them, but avoiding commerce
or friendship with the surface-
dwellers.

# 3d10
Attacks As weapon
Defences Nil
Armour As armour or 12 slashing,
piercing (scales)
HP 9
Morale 11
Treasure Belongings
Special Water-breathing
Troll
Infra-vision.
Ogre-sized humanoids with rubbery,
off-colour skin. Their hair is a mass of
thick, black tendrils that float, like
weeds in the water. They are featless,
ravenous, and often wander into new
lands causing havok as they eat until
their belly is swollen and then fall
asleep at the bottoms of lakes, in a
bridge's shade, or in a dead bear's
cave.

# 2d4
Attacks 2 x 2d4 (claws) + 2d6 (bite)
Defences Nil
Armour Nil
HP 63
Morale 14
Treasure Leavings
Special Weird life: Regenerates 3
HP per round. 1-in-6
chance severed limbs
continue to fight. Lost
body parts regrow in a
week. They are vulnerable
to fire and acid,.

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 Monster list

Tyrannosaurus
Fast, giant, two-legged apex predator.
It is fiercely stupid, and will defend its
territory to the death.

# 1d2
Attacks 5d8 (bite) or 3d8 (bash)
Defences Nil
Armour 12 mundane (hide)
HP 81
Morale 16
Treasure Leavings
Special Bash: Sweeps its tail or
head, knocking all in the
area of effect to the
ground. Must expend their
next movement to climb
back to their feet.
Vampyr Lord
No reflection, no shadow, completely
silent. Otherwise, just people. They’re
masterminds that assume positions of
power, or socialites who manipulate
the powerful at night.

# 1d4
Attacks As weapon
Defences Safe zone 4 (magic, steel);
defy turn -2
Armour Can only be harmed by
magical weapons.
HP 60
Morale 16
Treasure Horde
Special Gaze: save vs. domination
or become enchanted.
Can become a bat or a
cloud of gas at will.
Can climb upon walls.
Cannot die unless their
coffin is destroyed or their
heart is pierced by a stake.

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Monster list

Ursastrix
Giant owl-faced bear, with an
armoured crest and horned beak.
Solitary creatures.
# 1
Attacks 2 x 1d6 (claws) or 3d4
(horned beak)
Defences Nil
Armour 14 mundane (crest: not
from behind
HP 33
Morale 11
Treasure Leavings
Special Bear hug: If both claws hit,
squeeze the target for 2d8
damage per round.

Vulture-wyrm
Massive centipedoid with writhing
snout-tentacles. Scraps of rotting
flesh hang from its carapace, emitting
a fetid odor.

# 1d6
Attacks 1d4 bite
Defences Nil
Armour 12 mundane (hide)
HP 23
Morale 6
Treasure Leavings
Special Tentacles: 1 target in reach
range. Save vs. poison or be
paralysed.

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 Monster list

Were-folk
Afflicted with a curse that forces
them to shapechange during the full
moon. With training, may
shapechange at will. Many groups of
were-folk have formed communities
with their own cultures and folkways.
Common were-folk include wolves,
jackals, ravens and bears.

# 1d12
Attacks 2d4 (teeth or claws)
Defences Nil
Armour Can be hit only by silver or
magical weaponry.
HP 21
Morale 12
Treasure Belongings
Special Shapechange: Either at will
or at full moon, become a
giant version of their
designated beast.

Wraith
A cloud of black anti-matter, vaguely
humanoid with glowing, red eyes. The
soul of a cursed, powerful human,
whose will to consume lives on.

# 1
Attacks 1d6 (touch)
Defences Defy turn 2
Armour Can only be harmed by
silver or magical weapons.
HP 37
Morale 15
Treasure Leavings
Special A successful hit drains 1
constitution from the
victim.

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Monster list

Wyvern
Two-legs, two wings, and a scorpion
stinger on its tail. Resembles a scaled
and horned falcon more than a
dragon. Growls like a bull crocodile
and hisses like a quenched blade.

# 1d6
Attacks 2d8 (bite) + 1d6 (stinger)
Defences Nil
Armour 12 mundane (scale, back
only)
HP 80
Morale 14
Treasure Leavings
Special Poison: On a successful
stinger attack, save vs.
poison or fall to the ground
limp for 1d4 rounds.
Drop: Will carry poisoned Xandrian
prey away from a fight, or Octopus-faced, mauve-skinned
drop them from a height psionic overlord. Guarded by
after flying directly dominated servants. Not cruel, but
upwards for 1 turn, for 6d6 punish any who question their place
damage. at the centre of the world. They suck
the brains out of stunned victim’s
skulls, absorbing their ideas.

# 1d4
Attacks Nil
Defences Safe zone 4 (psychic
intrusion)
Armour Nil or as armour
HP 68
Morale 15
Treasure Magical
Special Mind blast: All within area
of effect save vs. wands or
are stunned and unable to
act for 3d4 rounds.
Manifest psionic powers as
an eighth-level psionicist.

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 Monster list

Zombie Bandit
Animated corpses, desperate to Thieves who prey on travelers and
devour brains. If they manage to isolated dwellings.
devour enough, they will develop
intelligence and regenerate their # 4d4
rotten flesh. Attacks 1d6 (sword) or 1d8 (bow)
# 3d8 Defences Nil
Attacks 1d8 (bite) Armour 12 slashing & piercing
(leather)
Defences Defy turn 8; Immune to HP 4
charm, sleep, hold, poison
and cold Morale 9
Armour Nil or as armour Treasure Leavings
HP 9
Special Nil
Morale 14
Treasure Leavings
Special Infectious: If killed by a
zombie, rise again as a
zombie.

Knight
Armoured, mounted, questing or
serving their lord.

# 1d4
Attacks
Defences Nil
Armour 16 mundane (plate)
HP 9
Morale 14
Treasure Belongings
Special Charge: Double damage if
attacking on horseback.

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Monster list

Soldier
Armed and organised militia in
defence of their home.
# 10d10
Attacks 1d6 (sword)
Defences Nil
Armour 14 piercing & slashing
(scale)
HP 4
Morale 10
Priest Treasure Belongings
On a mission from their god, usually
in priestly raiment fit for travelling. Special Nil
# 1d8
Attacks 1d6 (mace)
Defences Safe zone 1 (death magic)
Armour Nil
HP 14
Morale 10
Treasure Belongings
Special Priestly spells at fourth-
level, once per watch.
Wizard
Enrobed and entitled, these wise folk
are often too busy to notice the
common folk.

# 1d2
Attacks Nil
Defences Safe zone 2 (wizardly
magic)
Armour Nil
HP 10
Morale 10
Treasure Magical; possesses a
spellbook.
Special Wizardly spells at fourth-
level, memory of 6.

108
Spells & powers

Spells, psionic powers forewarned in some way when the

time comes.
and magical items
Spells, psionic powers and magical Casting time is equivalent. In
items may be converted from basic or combat, casting times of one round
advanced adventure games. are always last in the order of actions.
For casting times with only a number,
Spells this represents their weapon speed.
A spell requires the following: Level,
School/sphere, Range, Duration, Spell variants are separate spells that
Casting time. Area of effects or saving modify the primary spell. You must
throws should be clear in the learn spell variants separately.
description.
Psionic powers
Priestly spells have sacrifices; A psionic power requires the
substitute for components. following: Type, Discipline, Ability,
Cost, Range, Meditation.
Schools are equivalent.
Type indicates whether the power is
Saving Throw are equivalent, a science or a devotion.
according to this table::
Classic AFD Power check is used unmodified to
Paralyzation, Poison ascertain which ability check to use.
poison or death For example, Constitution (+1)
Rod, staff or Wands becomes simply Constitution.
wand
Petrification or Transformation Initial and maintenance costs
polymorph remain the same and are deducted
Breath weapon Ill-fortune from Psi Pool. Write these as [initial]
Spells Domination ([maintenance]/round). For example,
7 (4/round).
Ranges that require touch are closer Meditation is equivalent to
than melee (and always provoke a preparation time. If meditation is 1
consequence), ranges in feet are in round, the power can be manifested
the reach rank and ranges in yards are in the second round. Otherwise, treat
in the ranged rank. as casting time.
Area of effect spells always affect a Magical Items
single battlefield (or 1d6 targets, if
not in combat). Magical items are unique, and follow
many of the rules of thumb for Spells
and Psionic powers. For magical
Duration is equivalent, remembering armour and weapons, having a bonus
roughly ten rounds to a turn, and six (+1) adds to their damage roll without
turns to an hour. Spell endings for adding to their weapon speed, but
random durations should be subtracts from their attack roll.

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 Wizardly spell list

1st level wizardly spells

Alarm bell
Level 1
School Abjuration
Range Ranged
Duration Half a watch / level Cantrip
Casting 1 round Level 1
Time School All schools
The selected area up to a 20 foot cube Range Special
reacts to the presence of any physical Duration 1 hour / level
creature larger than a normal rat.
When any such creature enters, Casting 1
touches or contacts it without Time
speaking a password established by
the caster, a loud ringing is let out Caster manifests minor magical
heard clearly within 60 feet, for 1 effect, such as creating ethereal
round. music, emboldening faded colors,
juggling balls across their knuckles,
puffs of wind that can flicker candles,
Black ice flavouring bland food, strengthening
Level 1 bad smells, or sweeping dust under
rugs. They can impress small children
School Conjuration and common folk, brighten dreary
Range Ranged lives, and make housekeeping
simpler, no more.
Duration 3 rounds + 1 round / level
Casting 1
Time Control fires
Level 1
A surface up to 10 square feet in area
is covered in invisible ice. Any School Alteration
creature entering the area must save Range Ranged
vs. wand else slip or fall, depending Duration 2 rounds / level
on the speed at which they enter the
area. At the referee’s discretion, any Casting 1
on the ice are more likely to fall off Time
nearby edges, and are more
vulnerable to pushing or pulling. In a 10 foot radius, cause non-magical
fires to increase or decrease in size
and brightness from mere coals to
double in radius and as bright as
daylight. The caster can extinguish
the fire or make it take a basic form.

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Wizardly spell list

Create sound Earwig

Level 1 Level 1
School Illusion School Conjuration
Range Ranged Range Vision
Duration 3 rounds / level Duration 5 rounds / level
Casting 1 Casting 1
Time Time
Within range, caster can create a All creatures affected can hear a
sound of their choosing, with volume whispered message of 25 words,
relative to their level. At first-level, regardless of distance. They may
the sound of four men. At fourth- whisper a reply, once.
level, the sound of a roaring lion. At
eighth-level, the sound of a roaring Enfoggle
dragon. If there is no reason to
disbelieve the noise, a hearing person Level 1
believes it. School Evocation
Range Ranged
Deflection
Duration 2d4 rounds + 1 round /
Level 1 level
School Abjuration Casting 1
Time
Range Self
Duration 5 rounds / level A shape 20 feet cubed in volume (+ 10
feet per level) is filled with fog,
Casting 1 obscuring all sight within it and
Time through it. It can be blown away by a
An invisible barrier in front of the strong wind.
wizard negates all magical darts and
gives advantage on saving throws Enlarge
against attacks from the front.
Level 1
School Alteration
Range Ranged
Duration 5 rounds / level
Casting 1
Time
A single creature or objects swells to
greater size, equal to 10% larger per
level of the wizard, including any
weapons or equipment. A creature
may save vs. transformation to avoid
being affected. Variant: Instead
shrinks the target.

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 Wizardly spell list

Flame arc d20 Personality Type

Level 1 1-2 Contrary Magical or
School Conjuration unusual
Range Melee 3-6 Reluctant Unpleasant or
scavenger
Duration Instantaneous
7-15 Lazy Common or
Casting 1 friendly
Time
15-19 Obedient Beautiful or
An arc of flame bursts from the charming
caster’s fingers, causing all in range to
suffer 1d6+1 damage (+1 / level). A 19-20 Proactive Magnificent or
successful save vs. wands reduces noble
damage by half. Flammable materials
burn. Variant: Instead, frost arc. A magical or unusual familiar might
be a winged cat or a fae-dragon. A
magnificent familiar might be an
Familiar spirit eagle. An unpleasant might be a rat or
toad.
Level 1
School Conjuration
Range 1 mile / level
Duration Eternal
Casting 2d12 hours
Time
The wizard summons a cat, frog,
ferret, crow, hawk, snake, owl, raven,
toad, weasel, mouse, or other
similarly small creature as their
familiar. A familiar is cleverer and False reputation
longer-lived than a typical animal, Level 1
and the wizard can command it School Enchantment
telepathically up to a mile away. The
wizard and familiar cannot sense Range Self
through one another. A familiar Duration 1 hour + 1 hour / level
typically has 1d4+1 HP, and if it dies,
the wizard permanently loses 1 point Casting 1
of Constitution. Time

Roll twice on this table to determine a All those within a 60 foot radius of
familiar's personality, then its type the caster act as if the caster has 1
based on animals suitable to the area reputation per level of the caster, for
where it was summoned: the purpose of reaction rolls. When
the spell wears off, the creatures
realize they have been influenced,
and react accordingly.

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Wizardly spell list

Featherbones Illuminate
Level 1 Level 1
School Alteration School Evocation
Range Ranged Range Melee
Duration 1 round / level Duration 1 turn / level
Casting 1 Casting 1
Time Time
Affected creatures or objects assume An object or creature within melee
the mass of a feather; affecting their range (such as a staff, or arrow) glows
falling speed and negating fall as brightly as a torch. If cast at a
damage. The spell affects all in a 10- creature’s eyes, it must save vs. Wands
foot cube. or lose vision for the duration,
suffering disadvantage on all rolls.
Ghoulish hands
Level 1 Incanted costume
School Conjuration Level 1
Range Melee School Illusion
Duration 3 rounds + 1 round / level Range Self
Casting 1 Duration 2d6 rounds + 2 rounds /
Time level
Casting 1
An aura of ghoulish hands surround Time
the wizard. Any creature coming
within melee range of the wizard Caster alters their clothes and
must save or take 1d4 damage and equipment, appear a little shorter,
disadvantage on all checks for 1 hour. taller, bigger, or smaller, as if wearing
a costume and makeup. The caster
cannot duplicate a specific individual,
Hold door but may pass as one to someone who
Level 1 doesn’t know them well. If there is no
reason to disbelieve the costume,
School Alteration anyone interacting with the caster
Range Ranged believes it. The caster feels the same,
so someone touching them won't
Duration 1 round / level believe the illusion.
Casting 1
Time
A door is held closed or open, as the
wizard chooses, for the duration.
Another wizard or magical creature
(such as a demon or elemental) of 4
levels greater than the caster can
shatter the spell. The door can still be
broken down or collapsed.

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 Wizardly spell list

Light burst to doubt the illusion, they believe it.

Level 1 The illusion dissipates if struck or if
the wizard's concentration is broken.
School Illusion
Range Melee Polyglottist
Duration Instantaneous Level 1
Casting 1 School Enchantment
Time
Range Touch
A fan of bright rainbow light springs Duration 1 watch / level
forth, causing all creatures on the
battlefield to save vs. wands or lose Casting 1 round
their sight for 1d4 rounds. Creatures Time
below the level of the wizard are not
entitled to a save. Unseeing creatures Understand the spoken language of
are not affected by the spell. target creature or the written
language of target text for spell's
duration. This does not impart the
Magical dart capacity to communicate with the
Level 1 creature, just to understand them.
Variant: Renders the targeted writing
School Evocation or speech incomprehensible.
Range Ranged
Duration Instantaneous
Casting 1 round
Time
The caster creates a number of darts
composed of magical energy equal to
have the caster's level, rounded up.
Each dart can only strike one target,
dealing 1d4+1 damage per dart.
Ring of protection
Phantasm
Level 1
Level 1
School Abjuration
School Illusion
Range 3 feet, + 3 feet / level
Range Ranged
Duration Special
Duration Special
Casting 1
Casting 1 Time
Time
Using chalk, the caster draws a
Caster creates a visual illusion of magical ring around a creature or
anything within an area of 400 square area, preventing creatures of a type
feet (+100 square feet/level). No specified at time of casting (angelic,
sound, smell or other sensations are elemental, devil, undead) to enter the
created. If an observer has no reason

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Wizardly spell list

ring or use mental control or The wizard enchants a stick, causing

possession against anything inside it. it to point gently toward magic when
held by the wizard. The stick vibrates
when magic is near or strong. The
Sandman's defence wizard has a 10% / level chance to be
Level 1 able to discern the type of magic
School Enchantment present based on the stick's
vibrations. Multiple types of magic
Range Ranged may confuse the stick; it does not
Duration 5 rounds / level detect magical creatures unless they
were summoned by magic.
Casting 1
Time
Wilhelmina's Wagon
Cast magical sand across a battlefield,
causing 1d6 creatures fall asleep until Level 1
awoken violently or for the duration. School Evocation
The total HP of all these creatures
must be less than five times the level Range Ranged
of the caster. Duration 3 turns + 1 turn / level
Casting 1
Static shock Time
Level 1 A plane of force three feet in diameter
School Evocation that can hold 100 pounds per level of
the caster appears. It will follow the
Range Touch caster at a range of 20 yards, slowly,
Duration Until discharged about 3 feet above the ground. If the
caster flees beyond that range, it
Casting 1 disappears, dropping anything on it
Time to the ground.
A powerful electrical charge is built
up in the caster’s body. It is Wizardly armour
discharged if the caster touches
another creature or is struck, causing Level 1
1d8 damage (+1 per level). The School Conjuration
electricity can travel along conductive
materials, such as copper or water, if Range Touch
the caster touches one. Duration Special
Casting 1 round
Witching rod Time
Level 1 Summons a magical suit of chain mail
School Divination made of magical energy (15 HP
mundane). The spell lasts until the
Range Stick chain mail is destroyed.
Duration 2 rounds / level
Casting 1
Time

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 Wizardly spell list

2nd level wizardly spells Illusory duplicates of the caster

appear; it's impossible for others to
Magical Makeover tell which is the caster. The wizard
will always be the last image struck by
Level 2 an attack; when an image is struck, it
School Alteration dissipates. Creates a number of
illusions equal to one less than the
Range Self caster's level, from a minimum of 1 to
Duration 3d4 rounds + 2 rounds / a maximum of 8.
level
Casting 2
Time
Take on the form of another
humanoid, up to 50% smaller or
larger. If the selected form has gills or
wings, it can breathe underwater or Entwine
fly. Nothing else changes aside from Level 2
these things.
School Enchantment
Dowse Range Ranged
Duration 1 round/level
Level 2
Casting 2
School Divination Time
Range Stick
Command any non-magical ropelike
Duration 1 rounds / level object within 50 (+5 per level) feet to
Casting 2 coil, coil and knot, loop, loop and
Time knot, tie and knot, or the reverse of
these commands. The rope can
For the duration, the stick is enwrap any creature within one foot
enchanted and points gently toward of it. It cannot move to the target on
an object of the caster's choice, when its own strength, but must be thrown.
held in the caster's hand. The stick If used to entangle or bind an
vibrates when the object is nearby. opponent, they must save vs. wands.
Finding a specific item requires an
accurate mental image. The spell is
blocked by lead. Flame orb
Level 2
Duplicates School Evocation
Level 2 Range Ranged
School Illusion Duration 1 round/level
Range Self Casting 2
Duration 3 rounds / level Time
Casting 2 Create a three foot flaming globe of
Time fire within range of the caster. It
follows where the caster points and

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Wizardly spell list

can roll up to 30 feet/round as well as Lock

over barriers shorter than four feet. Level 2
Flammable things burn. Creatures it
strikes save vs wands or suffer 2d4 fire School Alteration
damage; those in melee range suffer Range Touch
1d4 fire damage. It inflicts this
damage every round it continues to Duration Permanent
burn. Casting 2
Time
Forget A door, chest or portal is magically
Level 2 locked, and can only be opened with
the designated password, or
School Enchantment temporarily by a Open door spell.
Range Ranged
Duration Permanent
Casting 2
Time
All creatures within the area of effect
forget events from the past (caster's Open door
level divided by 3) minutes. Creatures Level 2
forget a minimum of one minute. The
targets save vs. domination to avoid School Alteration
the effect. Range Ranged
Duration Special
Invisibility Casting 1
Level 2 Time
School Illusion A door (stuck, barred, locked, wizard-
Range Touch locked, or held), secret door, or a
Duration Until dawn the next day chest (locked or trick-opened) opens
with a resounding boom. Unless a
Casting 2 door is wizard-locked, it will stay
Time open and unlocked until intentionally
closed and locked. In the case of
The target and their worn equipment wizard-locks, the door opens for one
vanish from sight, even from infra- or turn. A door larger than (caster's level
ultravision. Items put down become times 10 feet squared) cannot be
visible, and items picked up disappear opened.
if tucked away. The spell lasts until it
is cancelled, the target attacks
anyone, or dawn the next day.

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 Wizardly spell list

Mellar's marvelous mouth Firebomb

Level 2 Level 3
School Alteration School Evocation
Range Ranged Range Range
Duration Special Duration Instantaneous
Casting 2 Casting 3
Time Time
The chosen object gains an enchanted A ball of fire erupts, causing 1d6
mouth that appears and speaks a damage per caster level, up to 10d6,
specified message when a specified to everyone in its area of effect.
event occurs. This message must be Targets may save to take half damage.
25 words or fewer, and can be in any
language known by the caster. The Flight
magic mouth can only distinguish
people visually. The spell lasts until Level 3
the command is fulfilled. School Alteration
Range Touch
Duration 1 turn / level + 1d6 turns
3rd level wizardly spells Casting 3
Time
Dispel
Fly! Move vertically and horizontally
Level 3 through the air at a moderate
School Abjuration movement speed.
Range Ranged
Infravision
Duration Instantaneous
Level 3
Casting 3
Time School Alteration
Any spells and spell-like effects are Range Touch
removed from creatures or objects. Duration 2 hours + 1 hour / level
Any spells being cast are interrupted. Casting 3
Magical potions are destroyed. Time
Magical items are rendered
ineffective for 1d4 rounds. Target's usual vision type is replaced
by infravision for the duration. There
is a variant of this spell that provides
ultravision instead.

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Wizardly spell list

Invisible Sphere Volatile Glyph

Level 3 Level 3
School Illusion School Alteration
Range Touch Range Touch
Duration Special Duration Special
Casting 3 Casting 3
Time Time
All creatures within melee range of Explosive runes are laid invisibly
the target become invisible as per the upon a book, map, or scroll. When the
Invisibility spell. Any affected text is read, the runes detonate,
creature moving more than 10 feet delivering 6d4+6 points of damage to
away from the target becomes visible. the reader. Any in melee range must
Affected creatures that attack negate save vs. Wands, and sustain half
invisibility only for themselves. damage on a failure, no damage on a
success.
Lightning Bolt
Level 3 Water breathing
School Alteration Level 3
Range Ranged School Alteration
Duration Instantaneous Range Touch
Casting 3 Duration 1d4 hours + 1 hour / level
Time Casting 3
Time
The caster shoots lightning from their
fingertips, causing 1d6 damage per Breathe water freely for the duration
caster's level, up to 10d6. All creatures of the spell.
in the area of effect make a save vs.
wands to take half damage.
4th level wizardly spells
Summon monsters
Animalogical transformation
Level 3
Level 4
School Conjuration
School Alteration
Range Reach
Range Self
Duration 2 rounds + 1 round / level
Duration 2 turns / level
Casting 3
Time Casting 4
Time
2d4 5-HP monsters randomly appear
within range and attack the enemies Transform into any corporeal creature
of the caster. They vanish when slain. from wren- to hippopotamus-sized.
If there is no combat to be found, they Equipment also transforms.
will perform other services. Movement and vision change as well
but no magic abilities are gained.

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 Wizardly spell list

Dig Fear
Level 4 Level 4
School Evocation School Illusion
Range Ranged Range Reach
Duration 1 round / level Duration Special
Casting 4 Casting 4
Time Time
Excavate 125 cubic feet of earth per All in area of effect save vs.
round. If a tunnel or hole is deeper domination or flee from the caster in
than 20 feet, there is a 1-in-6 chance panic. There is a 4-in-6 chance they'll
of it collapsing. If used on rocky drop whatever they hold.
creatures, cause 4d6 damage, or save
for half. Firewall
Level 4
School Evocation
Range Ranged
Duration Special
Casting 4
Time
A wall of fire 20 feet square per level
of the caster springs up vertically.
Enchant weapon One side of the wall causes 2d4
damage to creatures within 10 feet
Level 4 and 1d4 damage to creatures within
School Alteration 20 feet of it. It inflicts 2d6 damage + 1
per caster level on any passive
Range Ranged through it.
Duration 5 rounds / level
Casting 1 turn Flesh to beast
Time
Level 4
The ordinary weapon touched School Alteration
becomes a +1 magical weapon, for the
duration. Range Ranged
Duration Permanent
Casting 4
Time
Transform target into any corporeal
creature from wren- to
hippopotamus-sized. Of slain, they
revert to their original form (still
dead). Their equipment also

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Wizardly spell list

transforms. The target can save vs. Spell-resistant Sphere

transformation to shrug off the effect. Level 4
There is a 6-in-6 chance that the
target’s mind will change to that of School Abjuration
the new form; this is reduced by 1 for Range Caster
every 5 HP difference between the
two creatures. Duration 1 round / level
Casting 4
Time
Illusory grove
Level 4 A magical sphere appears around the
caster, preventing any spells up to
School Alteration half the caster’s level from
Range Ranged penetrating, including innate abilities
Duration Indefinity and effects from devices. Spells can be
cast out of the sphere.
Casting 4
Time
Zip
Up to 10 willing creatures in a 10 foot Level 4
cube are transformed into trees.
When struck, the trees will bleed. School Conjuration
Transformed targets are aware of Range Self
their immediate surroundings and
still require food, water, and rest as Duration Instantaneous
normal. Casting 1
Time
Rock-skin Appear up to 30 yards (per level) away
Level 4 from current location. Choose
location by visualising it, or stating a
School Abjuration direction. If the destination would
Range Self place caster inside a solid object, the
Duration 1d4 attacks + 1 / 2 levels caster is trapped in the astral plane
instead.
Casting 1
Time
The caster's skin turns to stone. The
5th level wizardly spells
next number of attacks equal to the
duration have no effect. Cloudkill
Level 5
School Necromancy
Range Ranged
Duration Permanent
Casting 5 rounds
Time
A cloud of poisonous gas covers the
battlefield, killing all creatures with

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 Wizardly spell list

less than 20 HP, and causing all those Creation

with less than 23 HP to save vs. Level 5
poison or die. Those with more hit
points suffer 1d10 damage each round School Conjuration
they remain in the cloud. The cloud Range Ranged
rolls away from the spellcaster at 10
feet per round, although wind will Duration Permanent
dissipate it. Casting 1 turn
Time
Cone of cold Create an object no more than 1 cubic
Level 5 foot in size per level of the caster. The
fancier material, the longer it takes,
School Evocation doubling in time from 1 round in this
Range Ranged order: wood, stone, crystal, metal,
Duration Instantaneous gems, elf-steel, adamant.
Casting 5
Time Door
Level 5
A cone of cold causes all in the area of
effect to lose 1d4+1 damage per caster School Alteration
level. Range Ranged
Duration 1 hour + 1 turn / level
Conjure elemental Casting 5
Level 5 Time
School Conjuration Open a passage through wooden,
Range Ranged plaster, or stone walls. The passage is
Duration 1 turn / level 5 feet wide, 8 hight, and 10 deep.
Casting 1 turn
Time Forcewall
Level 5
When in presence of a body of air,
earth, fire or water, the caster can School Evocation
summon an elemental with 36 HP. Range Ranged
The caster must maintain
concentration to make the elemental Duration 1 turn + 1 turn / level
obey; otherwise, it turns on the Casting 5
caster. Time

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 Priestly spell list

An unimpenetrable and unmoveable 6th level wizardly spells

wall of force appears, up to 10 square
feet per level in size. Only Antimagic wall
annihilating spells, such as
disintegrate, can affect the wall. Level 6
Alternatively it can be a sphere with a School Abjuration
radius of 1.5 feet per caster level.
Range Self
Sending Duration 1 turn / level of caster
Casting 1
Level 5 Time
School Necromancy
An wall of magical sigils appears
Range Unlimited around the caster. The area within
Duration 25 words this wall is totally impervious to all
Casting 1 turn magical effects, breath weapons, gaze
Time or voice attacks, and other special
attack forms. It prevents summoned
Send a 25 word message to anyone creatures from passing the wall. Items
whose name and appearance you lose their magic while inside the wall.
know. If they are on a different plane,,
there is 1-in-6 chance it will arrive Contingency
scrambled.
Level 6
Teleport School Evocation
Level 5 Range Self
School Conjuration Duration 1 day / level of the caster
Range Touch Casting 1 turn
Time
Duration Instantaneous
Casting 2 Expend another spell that the caster
Time has memorised, to have that spell
come into effect under stated
Instantly teleport yourself and conditions. The contingent spell can
anything you touch (up to 250 lbs + be any spell up to half the caster’s
150 lbs per lever above 10th), to a level. For example, the spell
well-known location. If the caster is featherfall may be cast contingent on
not intimately familiar with the the condition that the caster falls
destination, there is a 4-in-6 chance from a dangerous height.
of them and their passengers
appearing somewhere unintended
and dangerous. If the caster has never
seen the destination, it is a 5-in-6
chance.

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Priestly spell list

Disintegrate Permanent illusion

Level 6 Level 6
School Alteration School Illusion
Range Ranged Range Ranged
Duration Instantaneous Duration Permanent
Casting 6 Casting 6
Time Time
The target is reduced to a cloud of its The wizard creates a complete
component particles, affecting even illusion that effects all senses except
matter or energy of a magical nature. touch, within a 20 foot cube, plus 10
Any single creature can be affected, feet per level of the caster.
as can any non-living matter up to 10
feet cubed. A targeted creature can Reincarnation
save vs. wands to dodge the ray, and
not be affected. It may affect the Level 6
object behind them, if this is the case. School Necromancy
Range Touch
Lightning arc
Duration Permanent
Level 6
Casting 1 turn
School Evocation Time
Range Ranged The target is returned from the dead,
Duration Instantaneous in the body of another heritage. The
Casting 5 person must not have died more than
Time 1 day per level of the caster, before
the casting of the spell. Generate a
A single bolt of lightning then arcs to new heritage for the target when the
a number of creatures equal to the spell is cast.
caster’s level. The first lightning bolt
causes 1d6 damage per level of the
caster, reduced by 1d6 per arc. On a 7th level wizardly spells
successful save vs. wands, a target
takes half damage. Banish
Level 7
School Abjuration
Range Ranged
Duration Instantaneous
Casting 7
Time
The named target must save vs. ill-
fortune or be forced from the caster’s
home plane. The caster must know
the target’s name. The target can

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 Priestly spell list

return, but does not return Power word stun

automatically. The target must have
HP less than 10 times the caster level Level 7
in order for the spell to work. School Alteration
Range Ranged
Belamy's Hand
Duration 1d4 turns for >60 HP, 2d4
Level 7 turns for 31-60 HP, 4d4
School Evocation turns for <30 HP
Casting 1
Range Ranged Time
Duration 1 round / level
The caster utters a word, and a single
Casting 7 creature with up to 90 hit points is
Time stunned.
A 5 to 21 foot hand appears. It will
always remain between the caster and
the target. It can hold a creature 1st level priestly spells
motionless or push them away if is
smaller than a dragon, and can slow a Aurora
dragon or something larger by half. It Level 1
has hit points equal to the caster, but
inflicts no damage. Sphere Weather
Range Ranged
Field invisibility Duration 4 rounds / level
Level 7 Casting 4
Time
School Illusion Sacrifice Small piece of foxfire
Range Ranged
Duration Until attack Colourful light outlines 1d6 creatures
Casting 7 or objects in area of effect, making
Time them visible in the dark, and giving
those attacking them advantage.
A target military unit or group
becomes invisible. If an individual
leaves the unit, they become visible. Beastfriend
The effect is mobile with the group Level 1
and is broken when the group attacks.
Sphere Animal
Range Ranged
Duration Permanent
Casting 1 hour
Time
Sacrifice Food the animal likes

The animal follows the caster about.

The caster can teach the befriended
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Priestly spell list

animal three tricks or tasks, which immediate harm. If a creature has HP

each take a week of training. Animals equal to 20 x caster level, they make a
always sense ulterior motives, and the saving throw vs. domination to shake
spell fails if the caster does not off the effect.
genuinely want friendship with the
beast. The caster can befriend 9 HP of Confound
animals per experience level.
Level 1
Battle anointing Sphere Protection
Level 1 Range Touch
Sphere All Duration 2 rounds + 1 round / level
Range Melee Casting 4
Time
Duration 1d6 rounds + 1 round / Sacrifice Small silver mirror
level
Casting 1 round
Time The targeted creature is ignored by
Sacrifice Holy water their pursuers or attackers for the
duration. The targeted creature
cannot take offensive action without
All creatures of the casters choice breaking the spell.
within the area of effect are blessed
and gain advantage on all attack rolls
and saving throws for the duration. Cure minor ills
Weapons can instead be blessed: Level 1
blessed weapons become magical for
the purposes of being used against Sphere Necromancy
the specific being they are blessed for Range Touch
(for example, blessed against tiger-
Duration Instantaneous
demons). Variant: The reverse effect.
Casting Speed factor 5
Time
Command Sacrifice Mouse or small animal
Level 1
Sphere Charm Caster lays their hands upon a living,
Range Ranged mortal creature and heals them of
1d8 points of damage.
Duration 1 round + 1 round / level
Casting 1
Time
Sacrifice None

Command another creature in a

single word understood by the
creature. They will obey to the best of
their ability, so long as it does not
cause them or those in their care

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Divine light The spellcaster calls upon a greater

Level 1 power to negate a magical effect. If it
is cast on a creature or object, it has a
Sphere Ligjt chance of removing any spell-like
Range Melee effects. Roll fortune for each separate
magical effect on the creature or
Duration 1 turn / level object, with a target of 10 plus the
Casting 1 caster’s level, to determine if it
Time works.. If cast at a spell-caster or a
Sacrifice None magical item, it prevents them from
casting a spell or renders the item
non-operational for 1d4 rounds.
A halo of holy light surrounds the When cast on a consumable magical
target, causing it to glow as brightly item such as a potion or scroll, it
as a torch. The target may be an item destroys it.
or a creature. If it is a devil or demon,
it loses vision for the duration,
suffering disadvantage on all rolls. Entangle
Level 1
Deputrify Sphere Plant
Level 1 Range Ranged
Sphere All Duration 1 turn
Range Ranged Casting 4
Duration Permanent Time
Sacrifice A dried coil of vine
Casting 1 round
Time
Sacrifice Holy water Cause plants in the area of effect to
entangle all creatures in the area,
holding them fast for the duration of
Spoiled, rotten, poisonous or the spell. They may make a save vs.
contaminated food and water wands to escape the area, moving
becomes safe. Up to 1 cubic foot of slowly until they are out of the 40
food per level can be made safe. A foot cube it effects.
variant of this spell exists that
putrefies food and water.
Pass beast
Dispel Level 1
Level 1 Sphere Animal
Sphere Protection Range Touch
Range Reach Duration 1 turn + 1 turn / level
Duration Special Casting 4
Time
Casting 6 Sacrifice Sprig of holly
Time
Sacrifice None

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Priestly spell list

The caster touches a target who Communicate with beasts

becomes totally undetectable by Level 2
normal and giant non-magical
animals. Variant: Affects all Sphere Animal
unintelligent undead. Range Ranged
Duration 2 rounds / level
Slingshot Casting 5
Level 1 Time
Sacrifice None
Sphere Combat
Range 0
The caster may communicate in
Duration Special simple terms with an animal, normal
Casting 4 or giant, in range. Once the animal is
Time spoken to, make a reaction roll to see
Sacrifice Three small pebbles its response.

The caster enchants three small Divine weapon

pebbles, which become +1 magical Level 2
weapons and inflict 1d4 damage each,
or 2d4 against undead. All three can Sphere Combat
be thrown in one round, up to ranged Range Ranged
range. Their magic lasts until they are Duration 3 rounds + 1 / level
thrown or a watch passes.
Casting 5
Time
2nd level priestly spells Sacrifice A normal weapon sacred to
your god that is then lost.
Casting bones A hammer of holy light appears and
Level 2 strikes any opponent in range. It hits
Sphere Divination with the same damage and damage
type as the caster's weapon, but at
Range Self range, as a magical weapon, and with
Duration Special a +1 for each six levels of the caster.
Casting 2
Time Dust devil
Sacrifice 1000gp-worth of gem- Level 2
inlaid sticks, dragon bones,
or the like. Sphere Air
Range Ranged
Ask a question and your god will
answer: “Weal”, “Woe” or else a Duration 2 rounds / level
cryptic riddle. Chances of a Casting 2 rounds
meaningful reply are 4-in-6, 1 less for Time
every hour further in the future (ie. Sacrifice A fistful of dust
The first hour is 4-in-6, the second 3-
in-6, etc.).

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A five-foot tall whirlwind appears. It ignite combustible materials. It

has 9 HP, fast movement, save zone doesn’t function underwater.
vs. steel of 1, and attacks for 1d4
damage each round. IIt can hold at Goodberry
bay or push gases or gaseous
creatures. It can disperse gasses in a Level 2
cloud centered on itself. It obscures Sphere Plant
normal vision.
Range Touch
Enchant animal Duration 1 day + 1 day / level
Level 2 Casting 1 round
Time
Sphere Enchantment Sacrifice Freshly picked berries and
Range Ranged holy water
Duration Special 2d4 freshly picked berries become
Casting 5 magically endowed with nourishment
Time and healing. They act as rations for 1
Sacrifice Something of sentimental day’s travel, and heal 1 HP.
value.
Heat metal
The target animal must save vs.
domination or regard the caster as an Level 2
ally to be heeded and protected. Any Sphere Fire
word or action of the caster is viewed
in a favourable way. The save must be Range Ranged
repeated once every month. If the Duration 7 rounds
caster harms or attempts to harm the
enchanted creature, the enchantment Casting 5
is broken. When the enchantment is Time
Sacrifice A hot coal
broken, the creature will not realize it
was enchanted.
An amount of ferrous metal less than
Flame blade would take to create a full suit of
plate armour becomes too hot to
Level 2 touch. Weapons can always be
Sphere Fire affected. In the first round, the metal
becomes uncomfortable to touch; in
Range Self the second, its heat causes blisters
Duration 4 rounds + 1 round / level and 1d4 damage; from the third on,
Casting 4 the metal sears skin and inflicts 2d4
Time damage per round until the spell
Sacrifice A leaf of sumac ends. Combustible materials that
touch the searing metal burn.
Immersion in water or use of
A flaming blade springs forth in the applicable magic (such as a cold spell
caster's hand. It is a weapon with or protection from fire) negate the
1d4+4 damage, 2d4+4 against undead effect.
or those vulnerable to fire. It can

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Hold Ophidian charm

Level 2 Level 2
Sphere Charm Sphere Animal
Range Ranged Range Ranged
Duration 2 rounds / level Duration 3 turns + 1 / level
Casting 5 Casting 5
Time Time
Sacrifice A small, straight piece of Sacrifice None
iron.
1d4 human-sized people in the area All snakes rise semi-erect and
of effect must save or be held rigidly swaying calmly. A number of snakes
immobile. equal to the caster's level can be
charmed. A snake-like creature such
as a naga can be charmed if it has HP
Messenger less than 5 x the caster’s level.
Level 2
Sphere Charm Resist elements
Range Ranged Level 2
Duration 1 day / level Sphere Protection
Casting 1 round Range Touch
Time
Sacrifice None Duration 1 round / level
Casting 5
Time
A tiny animal within range must save Sacrifice A drop of mercury
vs. Domination or travel to a person
or destination of the caster's choosing
and deliver a small item or note. It The target’s body can withstand heat
will continue to attempt to do so until or cold (reaching into an ordinary fire
the duration expires. or standing naked in the snow), and
resists extreme heat or cold (dragon
breath or wands of frost).

Silence
Level 2
Sphere Guardian
Range Ranged
Duration 2 rounds / level
Casting 5
Time
Sacrifice A silver bell

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 Priestly spell list

Centered on a person or an object, Create food and water

complete silence prevails within area Level 3
of effect. If it is centered on a person,
it moves with the person, and they Sphere Creation
must save vs. spell to avoid the effect. Range Ranged
Duration Special
Treeskin Casting 1 turn
Level 2 Time
Sphere Plant Sacrifice None
Range Touch
Create simple food and water that
Duration 4 rounds + 1 round / level lasts until the next dawn: bread, wine,
Casting 5 fish, beans, etc. You can feed four
Time people for 1 day, per caster level.
Sacrifice A handful of bark
Cure disease
The target's skin becomes as rough Level 3
and hardy as a tree, giving them 12
mundane armour. This increases by 2 Sphere Death
every four levels of the caster. Range Touch
Additionally, saving throws vs. steel
are at advantage. Duration Permanent
Casting 1 round
Time
3rd level priestly spells Sacrifice The life of an innocent

Break curse
Target is immediately cured of any
Level 3 disease, infection, or affliction such as
Sphere Protection magical blindness.
Range Touch
Duration Permanent
Casting 6
Time
Sacrifice None

Break any curse, be it a connection

with a cursed item, or a condition
such as vampirism or lycanthropy.

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Death question Caster can allow 1 (+1 for each caster

Level 3 level over 6) creature to walk on
anything as hot as molten lava
Sphere Divination without ill effects.
Range Touch
Duration Special Hold animal
Casting 1 turn Level 3
Time Sphere Animal
Sacrifice 100gp of incense
Range Ranged
Touch a corpse or a grave to make the Duration 2 rounds / level
targeted dead rise again long enough Casting 6
to answer a number of questions Time
equal to half the caster's level. The Sacrifice A small, straight piece of
dead will give brief, literal answers, iron.
then die eternally, unable to be
resurrected again. 1d4 human-sized creatures in the
area of effect must save or are held
rigidly immobile.
Divine sculptor
Level 3 Lightning Strike
Sphere Earth Level 3
Range Touch Sphere Weather
Duration Permanent Range Ranged
Casting 1 round Duration 1 turn / level
Time
Sacrifice A clay vessel Casting 1 turn
Time
Sacrifice Lightning-struck wood
Caster reforms up to 3 (+1 per level)
cubic feet of stone to suit their
purpose. Shaping moving parts have a When there is a storm in the area, the
2-in-6 chance to not work. caster can command lightning to
strike. The caster may call one bolt
per round, each bolt causing 2d8
Flamewalker (+1d8 per caster level) lightning
Level 3 damage. On a successful save, targets
of the bolt take half damage.
Sphere Fire
Living corpse
Range Touch
Duration 1 round + 1/level
Casting 5
Time
Sacrifice 500gp of rubies

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Level 3 The caster can speak and understand

Sphere Death the language of one target within
range, if they speak one. They can
Range Ranged speak an additional language for
Duration Permanent every third-level they possess.
Casting 1 round
Time Water walk
Sacrifice A piece of flesh Level 3
Sphere Water
Cause the corpses of dead human- Range Touch
sized creatures to rise, and obey your
commands. They follow you and Duration 1 turn + 1 turn / level
defend you. You can animate 5 HP of Casting 6
skeletons or zombies per caster level. Time
Living corpses have the HP of their Sacrifice Cork from a freshly opened
living forms, so only a 12th level bottle of wine
priest could raise a zombie fire giant.
The target can walk on water as if it
were firm ground. For every level
Protection from fire above sixth-level, an additional target
Level 3 can be affected.
Sphere Fire
Range Touch
Duration Special
Casting 6
Time
Sacrifice None

The target is invulnerable to normal

fires, and resistant to magical fires. A
variant of this spell exists for cold.
4th level priestly spells
Tongues Abjure
Level 3 Level 4
Sphere Creation Sphere Summoning
Range Self Range Ranged
Duration 1 round / level Duration Permanent (ish)
Casting 3 Casting 1 round
Time Time
Sacrifice A small clay ziggurat Sacrifice Material inimical to the
creature

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Priestly spell list

Send an extraplanar creature back Protection from lightning

from whence it came, if you know its Level 4
name. If the creature has resistance to
magic, it can save vs. ill fortune to Sphere Protection
resist being banished. Range Touch
Duration 1 turn / level
Cure major ills Casting 7
Level 4 Time
Sphere Healing Sacrifice None
Range Touch
Target creature becomes invulnerable
Duration Permanent to lightning or similar damage
Casting 7 sources, such as a dragon's electric
Time breath or an electrical charge.
Sacrifice None Variant: Acid or poison rather than
lightning.
Heal a creature for 2d8+1 HP.
Scrying pool
Level 4
Sphere Divination
Range Ranged
Duration 1 round / level
Casting 2 hours
Time
Sacrifice Scented oil

Part or lower water Through the pool, you can view any
Level 4 place you wish. You cannot hear, and
it is too vague to read.
Sphere Water
Range Ranged
Duration 1 turn / level
5th level priestly spells
Casting 1 turn Grow animal
Time
Sacrifice Dust Level 5
Sphere Animal
Water in an area sinks to a minimum Range Ranged
depth of 1 inch, and is held away on Duration 2 rounds / level
either side.
Casting 8
Time
Sacrifice None

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 Priestly spell list

Up to 8 animals in range double in Pillar of flame

size. Level 5
Sphere Fire
Commune with god
Range Ranged
Level 5
Duration Instantaneous
Sphere Divination
Casting 8
Range Caster Time
Duration Special Sacrifice Sulphur
Casting 1 turn
Time You summon a pillar of flame down
Sacrifice None on a creature and everything above it.
Save to take half damage; otherwise,
take 6d8 damage.
Caster asks one question (per caster
level) of their deity, who must answer
in five words or less. Raise the dead
Level 5
Control winds Sphere Death
Level 5 Range Ranged
Sphere Weather Duration Permanent
Range 0 Casting 1 round
Duration 1 turn / level Time
Sacrifice A finger
Casting 8
Time
Sacrifice None Restore life to any humanoid, that has
been dead for no more than 1 day per
caster level. The body is not
Alter the speed of wind in the area, regenerated, and diseases are not
once per three caster levels, along healed unless they have run their
this chain: light breeze, moderate, course. They return with 1 HP, and
strong, gale, storm, hurricane. An eye need to rest after they return. Their
of calm exists around the caster, 40 Constitution is reduced by 1.
feet in radius.
Rock to mud
Level 5
Sphere Earth
Range Ranged
Duration Until it dries
Casting 8
Time
Sacrifice Clay and water

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Priestly spell list

Turn rock of an sort into an equal Part sea

volume of mud, up to a 20 foot cube Level 6
per caster level. The depth of the mud
cannot exceed 20 feet. Folk trapped in Sphere Elemental
the mud, sink at ¼ of their height per Range Ranged
round.
Duration 1 turn / level
Casting 1 turn
6th level priestly spells Time
Sacrifice None
Conjure elemental
Level 6 Form a traversable trough in a body of
Sphere Elemental water, creating a cylinder underwater
or a path through water, up to 30
Range Ranged yards long by 20 yards wide per level
Duration 1 turn / level of the caster. Variant: Part wood;
Casting 6 affects forests similarly.
Time
Sacrifice None Weather
Level 6
Conjure an elemental of a type of Sphere Weather
your choice that follows your
commands. Variant: Dismiss Range Self
elemental. Duration 1 turn / level
Casting 1 turn
Perfect healing Time
Sacrifice None
Level 6
Sphere Healing
Call forth seasonal weather effecting
Range Touch an area of up to 100 square miles and
Duration Permanent lasting an appropriate amount of
time for the weather being called
Casting 1 round forth. Weather slowly builds, arriving
Time 2d12 turns after the spell is cast. It
Sacrifice None
cannot be dispelled.

Heal all diseases and illnesses, and

heal or damage, including confusion
and psionic effects.

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 Priestly spell list

7th level priestly spells Crawling plague

Level 7
Animate Rock Sphere Summoning
Level 7 Range Self
Sphere Elemental Duration 4 rounds / level
Range Ranged Casting 1 round
Duration 1 round / level Time
Sacrifice None
Casting 1 round
Time
Sacrifice A ruby The caster calls forth a carpet-like
swarm of 1d6+5 x 100 venomous,
Cause a stone object of up to 2 cubic biting insects, that take up a 20 foot
feet per level to move, following the square. Each insect in the swarm
desires of the caster. It will follow one inflicts 1 damage on creature that
set of instructions per action, for a enters the swarm, and then dies
maximum of 12 words. The animated immediately.
rock has a 16 armour (mundane), 6
HP per level of the caster, and inflicts Earthquake
2 damage per level of the caster with Level 7
its attack.
Sphere Elemental
Chariot Range Ranged
Level 7 Duration 1 round
Sphere Elemental Casting 1 turn
Time
Range Ranged Sacrifice A pinch of dirt, a piece of
Duration 3 watches rock, and a lump of wet
clay.
Casting 1 turn
Time Tremors rip through the ground to an
Sacrifice A torch, two holly berries, area of 5 feet per level of the caster.
and a piece of wood. Caves or caverns collapse, cliffs
The caster summons a flaming crumble, the ground cracks open
chariot pulled by fiery horses, that killing 1-in-6 creatures, water drains
flies at a fast speed, and causes any away, tunnels cave in, 1-in-3 trees are
who approach it 2d4 fire damage. It uprooted and fall, structures equal to
has armour 18 (mundane) and 30 HP. the area of effect collapse in rubble,
and structures twice the size of the
area of effect are severely
compromised.

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Firestorm Restoration
Level 7 Level 7
Sphere Elemental Sphere Necromancy
Range Ranged Range Touch
Duration 1 round Duration Permanent
Casting 1 round Casting 3 rounds
Time Time
Sacrifice None. Sacrifice 3 years of the caster’s life

An area equal to a 20 foot cube per Completely heal the target, restore
level is shot through with sheets of any lost ability points, and cure any
roaring flame, causing 2d8 damage + diseases or other ill effects.
2d8 damage per level of the caster,
taking half on a successful save vs. Resurrection
wands.
Level 7
Gate Sphere Necromancy
Level 7 Range Touch
Sphere Summoning Duration Permanent
Range Ranged Casting 1 turn
Time
Duration Specal Sacrifice Three years of the caster’s
Casting 5 life
Time
Sacrifice 5 years of the caster’s life. Restore the target creature to life.
They can have been dead for 10 years
per level of the caster. They are
Create a gateway between the caster’s immediately restored to full hit
plane of existence and the plane in points and suffer no ill effects. The
which dwells a named being of great caster cannot cast any further spells
power, drawing the attendtion of the until they have rested.
being and beseeching they come to
the caster’s aid. Something will step
through the gate; make a reaction roll
to determine how they respond. The
being wither returns immediately or
remains to take action.

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Psionic devotions Adrenaline

Type Devotion
Absorb ill Discipline Psychometabolism
Type Devotion Ability Constitution
Discipline Psychometabolism Cost 8 (4)
Ability Constitution Range Self
Cost 12 Meditation 0
Range Touch
Meditation 0 Psionicist controls the adrenaline in
their system, gaining 1d6 points they
Psionicist removes disease from can distribute to their Strength,
target creature, taking it into Dexterity, or Constitution scores for
themselves. On a critical success, the the duration. On a critical success,
disease is destroyed by the they add 1d6 to all three ability scores
psionicist’s immune system; for the duration.
otherwise, it infects the psionicist.
Animate object
Absolute navigation Type Devotion
Type Devotion Discipline Psychokinetics
Discipline Clairsentience Ability Intelligence
Ability Intelligence Cost 8 (3)
Cost 4 (7/hour) Range Ranged
Range 0 Meditation 0
Meditation 0
An inanimate object up to one
Psionicist always knows their position hundred pounds in weight comes to
relative to the location at which this live, moving clumsily, like a puppet.
power was first manifested (e.g., 100 The object can attack as if with a club,
yards north). This power cannot help as if the psionicist was attacking.
the psionicist retrace their steps. This
largely serves as an adjunct to other
powers such as teleportation, astral
travel, and telepathic contact. On a
critical success, the psionicist can
also retrace their steps to the
location.

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Animate shadow silver cord connects it to their

Type Devotion physical body. They can travel
between planes or places on the same
Discipline Psychokinetics plane at the speed of thought. When
Ability Wisdom the astral body reaches its
destination, the psionicist can
Cost 7 (3) manifest a temporary physical body
Range Ranged to explore that location. If the astral
Meditation 0 or temporary body is killed, the
psionicist loses all their psi pool and
returns to their physical body.
Imbue any shadow with a life of its
own. It remains two-dimensional. Attraction
Shadows cannot interact with any
physical object. Type Devotion
Discipline Telepathy
Armament Ability Wisdom
Type Devotion Cost 8 / round
Discipline Psychometabolism Range Ranged
Ability Constitution Meditation 0
Cost 9 (4)
Range Self Target is overcome by an attraction to
Meditation 0 a person or thing and will do
everything reasonable within their
power to get close to it. They will risk
The psionicist's arm becomes a melee serious injury to get close to the
or reach weapon of their choice. They object if they are a contacted target,
cannot drop this weapon, nor do they or on a critical success. A variant of
gain proficiency in it. On a critical this devotion exists called “Aversion”
success, the weapon is considered that does the opposite.
magical for purposes of hitting
magical creatures. Awe
Type Devotion
Astral projection
Discipline Telepathy
Type Devotion
Ability Charisma
Discipline Psychoportation
Cost 4 / round
Ability Intelligence
Range Self
Cost 6 (2)
Meditation 0
Range Self
Meditation 0
All contacted targets must save vs.
domination or be cowed by the
The psionicist creates an astral body psionicist’s awesome might. They will
and travels the astral plane with it. A not serve or befriend them but

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instead avoid them, avoid upsetting Catfall

them, and avoid attacking them Type Devotion
unless forced.
Discipline Psychometabolism
Body control Ability Dexterity
Type Devotion Cost 4
Discipline Psychometabolism Range Self
Ability Constitution Meditation 0
Cost 7 (5)
Range Self Psionicist takes no damage from falls
of 30 feet and halved damage from
Meditation 0 higher falls, and may leap up to 30
feet. On a critical success, they may
jump up to 50 feet.
Psionicist's body adapts to a specific
hostile environment (water, acid,
extreme cold, extreme heat, etc.). Cell rejuvenation
They can move or breathe normally in Type Devotion
it, and take no damage from it. This
does not affect vulnerability to types Discipline Psychometabolism
of damage. On a critical success, the Ability Constitution
psionicist changes the environment
they are adapted to while they Cost 5 (Special)
maintain the power. Range Touch
Meditation 0
Cannibalise
Type Devotion On a partial success, heal 1 HP per 10
Discipline Psychometabolism psi pool spent and 1 disease per 20 psi
pool spent. On a full success, spend 5
Ability Constitution psi pool less from the total. On a
Cost 0 critical success, spend 10 psi pool less
Range Self from the total.
Meditation 0
Chameleon
Type Devotion
Take any number of Constitution
points and convert them to psi pool at Discipline Psychometabolism
a ration of 8 psi pool to 1 constiution Ability Constitution
points. Consitution recovers at a rate
of 1 per week of rest. On a critical Cost 6 (3)
success, the psionicist gains 8 psi pool Range Self
without expending any constitution. Meditation 0

Colour of psionicist's skin, clothing,

and equipment change to blend into a

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 Psionic powers list

chosen background. This change Contact

takes several seconds. On a full Type Devotion
success, psionicist cannot be seen
while still. On a partial success, Discipline Telepathy
psionicist saves vs. ill fortune to avoid Ability Wisdom
detection. On a critical success, they
can maintain the camouflage while Cost Special (1)
moving. Range Special
Meditation 0

Establish telepathic contact with a

target to gain advantages when using
other psionic powers. Psionicist can
maintain contact with multiple
targets by paying cost for each. Initial
Clairpsionicism cost is equal to either half the target's
level or twice their HP, rounded up. To
Type Devotion avoid being contacted, a target must
Discipline Clairsentience save vs. domination. Unwilling
psionicists or psionic creatures must
Ability Wisdom be defeated in a psychic duel to
Cost 4 (1) establish contact.
Range 1 mile
Meditation 0

Sense all psionic activity within

range. After concentrating for a
second round, psionicist can identify
direction and distance to it. On a
critical success, they can identify the
psionic activity.

Compass Danger sense

Type Devotion Type Devotion
Discipline Clairsentience Discipline Clairsentience
Ability Intelligence Ability Wisdom
Cost 1 Cost 4 (3)
Range 0 Range Special
Meditation 0 Meditation 0

Know which way is north. On a Psionicist can maintain contact with

critical success, this sense lasts until multiple targets by paying cost for
dawn the next day. each. Initial cost is equal to either

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half the target's level or twice their

HP, rounded up. To avoid being
contacted, a target must save vs.
domination. Unwilling psionicists or
psionic creatures must be defeated in
a psychic duel to establish contact.

Dreamwalking
Type Devotion
Discipline Psychoportation
though. On a critical success, the
Ability Wisdom effect lasts up to a day.
Cost 1 / 3 watches of travel
Range 500 miles Empathy
Meditation 0 Type Devotion
Discipline Telepathy
The psionicist sleeps and dreams they Ability Wisdom
travel from their present location to
another location within range. They Cost - (1)
may take a number of passengers Range Unlimited
equal to their level, but the ability Meditation 0
check is made with disadvantage. On
a full success, the psionicist and their
passengers arrive a their destination Sense basic needs, drives and
when they wake. On partial success, emotions in any mind within range.
they fall short. Dreamwalks take This includes thirst, hunger, fear,
about eight hours to complete, fatigue, pain, rage, hatred,
regardless of success. uncertainty, curiosity, hostility,
friendliness and love. The psionicist
can identify the subject of the
Ectoplasmic Form emotion (i.e. Who is loved, or who is
Type Devotion hated) in a contacted target, or in all
Discipline Psychometabolism within range on a critical success.
Ability Constitution
Empathic projection
Cost 9 (9)
Type Devotion
Range Self
Discipline Telepathy
Meditation 1
Ability Wisdom
Become ghostlike. The psionicist is Cost - (4)
visible as a wispy outline and moves Range Unlimited
normally, but can pass through solid Meditation 1
material easily. The psionicist's
backpack does not become ghostlike,

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Send an emotion to all contacted ESP

targets. On a success, it can only Type Devotion
change the recipients' emotional
states by a degree. On a critical Discipline Telepathy
success, emotions can be drastically Ability Wisdom
altered while the power is
maintained. Cost - (6)
Range Unlimited
Enhancement Meditation 0
Type Devotion
Discipline Psychometabolism Perceive surface or active thoughts in
all contacted targets. You may have to
Ability Wisdom prompt them to cause them to think
Cost Special about certain subjects. The psionicist
Range Self cannot understand languages they do
not already speak, including magical
Meditation 0 syllables a wizard may think in.
Psionicist cannot delve into
memories or the subconscious with
Increase your strength. Initial cost is this power.
equal to twice the numbre of strength
points you add; maintenance cost is
half that. On a critical success, the psi Ghost sense
cost halves. Type Devotion
Discipline Clairsentience
Equilibrium
Ability Wisdom
Type Devotion
Cost 10
Discipline Psychometabolism
Range Ranged
Ability Constitution
Meditation 0
Cost 2 (2)
Range Self
Psionicists can sense all incorporeal
Meditation 0 undead within range and know if a
spirit haunts a location within range.
Psionicist increases their Strength by
half the number of psi points paid.
Maintenance cost is half that. On a
critical success, initial cost becomes
1:1.

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Ona critical success, psionicist knows Psionicist creates an illusion seen

the location of any spirits they detect. only by contacted targets. The
illusion can involve other senses as
well. The illusion cannot be used to
Gift health make something invisible. Otherwise,
Type Devotion if there is no reason to disbelieve the
Discipline Psychometabolism hallucination, target believes it.
Ability Constitution
Heighten senses
Cost 4
Type Devotion
Range Touch
Discipline Psychometabolism
Meditation 0
Ability Constitution
Psionicist transfers any number of HP Cost 5 (1)
from their own pool to a contacted Range Self
target's pool. On a critical success, Meditation 0
transfer at 1:2.

Psionicist can more easily notice

Gust those hiding or sneaking and, on a
Type Devotion successful Intelligence check, can
Discipline Psychokinetics track like a bloodhound. Psionicist
can see and hear at thrice their
Ability Constitution normal range and identify the
Cost 16 (10) presence of poisons or impurities too
small to cause harm. They can
Range Vision identify objects easily by touch alone.
Meditation 2 rounds

Control wind speed and direction, Hurl

increasing from still to blustery, Type Devotion
blustery to gale, or gale to tornado, Discipline Psychokinetics
and changing up to 180 degrees in
direction. Ability Constitution
Cost 5
Hallucination Range Ranged
Type Devotion Meditation 0
Discipline Telepathy
Ability Intelligence Throw a 1 pound item at a target,
Cost - (4) inflicting 1d6 damage. On a critical
hit, inflict 2d6 damage.
Range Unlimited
Meditation 0

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Inattention partial success, they know the answer

Type Devotion to a general question, such as "Where
am I?" On a full success, the Psionicist
Discipline Telepathy knows the answer to two follow up
Ability Wisdom questions as well.
Cost 3 / round
Range Unlimited Levitate
Meditation 0 Type Devotion
Discipline Psychokinetics
All contacted targets struggle to Ability Wisdom
concentrate and their minds wander. Cost 12 (2)
It is easier for any to pick their Range Self
pockets or slip past them unobserved.
They won’t notice items missing even Meditation 0
in their field of view.
Psionicist lifts themselves at a speed
Inertial barrier of 60 feet per second and descend at a
Type Devotion speed they wish. They cannot move
horizontally, unless pushed or caught
Discipline Psychokinetics in a draft. Can be combined with
Ability Constitution control wind or project force to fly.
The psionicist must drop their
Cost 7 (5) backpack to levitate, and the initial
Range Self cost increases by 1 per filled
Meditation 0 inventory slot. On a critical success,
the rate of levitation is doubled.

Manifest a barrier of air that slows Marionette

everything that enters. Physical
missiles, flames, acid, gas, and fall Type Devotion
damage are rendered useless. It has Discipline Psychokinetics
no effect on magic, heat, cold, light.
Ability Constitution
Local knowledge Cost 8 (8)
Type Devotion Range Ranged
Discipline Clairsentience Meditation 0
Ability Intelligence
Contacted target must save vs.
Cost 10 domination or be controlled like a
Range 0 marionette while in psionicist's range.
Meditation 5 Control is rudimentary, unless on a
critical success, where control is
indistinguishable from normal
Psionicist absorbs local knowledge movement.
about their current location. On a

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Molecular manipulation Mind meld

Type Devotion Type Devotion
Discipline Psychokinetics Discipline Telepathy
Ability Intelligence Ability Wisdom
Cost 6 (5) Cost 8
Range Ranged Range Ranged
Meditation 1 Meditation 1

Weaken an object, making it easy to Any number of psionicists may link

break. When the object is next minds to combine their psi pool and
stressed, struck, or used to strike, it perform great works of power. They
will snap. The psionicist can choose each must expend the cost in order to
where it breaks. It can instead be make the link. On a critical success,
softened, making it pliable like clay or none of the psionicists participating
easy to break through, depending on must spend the initial cost.
the material (“soft rock” is different
from “soft wood”). Larger items take
multiple rounds to be weakened (at 1
round per 2 square inches weakened).
On a critical success, weakening
occurs at twice the rate.

Manipulate flesh
Type Devotion
Discipline Psychometabolism
Ability Constitution
Cost 6 (1)
Range Self
Meditation 0

Psionicist may expand or contract

themselves at a rate of half their
original size per round. They may
grow to a max of four times their
original size, or shrink to a fourth of
it. This does not affect their clothing
or equipment. On a critical success,
the psionicist may grow or shrink by
up to 100% their original size per
round, up to 10 times larger or a tenth
the size.

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Portal Psychic messenger

Type Devotion Type Devotion
Discipline Psychoportation Discipline Telepathy
Ability Constitution Ability Constitution
Cost 4 (2) Cost - (3)
Range Vision Range 200 miles
Meditation 0 Meditation 2

A vaguely outlined portal appears, Psionicist sends an insubstantial

leading to a place of the psionicist's image of themselves to appear
choosing within their current sight. anywhere within range to deliver a
Any who step through the portal are message. The communication is one-
disoriented and cannot attack that way. On a critical success, the
round. On a critical success, it doesn't messenger can appear as anyone.
cause disorientation.
Psychic vampirism
Type Devotion
Discipline Telepathy
Ability Wisdom
Cost 10/person
Range Ranged
Meditation 0
Post-hypnotic suggestion
Type Devotion Up to six contacted targets can be
drained if asleep. On a full success,
Discipline Telepathy the psionicist can drain as many
Ability Intelligence points of Wisdom, Intelligence and
Constitution as they choose, to gain 8
Cost 1 per level/5 HP psi pool per point. This psi pool
Range Unlimited cannot be “banked”, but rather have
Meditation 0 to be expended immediately. If any
ability score is reduced to past 5, the
target goes into psychic shock,
A reasonable course of action is causing temporary amnesia, coma, or
implanted in the minds of all death.
contacted targets with an Intelligence
between 7 and 17. A situation that will
trigger this action is also implanted.
This suggestion lasts a number of
days equal to the psionicist’s level. On
a critical success, it lasts until the
trigger occurs.

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Privation Selective invisibility

Type Devotion Type Devotion
Discipline Psychometabolism Discipline Telepathy
Ability Wisdom Ability Intelligence
Cost 10 / day Cost - (2 / target)
Range Self Range Unlimited
Meditation 0 Meditation 0

The psionicist's needs for food, water, The psionicist or individual they
and sleep are suppressed in exchange choose becomes invisible to all
for an hour of meditation each day. contacted targets, but remains visible
They can survive a number of days to everyone else.. On a critical
equal to their level or 5 days, success, the invisible person is cannot
whichever is higher. Afterwards, they be heard, touched, or smelt.
must rest for one day for every two
they were deprived. Sight link
Type Devotion
Retrospection
Discipline Telepathy
Type Devotion
Ability Constitution
Discipline Clairsentience
Cost - (5 / turn)
Ability Wisdom
Range Unlimited
Cost 120
Meditation 1
Range Ranged
Meditation 10
The psionicist can see through a
contacted target’s eyes for the
The psionicist delves into universal, duration. There is a variation of this
pervasive memory to find the answer devotion that allows hearing rather
to one question. On a full success, than sight to be linked. On a critical
they receive a complete but vague success, both sight and hearing are
answer. On a partial success, the linked.
answer is vague or incomplete. On a
critical success, the answer is specific Steelskin
and complete. Any memories the
psionicist draws from bear marks of Type Devotion
the personalities that created them. Discipline Psychometabolism
Memories can have personalities of
their own, and may be angered by an Ability Constitution
intrusion after centuries of peace, or Cost 4
delighted at the chance for the truth
to be known. Range Self
Meditation 0

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In response to an attack, the Vulnerability

psionicist’s skin becomes hard as Type Devotion
steel and deflects the blow. On a
critical success, it is maintained for an Discipline Telepathy
additional round. Ability Wisdom
Cost - (5)
Suspended animation Range Unlimited
Type Devotion Meditation 0
Discipline Psychometabolism
Ability Constitution All contacted targets believes that
Cost 12 any injury will kill them. If injured,
Range Self they fall to the ground in terrible pain
for 10 rounds. Even if they are not
Meditation 0 struck, their behaviour changes as if
they were trying to avoid injury.
The psionicist appears dead to all Variant: “Invulnerability”, where the
examination. On a partial success, target believes that every blow they
this lasts for one month, two months strike is fatal.
on a full. On a critical success, this
lasts for three months, and the Wrench
psionicists remains aware of their Type Devotion
surroundings and may awaken any
time they choose. Discipline Psychoportation
Ability Wisdom
Thought shield Cost 15 (8)
Type Devotion Range Ranged
Discipline Telepathy Meditation 0
Ability Wisdom
Cost 5 (3) Any target that simultaneous exists
Range Self on this and another plane of exisence
can be forced entirely into one of
Meditation 0 those planes at the psionicists’
choice, for as long as the maintenance
Protects the psionicist against ESP, cost is paid. This includes undead,
probes, mind links, life detection, and demons and devils, angels, and divine
any other powers or spells which read avatars. If a target is wrenched away
or detect thoughts. from the material plane, it is trapped
there. If the target is wrenched to the
material plane, its armour is halved, it
cannot drain life, hits against it do

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not require magical weapons, and it is attack randomly or not at all, and
killed permanently if reduced to 0 HP. cannot cast spells for 1 round.

Psionic stances Mental blockade

Type Stance
Blasting will Discipline Telepathy
Type Stance Ability Wisdom
Discipline Telepathy Cost 4
Ability Wisdom Range Ranged
Cost 7 Meditation 0
Range Ranged
Meditation 0 An unassailable haven of superego
stands between you and your target,
protecting you and all allies you
A barrage of sensory input stands touch. This stance can be used in a
between you and your target. This psionic duel, or can be used against a
stance can be used in a psionic duel, contacted mind to strike directly at
or can be used against a contacted their beliefs. They must save vs.
mind by blasting them with domination or believe they have lost
sensation. They must save vs. all but 3 HP, and will pass out if hit
domination or be paralysed for 1d4 again.
rounds and suffer 1d8 + your level in
damage. On a success, they take half
damage and are not paralysed. Thrusting inquiry
Type Stance
Crushing intellect Discipline Telepathy
Type Stance Ability Wisdom
Discipline Telepathy Cost 8
Ability Wisdom Range Ranged
Cost 4 Meditation 0
Range Ranged
Meditation 0 A cavalcade of incisive moral
questions stand between you and
your target. This stance can be used
A barrage of unassailable logic stands in psionic duel, or can be used against
between you and your target. This a contacted mind to short their
stance can be used in a psionic duel, synapses and render them unable to
or can be used against a contacted act for 1d4 rounds. On a critical
mind to crush them with logical success, they turn against their allies
calculations. They must save vs. for this period of time.
domination or be lose the ability to
process or make decisions. They

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Whipping voices Bodyswap

Type Stance Type Science
Discipline Telepathy Discipline Telepathy
Ability Wisdom Ability Constitution
Cost 4 Cost 30
Range Ranged Range Touch
Meditation 0 Meditation 0

A chorus declaring the worthless of Switch bodies with a contacted target.

all their acts according to their No knowledge is transferred. A
deepest anxieties stand between you swapped body deteriorates, losing 1
and your target. This stance can be Constitution point per day. If its
used in psionic duel, or can be used Constitution drops to zero, the body
against a contacted mind to daze dies. Lost Constitution is only
them for 1d4 rounds. A dazed target restored when the bodies are swapped
has disadvantage on all rolls and back, which becomes harder with
cannot cast spells above first-level lowered Constitution. On a critical
success, Constitution only
deteriorates at a rate of 1 point per
week.

Clairvoyance
Psionic sciences Type Science
Discipline Clairsentience
Autometabolism Ability Wisdom
Type Science Cost 7 (4/round)
Discipline Psychometabolism Range See description
Ability Constitution Meditation None
Cost 20
Range Self The psionicist sees images from a
Meditation 24 hours distant area as if they were standing
there. They can scan the area as if
turning their head. The psionicist can
The psionicist enters a trance for 24 easily send their clairvoyance a
hours, healing themselves of all number of miles equal to their level;
wounds and diseases. This trance can anything beyond this gives
only be broken with 5HP or more of disadvantage on their check. On a
damage. On a critical success, the critical success, they may hear as well
healing occurs in just one hour of as see. Variant: "Clairaudience"
trance. grants hearing rather than sight.

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Psionic powers list

Clone Energy Sponge

Type Science Type Science
Discipline Psychometabolism Discipline Psychometabolism
Ability Constitution Ability Constitution
Cost 50 (5) Cost 10
Range Ranged Range Self
Meditation 10 rounds Meditation 5

A wispy and intangible, but otherwise Any energy attack such as electricity,
identical, copy of the psionicist steps fire, cold, and sound is absorbed into
out of their body. The psionicist sees the psionicist's body. They glow
and hears only what the clone sees brightly for a number of rounds equal
and hears, but can still smell, taste, to the damage absorbed. On a critical
and touch from their own body. While success, they may redirect this energy
the clone is manifested, the psionicist at a target within ranged rank for 2d6
cannot move or act, but must do so damage.
through the clone. The clone is
impervious to all forms of attack. On Enpocket
a critical success, the clone can travel
through walls and other solid objects. Type Science
Discipline Psychoportation
Dominate Ability Intelligence
Type Science Cost 30 (10)
Discipline Telepathy Range Ranged
Ability Wisdom Meditation 0
Cost - (5 / target)
Range Ranged The target is trapped in a featureless,
Meditation 2 benign pocket dimension for the
duration, after which they reappear
where they were previously. The
A contacted target is forced to do target can try to return by other
anything the psionicist wishes; they means, however. On a critical success,
know what is happening but cannot the target cannot return of its own
resist. Commands are telepathic. The accord, but must wait until it is
target must save vs. domination to allowed to return.
avoid being affected, and must make
another save whenever forced to do
anything contrary to their nature.
Dominate up to five contacted
targets. On a critical success,
maintenance cost is halved.

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 Psionic powers list

Explode Total Sensory Invisibility

Type Science Type Science
Discipline Psychokinetics Discipline Telepathy
Ability Constitution Ability Intelligence
Cost 18 Cost - (5/round/creature)
Range Ranged Range Self
Meditation 0 Meditation 0

Harness latent energy inside a non- All contacted creatures cannot see,
creature object and release it hear or smell the psionicist. If the
explosively. This can affect inanimate psionicist touches a target or makes
objects, corporeal undead, living an attack, contact is broken and
plants, or constructs. nyone in melee contacted targets see the psionicist.
range of the explosion must save vs. On a critical success, the psionicist
poison or suffer 1d10 damage, or half cannot be detected even by touch or
that on a success. Up to 8 cubic feet of attack.
the exploded object are completely
destroyed. On a critical success, the
explosion causes 2d10 damage and
effects everyone in reach range.

Psychosurgery
Type Science
Discipline Telepathy
Ability Intelligence
Cost - (10)
Range Touch
Meditation 10 rounds

The psionicist may repair psychic

ailments and excise possessing spirits
in a mindlinked target, unleash wild
psionic talents of a random nature, or
make the effect of any telepathic
power permanent with no
maintenance cost (so long as it does
not have a range of zero and the
psionicist knows the power).

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Psionic powers list

Memory Probe out for 1d6 turns and does not

Type Science transform.
Discipline Telepathy
Metabolic Tap
Ability Wisdom
Type Science
Cost - (9)
Discipline Psychometabolism
Range Ranged
Ability Constitution
Meditation 0
Cost 11 (5)
Range Touch
Perceive surface, active thoughts in a
contacted target. Find memories and Meditation 0
knowledge in a mindlinked target.
The psionicist may learn the answer
to one simple question per round. The psionicist drains 1d6 HP per
Complex questions take longer. The round from a contacted target to
psionicist cannot understand replenish their own. The psionicist
may drain more HP than their
maximum, but this bonus HP only
lasts for one watch. On a critical hit,
the psionicist can drain 2d6 HP per
round.

Mindwipe
thoughts in a language they do not
already speak. Type Science
Discipline Telepathy
Metamorphosis Ability Intelligence
Type Science Cost - (8)
Discipline Psychometabolism Range Touch
Ability Constitution Meditation 1
Cost 21 (1)
Range Self Wipe knowledge from a target’s mind.
The target saves vs. domination to
Meditation 5 resist the effect. On the first round,
the target's Intelligence is reduced by
The psionicist transforms into 1 point. On the second round, they
anything with a similar mass as their lose 1 point of Wisdom. On the third,
own body, such as a wolf, sculpture, or they lose 1 level. Finally, on the
small tree. They retain their HP by fourth they lose the targeted
gain the new form's resistances and knowledge. On a critical success, the
attacks. On a critical success, the new target does not get to save. Psychic
form can have three times the mass of surgery can restore the lost
the psionicist's own body. On a knowledge, Intelligence, Wisdom, and
critical failure, the psionicist passes level.

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 Psionic powers list

Mindlink Neurologic Explosion

Type Science Type Science
Discipline Telepathy Discipline Telepathy
Ability Wisdom Ability Wisdom
Cost - (8) Cost 75
Range Unlimited Range Ranged
Meditation 0 Meditation 3

Communicate wordlessly with any A psychic scream of overwhelming

contacted target. Language is not a power penetrates all minds within
barrier. Some powers require a range. They must save vs. domination
mindlinked target, similar to how or pass out for 2d6 turns.If a psionic
many require a contacted target. fails this by more than 5, they lose all
psionic power. This can only be
undone via psychosurgery. On a
Molecular Redistribution critical failure, the psionicist must
Type Science save. vs. domination or die; on a
Discipline Psychokinetics success, they lose their psionic
powers for 2d6 days.
Ability Intelligence
Cost 16 (3) Objectology
Range Ranged Type Science
Meditation 0 Discipline Clairsentience
Ability Wisdom
Change an existing object or create
one from nothing. An object created Cost 16
or changed this way can have any Range Touch
shape, colour, or texture the Meditation 0
psionicist desires. However, if cannot
exceed 4 cubic feet in size or 10 lbs.
The object's size cannot be radically Detect impressions left on an object
altered, and the created object or by a previous owner. Choose from
changes last as long as the power is these options: Heritage, gender, age,
maintained. On a critical success, the ethos, how last owner lost the item,
object or change is permanent. how last owner gained the item. On a
partial success, pick two. On a full
success, pick four. On a critical
success, learn all the above about two
owners.

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Psionic powers list

unusually clear understanding of

three events.

Shadow-form
Punch Type Science
Type Science Discipline Psychometabolism
Discipline Psychokinetics Ability Constitution
Ability Constitution Cost 12 (3)
Cost 10 Range Self
Range Ranged Meditation 0
Meditation 0
The psionicist transforms into a living
Manifest a psychokinetic punch shadow, along with their clothing,
against an opponent in range. On a armour, and backpack (if they're
partial success, iit causes 1d6 damage unencumbered). They can blend into
and can trigger traps, throw levels, other shadows and zip through areas
open doors, and break windows. On a of darkness or shadow. Areas of open
full success, it causes 2d6 damage or light are impassable. They are
can knock a man-sized or smaller undetectable except by psychic
target over. On a critical success, it means.
causes 3d6 damage or can knock a
huge target over. Telekinesis
Type Science
Sensitivity Discipline Psychokinetics
Type Science Ability Wisdom
Discipline Clairsentience Cost Special
Ability Wisdom Range Ranged
Cost 12 (2) Meditation 0
Range 0
Meditation 0 Move object through space without
touching them, up to 60 feet per
The psionicist perceives the residue round. Initial cost is equal to weight
of powerful emotions in their current in pounds. Maintenance cost is half
location, offering a picture of the that, rounded down. On a full success,
location's past. Only events that leave you can move it with agility and
a strong psychic residue are speed, giving advantage on attacks
detectable. Understanding is vague, with the object. On a partial success,
shadowy, and dreamlike, but the the object can only be moved. On a
dominant emotions involved are critical success, lift a second item of
clear. On a full success, they note two equal or lesser weight for the same
events. On a partial, they note one cost.
event. On a critical, they gain an

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 Psionic powers list

Teleport Timeshift
Type Science Type Science
Discipline Psychoportation Discipline Psychoportation
Ability Intelligence Ability Intelligence
Cost 10 / 10 yards; 20 / 100 Cost 16
yards, 30 / 1000 yards, 40 Range Self
/ 5.6 miles, 50 / 56 miles.
Range Self Meditation 0
Meditation 0
The psionicist teleports up to three
rounds into the future and observe
The psionicist teleports to a location until time catches up. If they travel
they know well and can clearly one round into the future, they have
picture in their mind. Clothing and two rounds to prepare for an attack. If
equipment are brought along, but not they travel three rounds, they appear
one's backpack or any restraints. You immediately. Their preparations
can teleport any distance, with an typically afford the psionicist
initial cost that increases by 10 per advantage on all rolls when they re-
multiple of 10, starting at 10 psi pool enter time. On a critical success, they
for 10 yards, and increasing to 50 psi can move items in their environment
for 10,000 yards (56 miles), 110 psi for when they arrive in the future.
10,000,000,000 yards (or roughly
travel to a neighboring planet. (ie.
Count the zeroes in the distance
you’re travelling, in yards). On a
critical success, the initial cost is
halved.

161
Changelog

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162
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