RPG DAY

2024
FREE
THE SINKING TOWER
E
YL
ST
T- RT
EN A
M ST
A K
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R I
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 LEAD DESIGNER & EDITOR
Tomas Härenstam

OTHER WRITERS
Andreas Marklund (introductory text, monsters),
Krister Sundelin (magic), Nils Karlén (The Sinking Tower)
Marco Behrmann (pre-generated characters)

LEAD ILLUSTRATOR
Johan Egerkrans

ADDITIONAL ART
Dave Brasgalla, Niklas Brandt

GRAPHIC DESIGN
Niklas Brandt, Christian Granath, Dan Algstrand

LAYOUT TRANSLATION
Dan Algstrand Niklas Lundmark

MAPS PROOFREADING
Niklas Brandt Brandon Bowling

PR MANAGER EVENT MANAGER CUSTOMER SUPPORT

Boel Bermann Anna Westerling Daniel Lehto

Dragonbane is a registered trademark by Fria Ligan AB.

©2024 Fria Ligan AB

ISBN 978-91-89765-54-2
INTRODUCTION
 elcome to the Quickstart Guide for the MEASURING TIME
Dragonbane RPG. This booklet contains a
condensed version of the core rules, as well
Three units are used to measure time in Dragon­bane.
as pre-­generated player characters and the adventure The
Rounds are used in combat, while the stretch and the
Sinking Tower, ready to play.
shift are used in other situations.

UNIT
OF TIME DURATION ENOUGH TIME TO
YOU AND OTHERS
Round 10 seconds Perform an action in combat,
Most of the rules in this game are written in the take a round rest (page 18).
second person – i.e., speaking to “you.” Rules Stretch 15 minutes Explore a room, take a
that apply to you also apply to others in the stretch rest (page 18).
game, both player characters and NPCs (char-
acters controlled by the Game­master), unless Shift 6 hours Hike for 15 kilometers, take a
expressly stated otherwise. shift rest (page 18).

the outcome is uncertain. Then it is time to break out the

dice – read more about that below.
THE PLAYERS It is the GM’s job to put obstacles in your path and
All players except one portray adventurers in the world of challenge your player characters, forcing them to show
Dragonbane. These individuals are called player characters. what they are really made of. But it is not up to the GM
You decide what your player character thinks and feels, to decide everything that happens in the game – and
what they do and say – but not what happens to them. It is certainly not how your story is supposed to end. That is
your job as a player to immerse yourself in your character. decided in the game. It is what you are playing to find out.
Dragonbane is best suited for three to five characters.
It can be played with more or fewer players than that,
but then you may have to make certain adjustments to START PLAYING
the adventure. Adventure awaits in the world of Dragonbane! All you
need to do before playing the adventure The Sinking Tower,
which is included in this Quickstart, is the following:
THE GAMEMASTER
The final player is the Gamemaster, or GM for short. The 1. Decide who will be the GM.
GM describes the world of Dragonbane to you, portrays 2. Have each player pick one of the pre-generated player
the people you encounter on your treasure hunts (so-­ characters.
called non-­player characters, or NPCs) and controls the 3. The GM reads through this booklet and becomes
monsters lurking in the depths. familiar with the rules and the adventure. The players
The game is a conversation between the players and the are welcome to read the rules as well, but must not
GM, back and forth, until a critical situation arises where read the adventure itself.
4. Let the game begin!

DICE
OPTIONAL RULES
All you need to play this Quickstart, other than
this booklet, are a few pencils and dice. Dragon- Sidebars like this one, in green, describe
bane uses several different types of dice – with optional rules. They give the game more depth
four, six, eight, ten, twelve, and twenty sides. and complexity, but the game works fine
These dice will be referred to as D4, D6, D8, D10, without them. You might want to start playing
D12, and D20. Such dice are available in hobby without them and add them as you become
stores, or you can use dice roller apps and sites more familiar with the game.
found online.

I ntroduction

3
THE BASIC RULES
 YOUR PLAYER
CHARACTER
he player character is your tool, your eyes and ears DERIVED RATINGS
in the game world. Based on your attributes, you have a number of derived
The full core game of Dragonbane describes in ratings that are used in various ways.
detail how to create your own player character. To keep
track of your player character you use a character sheet. Movement: This rating determines how many meters you
At the end of this Quickstart you will find seven pre-gen- can run in a round of combat (page 11).
erated player characters with filled-in character sheets.
The five first characters can be used as pre-­generated char- Damage Bonus: Your damage bonus increases the
acters to play The Sinking Tower in this booklet. Alberic damage inflicted by your attacks. You have two separate
Gleamheart and Betrix Farsail are meant to be used as damage bonuses – one for STR-based weapons and one for
replacement characters and should not be used from the AGL-based weapons.
start of the adventure. If you don’t want to cut out the
character sheets from this booklet, you can photocopy Hit Points (HP): This rating determines how much
them or download them from dragonbane-rpg.com. damage you can take. Your maximum number of HP is
equal to your CON.

KIN Willpower Points (WP): Willpower Points are used for

There are six playable kin in Dragonbane: human, halfling, magic, as well as innate and heroic abilities. Your maxi-
dwarf, elf, mallard, and wolfkin. Each kin has an innate mum number of WP is equal to your WIL.
ability that no other kin can learn (mallards have two).
The pre-generated player characters at the end of this book-
let all have their innate abilities described. In most cases, SKILLS
using such abilities requires Willpower Points (to the right). Skills represent knowledge and abilities you have acquired
during (or prior to) your life as an adventurer. They are
important, as they determine how effectively you can per-
PROFESSION form certain actions in the game. Your skills are measured
All the player characters are adventurers, but you have by skill level on a scale from 1 to 18. The higher, the better.
learned a thing or two before the game begins. A range of
professions are described in the full Dragonbane core game.
WEAKNESS
ATTRIBUTES
Your character is a capable individual risking
Your adventurer has six base attributes that indicate your
their life and limb for honor, gold, or adventure.
basic physical and mental capabilities, on a scale from
Yet even an adventurer has a weakness, an
3 to 18. The higher the score, the better.
Achilles heel that can get you into trouble.
You can roll or choose from the table below or
✦ Strength (STR): Raw muscle power. choose your weakness freely.
✦ Constitution (CON): Physical fitness and resilience. Your weakness adds depth and personality
✦ Agility (AGL): Body control, speed, and fine to your character and can also be used by
motor skills.
the GM to create challenges for them. This is
✦ Intelligence (INT): Mental acuity, intellect, and rea- described in the full game rules.
soning skills.
✦ Willpower (WIL): Self-discipline and focus.
✦ Charisma (CHA): Force of personality and empathy.

C H A P T E R 1 – T he B asic R ules

5
HEROIC ABILITIES COINS
Heroic abilities are special abilities that give you specific
advantages and benefits in the game. The pre-­generated
Monetary transactions are generally made with
characters at the back of this booklet have one heroic abil-
silver coins. Copper coins are used for smaller
ity each – except the mage, who instead wields magic.
transactions and gold for larger ones. Ten copper
coins equal one silver, and ten silver coins equal
one gold. The coins you get when creating your
GEAR
character can be used to purchase additional
You must write down all the items you are carrying on
starting gear.
your character sheet. Any weapons at hand, as well as the
armor, helmet, and shield you are wearing, are listed in
the respective boxes, while other items are recorded under
Inventory.
Write down one item per row. If it is not listed on your Torches & Lanterns: A torch, lamp, or lantern is an item.
sheet, you do not have it with you. Their fire may go out (page 18). Lamps and lanterns can
be refilled with lamp oil.

MEMENTO Arrows & Slingstones: You do not have to count every

arrow you are carrying. Instead, each quiver of arrows
counts as a single item. As long as you have the quiver, you
In addition to your other equipment, you can
can use your weapon. Slingstones do not need to be noted
have a memento – an item of great sentimental
down at all – you are assumed to have enough of those.
value that you always carry with you.
A memento is always a tiny item with no
Heavy Items
practical use, but once per gaming session you
Really heavy items count as two, three, or even more
can use your memento to recover an additional
normal items in terms of encumbrance. These will be
condition during a stretch rest (page 18).
indicated as having weight 2, 3, 4, and so on. In your
inventory, heavy items take up a number of rows equal to
their weight. If no weight is specified, it is always 1.

Tiny Items
ENCUMBRANCE Small and light items that can be hidden in a closed fist
You can carry a number of items equal to half your STR are called tiny. Items of this size do not affect your encum-
(rounded up) in your Inventory without difficulty. Only brance at all. Tiny items are recorded in their own section
the items written down in your Inventory box count on the character sheet and do not take up any space in
towards your encumbrance. your Inventory.

Weapons at Hand: You can have up to three weapons Coins: Single coins count as tiny items and do not affect
at hand, which means that they are worn on your belt or your encumbrance as long as they are fewer than 100. 100–
otherwise readily available for use in combat. Weapons 199 coins count as one item, 200–299 as two, and so on.
kept at hand are recorded under Weapons on the character
sheet and do not count toward your encumbrance. Shields Over-Encumbered
count as weapons and are also recorded here. You can temporarily carry more than your normal encum-
brance limit. In that case you must make a STR roll when-
Helmet & Armor: Any helmet or armor worn on your ever you want to move in a round of combat or walk for a
body is recorded in its respective section and does not shift of travel. If the roll fails, you must either drop what
count toward your encumbrance. you are carrying or stay where you are.

Food: Up to four rations of food count as one item in Carrying Others: While carrying another person, you
terms of encumbrance. Always record the number of automatically count as over-encumbered and cannot fight
rations you have left in your Inventory. in combat.

C H A P T E R 1 – T he B asic R ules

6
 ROLL THE DICE
There are thirty core skills in total in the game, not count- FAILURE
ing secondary skills like the schools of magic. The skills are Rolling above your skill level means that your action fails.
described in detail in the full game, so this Quickstart just For some reason you do not achieve your goal – feel free to
briefly explains how to use them. describe what happens together with the GM. The GM can
When using a skill, first describe what your player also let failures have additional consequences to advance
character is trying to achieve. Then roll a D20. A result the story in an exciting way.
that is lower than or equal to your skill level means that
your action succeeds. In combat your skill rolls often have
specific effects. Outside of combat the GM, or the adven- ROLLING A DEMON
ture you are playing, determines the effects of the roll. Rolling a 20 on D20 is called rolling a demon and means
that the roll fails regardless of your skill level and other
circumstances. Rolling a demon also means that the roll
ROLLING A DRAGON cannot be pushed (optional rule, page 9). Demon rolls
Rolling a one (1) on D20 means that you are particularly can have additional effects in combat. Outside of combat
successful. This is called rolling a dragon. In combat, a the GM can let demon rolls have effects such as:
dragon roll has specific effects – increasing the damage of
an attack, for example. Outside of combat the GM decides ✦ You damage yourself, someone else, or an item.
the effect. Some suggestions: ✦ You make a fool of yourself in front of
­everyone around you.
✦ You impress everyone around you. ✦ You make a lot of noise.
✦ You achieve more than intended.
✦ The action is performed faster than usual.

ATTRIBUTE ROLLS

When no skill seems relevant to the situation,

the GM can instruct you to roll against a base
attribute instead – a Strength roll to lift some-
thing heavy, for example. But if there is a skill
that covers the action you wish to perform, your
roll must be based on that. In unclear cases the
GM decides what is appropriate.

ONLY ONE CHANCE

As a rule, you only have one chance to succeed

with any action. Once you have rolled the dice,
you may not roll again to achieve the same goal.
You need to try something different, wait until
the circumstances have changed in a substantial
way, or let another player character try. This
rule does not apply in combat.

C H A P T E R 1 – T he B asic R ules

7
 HELP FROM OTHERS
BOONS & BANES
One other player character or NPC can help
Normally, the GM does not assess how difficult an action
you succeed at a die roll. This must be declared
is. You only roll dice in challenging situations – period.
before you roll any dice. It must also make sense
But sometimes the GM might want to underscore that
in the story – the individual helping you must
external factors either help or hinder an action. You might
be physically present and have the capacity to
then get a boon or bane to your roll.
support your action. The GM has the final say.
In both cases you roll two D20, but only one result
Whenever someone helps you with a roll,
counts. If you have a boon, only the best result applies.
you get a boon (see above). In combat, helping
If you have a bane, only the worst result applies.
counts as an action – by helping someone else
you lose your own action that round. NPCs
Multiple Boons/Banes: If you get multiple boons/banes
can help each other just as player c ­ haracters
to your roll, roll an additional D20 for each boon/bane
can. Only one character can help a roll.
and count only the lowest/highest result. However, please
note that unless you have a very high skill level, rolls with
multiple banes have a very low chance of success..

Boon and Bane: Sometimes you might get both boons

and banes to your roll. Each boon negates one bane, and normal roll (one D20). If you have two boons and one
vice versa. If you have one boon and one bane, make a bane, it counts as a boon.

C H A P T E R 1 – T he B asic R ules

8
 PUSHING YOUR ROLL

If you fail a skill or attribute roll, you can choose You decide which condition you get from pushing a
to push the roll, which means that you make roll, with two important restrictions:
another attempt. The new result applies, what-
ever it is. If you have boons or banes, you must ✦ You cannot choose a condition you already have.
re-roll all dice. You can never push a demon roll ✦ You must be able to explain how the condition
(a natural 20). results from the action you are trying to
Whenever you push a roll, immediately after perform. The GM has the right to reject clearly
the re-roll, you suffer a condition. This means unreasonable explanations.
that you get a bane on all rolls for skills based
on a certain attribute, and rolls against the Once you have all six conditions, you may no longer
attribute in question. Each attribute is linked to push your rolls. In addition to their effects, con-
a certain condition. Thus, there are six different ditions provide inspiration for roleplaying. Mark
conditions: conditions on your character sheet.

✦ Exhausted– STR ✦ Angry– INT Healing Conditions: You can recover from a con-
✦ Sickly– CON ✦ Scared– WIL dition by resting – for more on resting and healing,
✦ Dazed– AGL ✦ Disheartened– CHA see page 18.

NPCs and Monsters: Only the player characters

can push their rolls, not NPCs or monsters.

OPPOSED ROLLS
Sometimes you must beat your enemy in an opposed
roll to succeed with an action. This means that both you
and your adversary roll dice. Opposed rolls are used
sparingly in the game, and only when someone is actively
opposing you. In combat it only counts as an action for
the active party.

✦ If your roll fails, your action fails as well, regardless of

your opponent’s roll.
✦ If your roll succeeds while your opponent fails, your
action succeeds.
✦ both of you succeed with your rolls, your action
If
succeeds if the result of your roll is lower than or equal
to your opponent’s result. If the opponent’s result is
lower than yours, you fail.

Pushed Rolls: Opposed rolls can be pushed (optional rule,

see above) as well, but only if you are the active party. This
can be done even after your opponent’s roll.

C H A P T E R 1 – T he B asic R ules

9
COMBAT & DAMAGE
 ife as an adventurer is hard and often violent. In rough for your player character, sometimes even lethal.
Dragonbane you can run into wild beasts, malicious Before you enter combat, you should always ask yourself:
raiders, and demonic monsters. Combat can be is it worth it?

ROUNDS & INITIATIVE

Combat is played in rounds, each representing roughly SURPRISE
ten seconds. At the start of each round, the first step is to If you perform an attack that the GM deems surprising to
decide who has the initiative – that is, in what order the your enemy, you get to choose any initiative card you want
combatants will act during the round. in the first round of combat. If several characters partici-
pate in the surprise attack, you may all choose a card. The
other combatants draw the initiative from the cards that
DRAWING THE INITIATIVE remain. At the start of the second round, everyone draws
To determine initiative, ten playing cards are used, num- the initiative as usual.
bered 1 through 10. The core boxed set includes custom
cards for this purpose but normal playing cards work fine
– just count the Ace as 1. Each player taking part in the WAITING
conflict, voluntarily or otherwise, draws a random card at
the beginning of each round, and the GM draws cards for On your turn in the round, you can choose
NPCs. This is called drawing the initiative. to wait. This means that you swap initiative
The number on the card determines the order in which cards – and therefore places in the turn order –
you act in the round. Number 1 acts first, number 2 acts with another creature whose turn comes after
second, and so forth until everyone has acted. Your place yours. You can swap cards with other player
in the initiative order is called your turn. characters as well as NPCs (or group of NPCs
Place your initiative card by your character sheet so acting on the same turn), and they cannot
everyone can see the order in which each person acts. The refuse the trade. However, you cannot swap
GM puts their card (or cards) in front of them. When all initiative cards with anyone who has already
participants have had their turn, the round is over and a had their turn, or who themselves chose to
new round begins by drawing the initiative again. wait earlier in the round.

Monsters: Monsters (page 20) often have

INITIATIVE FOR NPCS multiple turns in a single round, and therefore
draw multiple initiative cards. In that case
To make things simple, particularly in large you decide which card you want, as long as it
battles, the GM can draw a single initiative card comes after your current turn in the initiative
for a group of NPCs. All NPCs in that group act order. Monsters themselves never choose
on the same turn in the round. The order among to wait.
them is decided by the GM

C H A P T E R 2 – C ombat & Damage

11
 ACTIONS & MOVEMENT
On your turn in the round, you can move and perform REACTIONS
one action. You simply explain how you want to move and Some actions are not performed on your turn, but on the
what action you want to perform. If necessary, you also opponent’s. These are called reactions and include things
roll dice to see whether you succeed. like parrying or dodging attacks. This uses up your own
You decide whether to move before you act or vice versa. turn in the round, which means that you cannot perform
You can even use part of your movement, perform your a reaction if you have already had your turn. Flip your
action, and then finish the movement. You must perform initiative card after performing a reaction.
your action and move on your turn – you cannot save any
of them for later (but see Waiting on the previous page). Movement: When performing a reaction, you also lose
your movement in the round. Several reactions, such as
dodging or parrying, give you a certain movement as part
ACTIONS of the action. You can read more about this under Melee
An action in combat can be many different things, but Combat on page 14.
the list below summarizes the most common ones. These
actions are described in detail later in this chapter.
MOVEMENT
Free Actions: Minor actions such as drawing a weapon Under normal circumstances, you can move as many
kept at hand, dropping to the ground, or shouting a few meters as your Movement rate. But there are a few special
words are all free actions. See the sidebar to the right for a cases to consider:
complete list. Free actions do not count as your action in
the round but you can only perform one of each type per Dash: By choosing to dash as your action in the round,
round, and only on your own turn. For example, you can you can move twice as far as normal.
drop down or get up on your turn, but not both.

ACTIONS

An action in combat can be many different things, ✦ Equip/Unequip Armor/Helmet: Suits of armor
but the most common ones are summarized below. and helmets protect you from damage, but also
Rules for these actions are found later in the chapter. restrict your movement.
✦ First Aid: The HEALING skill is used to save the
✦ Dash: This action doubles your movement rate in life of someone who has had their HP reduced to
the round. zero and is at risk of dying.
✦ Melee Attack: These can be performed against ✦ Rally: You can PERSUADE another player charac-
an enemy within 2 meters (4 meters for long ter at zero HP to rally and keep fighting.
weapons). ✦ Break Down Door: Doors can take a certain
✦ Ranged Attack: Attacks with a ranged weapon amount of damage before they break down.
can be made against targets within the weap- ✦ Pick Lock: Picking a lock requires a SLEIGHT
on’s range. OF HAND roll. Doing so without lockpicks gives
✦ Parry: Both melee and ranged attacks can be you a bane.
parried, but the latter requires a shield. Parrying ✦ Activate Ability: Use an innate or heroic a­ bility.
is a reaction that takes place outside your turn ✦ Cast Spell: In most cases, casting a spell counts
and replaces your normal turn in the round. as an action. This includes magic tricks. Some
✦ Dodge: Dodging a melee or ranged attack is also spells are reactions and do not require an action,
a reaction that takes place outside your turn and while others are more time-consuming. For more
replaces your normal turn in the round. on magic, see chapter 4.
✦ Pick Up Item: Pick up an item from the ground ✦ Helping: Helping another character gives them a
within 2 meters, or from your Inventory. boon to a roll in the same round.
✦ Use Item: Use a potion or some other item ✦ Round Rest: You rest and recover D6 WP. This
within 2 meters. can only be done once per shift.
 FREE ACTIONS Note that a free attack is triggered even if you start your
movement at a distance but pass by an enemy. Moving
around an enemy does not trigger a free attack, as long as
✦ Draw Weapon: Draw, exchange, or put away
you stay within 2 meters. Also note that involuntary move-
a weapon kept at hand.
ment never triggers a free attack.
✦ Change Position: Throw yourself to the
ground or get up.
✦ Drop Item: Drop an item on the ground. SNEAK ATTACK
✦ Shout: Say or shout a few words.
The key to winning a conflict is often to attack when the
enemy least expects it.

Sneak Attack: When you sneak up on someone unde-

Stand/Crouch: You can drop to the ground or get up as part tected and perform an attack, it is called a sneak attack.
of your movement. These are free actions and do not affect It can be done with both ranged and melee weapons, but
your movement per se, but can only be done on your turn. never during active combat (except with the Backstabbing
heroic ability).
Leaping: As part of your movement, you can make a First you make a SNEAKING roll. Moving close enough
horizontal leap as long as half your movement rate with a to attack in melee combat (within 2 meters for most
successful ACROBATICS roll. If the distance is a quarter of weapons) gives you a bane. If you fail, the enemy notices
your movement rate or less, you don’t need to roll to leap it. you – draw initiative.
If you succeed your attack counts as surprising, which
Door: Passing through a closed but unlocked door costs means that you can choose any initiative card you want.
half your movement in the round. If you cannot move You also get a boon on the attack, and the target can nei-
any further, you remain standing by the now open door. A ther dodge nor parry. Using a subtle weapon increases the
locked door must either be picked open or broken down. damage by one die (for example 2D8 instead of D8). Sneak
attacks are always performed individually, by one attacker
Enemies: You cannot move past a standing enemy who against one target.
wants to stop you. A humanoid creature of human size can
block an area of roughly 2×2 meters. Monsters can block Ambush: A special kind of sneak attack is an ambush –
larger areas. To move past an enemy who is blocking the way, lying in wait for an enemy and attacking as it passes by. In
you must first bring it to the ground or reduce its HP to zero. this case, each victim makes an AWARENESS roll to spot
Friendly individuals can be passed without any problem. the ambush, with a bane if the attackers are well prepared.
All those who fail get the bottom cards (counting from #10
Free Attack: If you are standing within 2 meters of an and up), randomly drawn.
enemy and then voluntarily move away from that enemy,
you must make an EVADE roll.
The roll does not count as an action, but if it fails, the COMBAT MAPS
enemy immediately gets to perform an additional melee
attack against you – a free attack. The free attack does not Grid maps are a useful tool in combat, as they can
count as an action and can neither be parried nor dodged. be used to keep track of where everyone is. Such
A monster that gets a free attack performs a monster attack maps is included in the adventure The Sinking
(page 21) which also may affect other characters. Tower at the end of this Quickstart. Each square
on the map represents an area of 2×2 meters. The
map also contains doors, walls, and other details.
FLIP THE INITIATIVE CARD As a rule, each square on the map can only be
occupied by one person at a time, but it is pos-
Once you have had your turn in the round, you can sible to pass through a square where a friendly
flip the initiative card face down to make it clear combatant is positioned. Diagonal movements
to you and everyone else that your turn is over. and attacks are allowed, but not if both squares
This means that you cannot perform any reaction you want to pass between are blocked or occu-
(such as parrying an attack) later in the round. pied by hostile opponents.

C H A P T E R 2 – C ombat & Damage

13
 MELEE COMBAT
To attack someone in melee, you generally must be within Strength is less than half the requirement, you cannot use
2 meters of your target. On the grid map you need to be the weapon at all.
positioned in a square adjacent to the enemy (including
diagonally). When attacking in close combat, you use the Grip: Weapons require either one or two hands to use.
skill that covers the type of weapon you are wielding. You can only have one two-handed weapon, or two one-
handed weapons (including a shield), drawn at the same
Damage: If the attack hits, your weapon determines time. The STR requirement of a one-handed weapon
which dice you should roll to see how much damage you decreases by 3 if you hold it with both hands.
inflict on the enemy. The damage can be increased by your
damage bonus and a dragon roll and decreased by armor. Long Weapons: An attack with a weapon with the long
feature (such as a long spear or lance) can hit enemies up
Damage Bonus: Your damage bonus is determined by to 4 meters away (two squares). With such a weapon it is
your score in the attribute on which your weapon skill is also possible to attack past a friendly combatant and hit an
based – AGL or STR. enemy on the other side of that person.

Weapon: You can have up to three weapons at hand.

Write them down in the Weapons section on your charac- PRONE TARGETS
ter sheet. To attack with a weapon, it must also be drawn. If you are standing up but your enemy is lying on the ground,
Drawing a weapon kept at hand, or exchanging your your attack gets a boon and inflicts an extra D6 damage.
drawn weapon for another weapon at hand, is a free action.
Picking up another weapon from the ground or from your
inventory costs a regular action.

STR Requirement: Some weapons have a STR require-

ment. If your STR is lower than the requirement, you get
a bane on all attacks and parries with that weapon. If your
 SHOVE DAMAGE TYPES

If you hit an enemy with a melee attack and There are three types of damage: slashing,
your STR damage bonus is equal to or higher piercing, and bludgeoning. The damage types
than your opponent’s damage bonus, you can for the pre-generated characters’ weapons are
choose to shove the enemy up to 2 meters in listed on their character sheets. Some weap-
any direction (to an adjacent square, if you are ons, such as swords, can inflict both slashing
using a grid map) in addition to doing damage. damage and piercing damage – you must state
This movement does not count toward the whether you stab or slash before rolling the
enemy’s total movement in the round and does die. The damage type influences the effective-
not trigger free attacks from anyone. Monsters ness of armor, and monsters can be resistant
cannot shove or be shoved. to certain types of damage.

CRITICAL HIT However, if the damage exceeds your weapon’s durability,

By rolling a dragon when you attack, you score a critical the weapon is damaged and cannot be used until it is
hit. This means that a dragon roll is required to parry or repaired with a CRAFTING roll.
dodge the attack, and that you may choose one of the
following effects: Shield: If you have a shield drawn, you can parry with
it instead of your weapon. There is no skill for shields –
✦ Roll double the amount of dice for the weapon’s instead you can use any STR-based melee skill (i.e. any of
damage, before adding any damage bonus and other them except KNIVES and STAVES) to parry with a shield.
bonuses. For example, if you get a critical hit with a
broadsword (damage 2D6) and have damage bonus D4, Piercing Damage: Piercing attacks can never damage a
the damage is 4D6+D4. parrying weapon or shield.
✦ You can immediately perform a second attack against
another enemy. This additional attack is a free action. Monsters: As a rule, monster attacks (page 21) cannot
✦ Armor has no effect against the attack, as it finds a be parried, unless otherwise specified.
gap or weak spot. This effect can only be chosen if the
attack deals piercing damage (optional rule, below).
DODGING
As an alternative to parrying, you can try to dodge when
PARRYING hit by an attack. You cannot parry and dodge the same
When hit by an attack in close combat, you can choose to attack – you must choose one or the other. You can dodge
parry the attack with a drawn weapon or shield. Note that while prone. You must declare that you are dodging before
you cannot draw a weapon to parry, as free actions can your opponent rolls for damage. Roll for EVADE – on
only be performed on your own turn. You must declare success you evade the attack and take no damage. On a
that you are going to parry before the attacker rolls for failure, you are hit by the attack.
damage. You cannot parry unarmed. It is also impossible
to both parry and dodge the same attack. You can parry Reaction: Dodging is a reaction and, like parrying,
while prone. When parrying, you roll against your skill requires that you have not already had your turn in the
level for the weapon. round. Once you have dodged, your turn in the round is
spent and you must flip your initiative card.
Reaction: Parrying is a reaction, as it breaks the initiative
order. It replaces your regular turn, and you must immedi- Movement: On a successful dodge you may, if you want,
ately flip your initiative card. This means that you cannot move up to 2 meters in any direction. This movement does
parry if you have already had your turn in the round. not trigger free attacks from anyone.

Durability: If your parry succeeds, the enemy’s attack Monsters: As a rule, monster attacks (page 21) can be
hits your weapon or shield, and you suffer no damage. dodged, unless otherwise specified.

C H A P T E R 2 – C ombat & Damage

15
 RANGED COMBAT
To use a ranged weapon, it must first be drawn (free ✦ Your weapon’s damage is doubled, excluding the
action), just like in melee. You should preferably be damage bonus and other bonuses. Roll twice as many
positioned over 2 meters from your target (i.e. not in an dice as normal and add them up. For example, a criti-
adjacent square on the map). Standing 2 meters away or cal hit with a longbow inflicts 2D12 damage.
less gives you a bane on your attack. Roll against the skill ✦ Armor and natural armor have no effect against the
for the weapon you are using. For throwing weapons, use attack, as it hits a gap or weak spot. This effect can
the same skill as for melee attacks (such as KNIVES or only be chosen if the attack deals piercing damage
SPEARS). If the attack hits, the weapon determines which (optional rule).
dice you should roll to see how much damage it inflicts.
The damage can be increased by damage bonus and a
dragon roll, and decreased by armor. PARRY & DODGE
Parrying a ranged attack requires a shield. It works the
Damage Bonus: You get a damage bonus for ranged same way as in melee combat, except that rolling a dragon
weapons, just as in melee. does not give you a counterattack. You can dodge ranged
attacks just like melee attacks.
Range: The maximum distance (in meters) at which the
weapon can be used effectively. You can fire at targets up to
twice the listed range, but then you get a bane. OBSCURED TARGETS
If your view of the target is partially obscured by an object
or person, no matter if it is a friend or foe, you get a bane
CRITICAL HIT on your attack. On a grid map you can shoot past a person
Rolling a dragon when performing a ranged attack results standing between you and your target, but with a bane. If
in a critical hit, which means that it can only be dodged (or the target is completely out of sight, perhaps hiding behind
parried with a shield) if the opponent also rolls a dragon. a wall, you cannot shoot it at all. If you are playing without
You may also choose one of the following effects: a map, the GM decides whether your line of sight is par-
tially or completely blocked.

DAMAGE
Life as an adventurer is hard and risky. The rewards may DAMAGE TYPES & ARMOR
be great, but the only thing you know for sure is that
you will suffer all sorts of damage along the way. Taking
If the optional rule for damage types (page
damage reduces your hit points (HP).
15) is used, the following rules apply:

ARMOR ✦ Leather and studded leather gain a

+2 bonus to their armor rating against blud-
Wearing leather, chainmail, or plate armor can protect
geoning damage.
your body from damage. Equipping or unequipping armor
✦ Chainmail gets a +2 bonus to its armor
counts as an action in combat. The armor you are wearing
rating against slashing damage.
should be written down in the Armor section on your
character sheet and does not count toward your encum-
If the type of damage is not stated, the armor
brance. You can only wear one suit of armor at a time.
has its normal effect.
Some armors can give you a bane on certain skill rolls or
restrict your movement.

C H A P T E R 2 – C ombat & Damage

16
Armor Rating: An armor’s effectiveness is determined by three successful death rolls you recover D6 HP and stop
its armor rating. Whenever you take damage from a phys- making death rolls. After three failed death rolls, your player
ical attack, subtract the armor rating from the damage. If character dies. Rolling a dragon counts as two successful
the damage from a melee attack is completely negated, the death rolls, and rolling a demon counts as two failures. If the
attacking weapon itself suffers the damage instead, which combat ends, keep counting rounds until all death rolls have
might break the weapon (see durability on page 15). been made. Any failed death rolls are reset if you survive.

Helmets: Your armor can be combined with a helmet, Additional Damage: If you suffer additional damage while
which can further increase your armor rating. Equipping at zero HP, it automatically counts as a failed death roll.
or unequipping a helmet counts as an action. Helmets can
also give you a bane when using certain skills. Rally: Another player character within 10 meters and ear-
shot can PERSUADE you to rally and keep fighting despite
having zero HP. This counts as an action. If you rally, you
DEATH can continue acting as normal, but must keep making
If your HP reaches zero, you drop to the ground and risk death rolls as described above. You can even try to rally
dying. You cannot move or perform any actions except yourself, rolling against your WIL with a bane (instead of
trying to rally (below). PERSUASION).

Death Roll: On your turn in each subsequent round, you Saving Life: When you have zero HP, another person can
must make a death roll – a roll against you CON. The death save your life with a successful HEALING roll. Without
roll cannot be pushed if that optional rule is used. Record bandages, they get a bane to the roll. This counts as an
the results of your death rolls on your character sheet. After action. Multiple attempts are allowed. If the roll succeeds,
you stop making death rolls and recover D6 HP. You
cannot save your own life this way, even if you have rallied
ZERO HP FOR NPCS (see above). Additional HEALING rolls have no effect once
you are no longer at zero HP, except when resting (see
page 18). Magic can save lives as well.
When an NPC reaches zero HP, no death rolls are
made – the GM decides whether the person lives
Instant Death: You don’t record negative HP, but if a
or dies. However, an NPC dies if hit by an instantly
single attack reduces your HP to a negative score equal to
killing attack, just like a player character.
your full HP, your player character dies instantly. Time to
honor the fallen adventurer and create a new one!

CONDITIONS
In this game you can suffer six different conditions. Each other ways as well, for example because of monster
condition gives you a bane on all rolls against a certain attacks or spells.
attribute and skill rolls based on that attribute:
Multiple Conditions: If you suffer a condition that you
✦ Exhausted– STR ✦ Angry– INT already have, you must choose another condition. If you
✦ Sickly– CON ✦ Scared– WIL have all six conditions, you instead lose D6 WP if you
✦ Dazed– AGL ✦ Disheartened– CHA suffer another condition. If you are out of WP, you instead
lose D6 HP.
Suffering a Condition: The most common way to
suffer conditions is to push your roll (optional rule, Healing Conditions: You can heal one condition of
page 9). You must then choose a condition and your choice during a stretch rest. A shift rest heals all
describe how you get it. You can suffer conditions in conditions.

C H A P T E R 2 – C ombat & Damage

17
 HEALING & RESTING
Lost HP and WP are recovered by resting. There are three During a stretch rest, you also recover D6 Willpower
kinds of rest – round rest, stretch rest, and shift rest. While Points and heal a condition of your choice. If something
resting, you cannot perform any actions that require die dramatic interrupts your rest, the effects are lost. You can only
rolls or WP. have a stretch rest once per shift.

Round Rest: A quick rest that lasts just a single round. Shift Rest: A shift rest lasts one full shift of time and
During a round rest you recover only D6 WP, no HP. You can only take place in a safe location where there are no
can only have a round rest once per shift. enemies nearby. During a shift rest you recover all your
lost HP and WP and heal all conditions. If a shift rest is
Stretch Rest: A short rest that only lasts for one stretch interrupted by combat or hard work it has no effect.
of time. During a stretch rest you heal D6 HP, or 2D6
HP if someone else is tending to you and succeeds with a Magic: Spells can allow you to heal HP more quickly
HEALING roll. The caregiver cannot rest during the same than usual.
stretch and can only heal one person during the rest.

OTHER HAZARDS
DARKNESS When struck by a fear attack you must immediately
In complete darkness you cannot dash (page 12) or hit make a roll against WIL. The roll can be pushed (optional
enemies with ranged attacks. To attack an enemy in melee rule) and does not count as an action. Particularly fright-
combat, you must first make an AWARENESS roll (not an ening events can give you a bane on the roll. If the WIL
action). roll fails, you must roll on the fear table on the next page.

Torches: A torch lights up 10 meters (five squares) in

all directions. Lighting a torch is an action and requires POISON
flint and tinder or a fire to light it with, or the magic trick Poisons are measured by potency. A weak poison has
IGNITE (page 25). If none of these are available, you potency 9, a moderate poison has potency 12, and a strong
can light it with a successful BUSHCRAFT roll, but that poison can have potency 15 or even more. Whenever you
takes one stretch of work. ingest a poison, the GM makes an opposed roll (page 9)
A torch is carried in one hand, which means that you between the potency and your CON. If the poison wins, you
cannot use two-handed weapons or a second one-handed suffer its full effect. If you win, you only suffer the limited
weapon at the same time. A torch can be used as a weapon, effect of the poison. Poison has no effect on monsters.
and counts as a small wooden club that deals fire damage.
Whenever you hit someone with it, you must immediately
roll to see whether the flame goes out (below).
A torch can burn for up to a shift of time, but they are
unreliable. After each stretch, or whenever the GM wants
to heighten the drama, you must roll a D6. A result of 1
means that the flame goes out.

FEAR
There are many horrifying beasts lurking in the ruins
and forests of Dragonbane. Such creatures can perform
so-called fear attacks. Fear attacks can also be triggered by
magic and other terrifying experiences.

C H A P T E R 2 – C ombat & Damage

18
NPCs: For poison effects on NPCs, roll against their max­ FEAR TABLE
imum HP.
D8 EFFECT
Lethal Poison
1 Enfeebled. The fear drains your energy and
✦ Full Effect: You take D6 damage per round, on your
determination. You lose 2D6 WP (to a minimum
turn, until you reach zero HP. If you consume an anti-
of zero) and become Disheartened.
dote in time the effect is halted.
✦ Limited Effect: You take D6 damage on your 2 Shaken. You suffer the Scared condition.
next turn. 3 Panting. The intense fear leaves you out of
breath and makes you Exhausted.
Paralyzing Poison
✦ Full Effect: You become Exhausted and must make 4 Pale. Your face turns white as a sheet. You and all
a CON roll each turn (not an action). If it fails, you player characters within 10 meters and in sight of
can neither move nor perform actions (not even free you become Scared.
actions) that round. The effect wears off after one 5 Scream. You scream in horror, which causes all
stretch or if you are given an antidote. player characters who hear the sound to imme-
✦ Limited Effect: You become Exhausted. diately suffer a fear attack as well. Each person
only ever needs to make one WIL roll to resist the
Sleeping Poison same fear attack.
✦ Full Effect: You become Dazed and must make a
CON roll each turn (not an action). If it fails, you fall 6 Rage. Your fear turns to anger, and you are
asleep and remain sleeping for one shift. Being given forced to attack its source on your next turn – in
an antidote or taking at least one point of damage melee combat if possible. You also become Angry.
wakes you up. 7 Paralyzed. You are petrified with terror and
✦ Limited Effect: You become Dazed. unable to move. You cannot perform any action or
movement on your next turn. Make another WIL
roll on each subsequent turn (not an action) to
COLD break the paralysis.
When the cold is bitter and you do not have enough shelter
(according to the GM), you must roll BUSH­CRAFT reg- 8 Wild Panic. In a fit of utter panic, you flee the
ularly. You usually roll once per shift, but in extreme cold scene as fast as you can. On your next turn you
you may have to roll every stretch or even every round. If must dash away from the source of your fear.
you don’t have a blanket, you get a bane to the roll, while a Make another WIL roll on each subsequent
fur gives you a boon. turn (not an action) to stop running and act
On failure you lose D6 HP and D6 WP, and can no normally again.
longer heal these or conditions except through magic. You
must then keep making rolls to withstand the cold, with
the same effect if you fail. If you reach zero HP while cold, SWIMMING & DROWNING
you die when it is time for the next roll. Only when you get All player characters are decent swimmers. In water your
warm, if only by a campfire, can you stop making rolls and movement rate is half your movement rate on land. No
heal normally again. ranged attacks can be performed in water, and melee
attacks are performed with a bane. More difficult under-
water maneuvers, like diving for something, require a
FALLING SWIMMING roll. You get a bane if you are wearing chain-
Falling on a hard surface inflicts a number of D6s of mail or plate armor.
bludgeoning damage equal to half of the height of the fall In water you must also make a SWIMMING roll after
in meters, rounded down. A fall of less than two meters every stretch of time to stay afloat. If you are wearing chain-
inflicts no damage. A successful ACROBATICS roll mail or plate armor, you must roll every round. Underwater,
reduces the number of D6 by half (rounded up). Armor you need to make a successful roll against CON each round
does not protect against falling damage. to hold your breath (not an action). If the roll fails you begin
to drown, taking D6 damage per round until someone res-
cues you. If you reach zero HP while drowning, you make
death rolls as usual, but only failed rolls count.

C H A P T E R 2 – C ombat & Damage

19
MONSTERS
 monster is a creature of unnatural origin, a terri- Dodging & Parrying: As a rule, a monster attack can be
ble beast that strikes terror in all and defies the dodged (page 15) but not parried. This applies to attacks
­natural order. A large number of monsters are with an area of effect as well, but not fear attacks. Exceptions
described in the full core game, and you will find a few in to this rule are stated in the monster attack description.
the The Sinking Tower adventure in this Quickstart.
Monsters are controlled by the GM and act largely in Conditions: Monster attacks can inflict conditions (page
the same way as player characters and NPCs in combat. 17) on player characters. If a character gains a condition
But there are some significant differences, which are they already have, the player must choose another condi-
described below. tion instead.

Repeated Attacks: A monster never makes the same

FEROCITY attack twice in a row. If the GM rolls the same monster
Some monsters are so powerful that they can act multiple attack two consecutive times, the second roll changes into
times in the same round. This is indicated by their Ferocity the next attack on the table. The 6 result becomes a 1.
score. At the start of each round, the GM draws one
initiative card for each point of Ferocity. The monster gets
one turn per card, with one action and one movement on SKILLS
each turn. Monsters can have skills, but they are mainly used outside
of combat or for opposed rolls – not for attacks. They only
Waiting: If a player character swaps initiative cards with attack using their monster attacks.
a monster (optional rule, page 11), the player ­character
can choose any one of the monster’s cards. Monsters them-
selves never wait. FIGHTING MONSTERS
Dodging & Parrying: All monsters can dodge, and mon-
sters carrying weapons can also parry. Each dodge or parry
MOVEMENT uses up one of the monster’s actions in the round (flip an
Just like player characters, monsters have a Movement initiative card of your choice). Roll against a default skill
score and can move before or after their attack or divide level of 15 for all dodges and parries by monsters.
their movement before and after the attack. Note that this
score refers to movement per turn for monsters, not per Natural Armor: Many monsters have some form of natu-
round. Some monsters have different movement rates on ral armor. This works just like ordinary armor (page 16).
land, in water, and in the air. Taking flight or landing are
free actions. Darkness: Unless otherwise stated, monsters can see in
darkness and don’t suffer the effects on page 18.

MONSTER ATTACKS
A monster always uses a monster attack when it attacks. RESISTANCE & IMMUNITY
Each monster has a unique set of monster attacks, which Some monsters are resistant to certain damage types. This
are summarized in a table. The GM rolls or chooses means that all damage of this type is halved, after reduc-
an attack from this table when it is the monster’s turn tion by armor (rounded up). Some monsters can even be
to attack. Monsters never roll dice to hit their target – immune to certain types of damage, and therefore take no
­monster attacks succeed automatically. damage at all from such attacks.
Performing a monster attack counts as an action.
Unless otherwise specified, monster attacks have the same
range as melee attacks, i.e. 2 meters (an adjacent square if FEAR & PERSUASION
you are using grid maps). Monsters are too terrifying to get scared themselves (page
18), but many of them can certainly instill terror in the
player characters. Monsters are also immune to the PER-
SUASION skill unless otherwise stated.

C H A P T E R 3 – M onsters

21
MAGIC
 ome call magic a gift from the dragons, others a Any school can be used to cast general spells. If the roll
curse from the demons, and still others call it the succeeds, the spell has the intended effect, as per its
blessing of the gods or spirits. And it is true that description. Otherwise, it has no effect. You can push the
dragons, demons, gods, and spirits influence magic and can roll if this optional rule is used. Magic tricks succeed auto-
guide the mage who wields it, but the reality is that magic matically and always cost 1 WP.
is a basic force of nature that exists throughout the physical
world as well as beyond it. Magic is described in detail in the Power Level
full Dragonbane game. This Quickstart only offers a brief The power level of a spell indicates how much power you
summary of how magic is used. charge it with. The power level ranges from 1 to 3. Casting
a spell costs 2 WP per power level. In other words, normal
spells always cost at least 2 WP, and magic tricks always
SCHOOLS OF MAGIC cost 1 WP. Some spells do not use power level – these
There are different schools of magic, each with a different always cost 2 WP.
view on what magic is and how it works. Three schools are
described in the core game: Animism, Elementalism, and Requirements
Mentalism. Each school is a separate skill. To cast a spell, you must fulfill one or more requirements
which are specified in the description of each spell.

USING MAGIC ✦ Word: The spell is activated with a chant or power

A spell is a formula for how a sorcerer can influence and word. It cannot be a whisper.
alter the world through magical means. Many spells are ✦ Gesture: The spell is activated by making specific
included in the Dragonbane core game. A selection of them hand movements.
is described along with the pre-generated player characters at ✦ Focus: The spell is activated with an item held in your
the end of this booklet. You either know a spell or you do not. hand, such as a wand, crystal ball, or amulet.
You don’t have a skill level in individual spells, only in the ✦ Ingredient: The spell is activated using a certain
school. You hold your spells in your memory or spellbook. ingredient, which is consumed in the process.

Magic Tricks Some spells have multiple requirements. You cannot cast a
So-called magic tricks are minor, relatively harmless spells. spell unless all its requirements are fulfilled.
They are often the first thing a mage learns, as it trains
their mind to handle spells and magical power. Performing Casting Time
a trick costs 1 WP and succeeds automatically, but still Unless otherwise stated, casting a spell always counts as an
counts as an action in combat. All magic tricks require a action in combat. However, there are reaction spells which
gesture (below) to be cast. are performed outside your own turn. Unlike other reac-
tions in combat, such as parrying and dodging, reaction
spells do not replace your regular action in the round. This
CASTING SPELLS means that you can cast as many of them as you want, if
To cast a spell you must spend Willpower Points (WP) you have enough WP. There are also rituals, which take a
and roll against your skill level in the relevant school. stretch of time or even a shift to perform.

C H A P T E R 4 – M agic

23
Range
Each spell has a maximum range. Unlike ranged weapons,
spells cannot be used on targets outside their specified
range. Personal range means that the spell only affects the ✦ Stretch: The effect lasts for one stretch of time.
person casting it. ✦ Shift: The effect lasts until the end of the current shift.
✦ Concentration: The effect ceases if you perform
Area of Effect: Some spells affect an entire area. That area another action, take damage, or fail a WIL roll for
is called the area of effect. Unless stated otherwise, the area resisting fear. If you are interrupted by a sudden distur-
of effect always starts at the mage casting the spell. bance, such as a sound, you must make a WIL roll (not
Area of effect spells can be dodged but not parried, an action) to maintain your concentration.
unless stated otherwise. You can exempt one or more
targets within the area from the spell’s effects, but you then Failure, Dragons and Demons
get a bane on the roll. If the roll for casting a spell fails, the spell has no effect,
but you still spend your WP. You are free to describe how
Sphere: If the range is described as sphere, the spell affects the failure manifests itself in the story, as long as it has no
all targets within the chosen area except the mage themself. mechanical effect.

Cone: If the range is described as cone, the spell affects Rolling a Dragon: Rolling a Dragon when you cast a spell
all targets within a cone-shaped area whose width at any means that your target must roll a dragon to resist, parry,
given point equals the distance from the source of the spell. or dodge the spell, and that you may choose one of the
The range indicates the length of the cone. following effects:

Duration ✦ The damage or range of the spell is doubled.

Each spell specifies the duration of its effect. ✦ The spell does not cost any WP.
✦ You can immediately cast another spell, but get a bane
✦ Instant: The effect occurs instantly and has no last- on the roll.
ing effect.
✦ Round: The effect lasts until your turn in the Rolling a Demon: If you roll a Demon, you cannot push
next round. the roll.

C H A P T E R 4 – M agic

24
 SPELLS
MAGIC TRICKS GUST OF WIND
Heat/Chill: The area within 10 meters of you becomes ✦ Rank: 1
pleasantly warm or cold. The effect protects against cold ✦ Prerequisite: Elementalism
(page 19) for one shift of time. ✦ Requirement: Word, gesture
✦ Casting Time: Action
Ignite: You light or extinguish a candle, torch, or lantern ✦ Range: 10 meters (cone)
within 10 meters. ✦ Duration: Instant
The spell summons a great gust of wind. All untethered
Puff of Smoke: An impressive puff of smoke erupts in objects and creatures up to human size in the area of effect
front of you. Very popular for dramatic entrances, and are pushed 2D4 meter away from you and suffer the same
can give you a boon to SNEAKING in certain situations as amount of bludgeoning damage. Each additional power
determined by the GM. level increases the number of dice by one.

FIREBALL PILLAR
✦ Rank: 1 ✦ Rank: 1
✦ Prerequisite: Elementalism ✦ Prerequisite: Elementalism
✦ Requirement: Word, gesture ✦ Requirement: Word, gesture
✦ Casting Time: Action ✦ Casting Time: Action
✦ Range: 20 meters ✦ Range: 10 meters
✦ Duration: Instant ✦ Duration: Shift
The spell sends a fireball from your hand or focus at the The spell raises a pillar, three meters high and one meter
target. The fireball can be dodged or parried as a ranged wide, from the ground or a stone floor. If someone is
attack. The fireball inflicts 2D6 damage on a hit and sets standing in that spot, the victim must make an ACRO-
fire to flammable objects. Each power level beyond the first BATICS roll (not an action) to avoid falling off the pillar.
increases the damage by D6 or creates another fireball that If the pillar is created under a low ceiling and the roll
hits another target within range. fails, the victim takes 2D6 bludgeoning damage instead.
For each additional power level, the height of the pillar
increases by three meters, which can mean falling
damage to anyone who falls off (page 19).
 THE SINKING
TOWER

elcome to The Sinking Tower, a tournament seasoned adventurers. The players will need to work
adventure for the Dragonbane RPG! It together to solve puzzles, win battles, and find valuable
offers difficult challenges for even the most treasures – all in just two hours!

THE SITUATION
Long ago, two siblings lived on the shore of a great sea. sought out the lindworm and stole one of its eyes – a green
Kamandur and Magdala were close even as children. They emerald with terrible powers.
explored the beaches, cliffs, and woods around their little The sorcerer built a stone tower by the sea. He called it
cottage by the sea, seeing patterns and powers where Magdala’s Tower and at the top he laid his sister to rest in a
others did not. Soon their parents realized that the chil- beautiful sarcophagus of black stone. On a podium next to
dren had a knack for studying magic. They sent the sib- it, he placed the lindworm’s emerald eye. Then he put his
lings to study with an old hermit in the forest and watched plan into action.
as their powers grew stronger. Countless ships met their fate against sharp rocks after
When their parents eventually passed away, the siblings seeing the green glow of Magdala’s Tower. Pirates and
had grown up. They continued to live in the small cottage merchant ships alike perished as the sorcerer in his anger
by the sea and spent their days studying magic and con- did not distinguish between his victims. But that was not
ducting arcane experiments. One day, while Kamandur enough for Kamandur. Nothing could make him forget his
was gathering herbs in the forest, something happened sister’s untimely death. And so he continued to lure ships to
that would change everything. A pirate ship dropped their doom until the day he died of old age in his bed. When
anchor off the coast to resupply. As the siblings’ house was Kamandur passed, the tower lost most of its magical power.
the only one in the area, it was looted and Magdala was It sank below sea level and vanished. But not for good.
killed by the brutal pirates. So great was Kamandur’s grief that Magdala’s Tower
When he returned, Kamandur found his house burnt continued its unholy work even after the wizard himself
down and his sister dead on the shore. His whole world departed this world. Ever since, the tower has risen from the
came crashing down – it was as if something broke inside bottom of the sea every twenty years, on the day of Magda-
him. He vowed to avenge his sister a thousand times over. la’s death, but only for a few hours before disappearing again.
In time, Kamandur grew into a powerful sorcerer who Many adventurers have tried to reach the top of the tower to
traveled the world, but thoughts of his dead sister haunted steal the priceless emerald, but none have succeeded. Now
him endlessly. Kamandur recalled the legend of the lind- the tower has risen from the sea once more and its ghostly
worm Krakul who was said to dwell in the sea, whose gaze green light once again shines over the water. Will the players’
would bewitch and mislead anyone who met it. Kamandur adventurers succeed where others have failed?

C H A P T E R 5 – T he S inking T ower

26
 GUIDELINES
FOR CONVENTION PLAY
The Sinking Tower is designed to be possible to play in a the sidebar The Clock is Ticking below to the players.
tournament. When played in this way, there is a strict time Then start the timer again. One hour now remains of
limit of two hours. Once the two hours have passed, the the adventure.
tower sinks back beneath the waves and any player charac- ✦ Replace Dead Player Characters. There is a pos-
ter who does not jump out drowns (page 37). Secondly, sibility that a player character might die during the
the gaming group earns points according to a scoring table adventure. If that happens, make sure the player gets a
found on page 38. Here are a few tips for the GM: new character to play in the form of the dwarf Alberic
Gleamheart or the seafarer Betrix Farsail. They can be
✦ Keep Up the Pace. If you forget a rule or detail, make found in the treasure chamber (#4) and the laboratory
a quick assessment and get on with the game. (#5), respectively.
✦ Let the Players Decide. This adventure is fairly ✦ Reward Creative Ideas. If the players come up with
straightforward. For each floor, read or roleplay the a clever solution to a problem that makes sense, let it
intro and then describe the contents of the floor as succeed. For example, if they have solved the floor’s
the players explore. If the players want to focus on a puzzle, they may avoid combat by running up to the
certain thing or discuss something among themselves, next one.
let them. ✦ Have Fun! At the end of the day, it is all about having
✦ Keep Track of Time. Set a timer of some sort to one fun. The tournament is a nod to the gaming conven-
hour and place it somewhere where the players can see tions of the past and should not be taken too seriously.
it. When the hour has passed, stop the game and read Be on the players’ side and try to make sure that every-
one has a voice at the table.

THE CLOCK IS TICKING

TREASURE CARDS
Read the following text when exactly one hour
of game time has passed. Several locations in the adventure hold trea-
sures which can be determined by a random
Suddenly the ground shakes under your feet treasure card from the Dragonbane Core Set.
and for a moment it feels like the whole tower is Normally, the value of such treasures is rolled
swaying. You hear a distant rumble and a sinking and recorded right away, but in this adventure
feeling settles in the pit of your stomachs. The the players should instead hold on to their
tower is sinking into the sea! But the sound treasure cards, as they are used in the scoring
stops as quickly as it started, and the tower process at the end of the adventure (page 38).
stabilizes again. It cannot have sunk more than If you don’t have access to the treasure
a few meters. If the legend is true, you only have cards, you can use any cards or tokens instead
one hour before the rest of the tower disappears – the scoring only depends on the number of
beneath the surface. treasures found, not their contents. Such “unde-
fined” treasures don’t count toward the player
Restart the timer and continue the game. characters’ encumbrance.

CHAPTER 5 –

27
 ADVENTURE OPENING
Read the following text aloud to the players: and you may keep the rest of the treasures you find in there.
In exchange, I offer you an elixir of life. Whoever drinks this
The sea wind howls and the smell of seaweed and decay is brought back from the realm of the dead.”
stings your noses. You pull your cloaks tighter around The aged man, who is actually the lindworm Krakul in
you as the rowboat cuts through the restless sea towards human form, holds out a glass bottle with a green liquid
your destination. Then the fog clears to reveal the sinking inside. If any of the characters accepts the offer, they will
tower rising from the water. This is the moment you have receive the elixir if they promise to return the emerald to
all been waiting for, the day when the enchanted stone him. This will play a role in the confrontation at the obser-
tower said to have been built by a mad mage rises from vatory (#7) later in the adventure. The bottle contains one
the sea once more. It only happens once every twenty years, dose of elixir which allows a player character with zero HP
according to the fishermen around the inn’s warming to automatically recover and stop making death rolls. The
hearth, and only stays above water for two hours. Then it elixir has no effect on instantly fatal wounds.
sinks back into the deep along with its treasures. There is
a ghostly green light glowing ominously at the top of the
tower. That is where the sorcerer’s emerald is said to be. CLIMBING THE TOWER
Perhaps you will be the first to find it?
It is possible for a player character to climb
the outside of the tower, but it is not easy. It
THE ONE-­EYED MAN
requires a successful ACROBATICS roll with a
In a rowboat at the foot of the tower stands an old man bane for each floor. On failure, the adventurer
wrapped in a brown robe. His face is weathered and lined loses their grip and plunges into the sea. The
with age, and a black patch covers his left eye. He begins victim takes no damage but must choose a con-
to speak: dition. A successful climber can enter the tower
“You are not the first to seek what is not yours, but I hope through windows on floors four and five.
you are the last. Who I am does not matter, but up in the
tower there is something that belongs to me. A green emer-
ald that was stolen from me long ago. Bring me the emerald

LOCATIONS
Here are a number of locations the player characters can explore in
and around the sinking tower.

1. STATUE GALLERY
With a creak, the heavy wooden door opens inwards. The
stench of seaweed hits you from inside the tower. A large
stone hall, no doubt magnificent in its day, now lies
before you like a parody of its former self. The stone floor
is submerged under a handspan of water. A mural on the
north wall is covered in rotting seaweed. Facing you in
the center of the room are two tall statues of stone. You
glimpse something under the shallow water on the floor
between them.

CHAPTER 5 –

28
 1. STATUE GALLERY

Mural

To #2

Statue of Statue of
Kamandur Magdala

Hand Copper
symbol plates
To #3
(hidden)

Entrance

✦ Mural: The far wall is covered with a mural of an

idyllic scene: a cottage by the sea, two children playing,
birds gliding over the water.
✦ Statue of Kamandur: The western statue in the center
of the room depicts a cloaked man with a long beard ✦ Hand Symbol: In the very center of the room, a giant
looking straight ahead. The statue’s right arm is raised, hand is carved into the stone floor.
index finger pointing up. See adjacent image. ✦ Stairs Into the Deep: At the far end of the hall there
✦ Statue of Magdala: The eastern statue depicts a is an opening where a stone staircase leads down into
young woman wearing a robe, her face tilted down the water. The staircase leads to the cellar (#2) which is
toward the floor. The statue’s left hand is resting on its completely underwater.
chest, with its middle and ring fingers extended. See
adjacent image.
✦ Copper Plates: Six round plates of green copper, THE TOWER AND THE NUMBER TWO
each one meter in diameter, are embedded in the floor
between the statues. Anyone who examines them and
Kamandur was obsessed with his dead sister.
makes a SPOT HIDDEN roll will find that they are
His entire life revolved around her memory.
pressure plates. If someone presses hard or stands on
Together they were a unit, which is why most of
one or more plates at the same time, there is a loud
the tower was designed with the number two in
click. What happens next depends on how many plates
mind. This is not something the players need to
are pressed.
understand (though it would make things easier
– One, three, four, five, or six plates are pressed:
for them), but as GM, you should emphasize the
A bolt of lightning strikes from the ceiling, dealing
siblings’ presence in the tower. The two of them
D6 damage to anyone standing on the flooded floor.
can be seen in the murals, there are two statues,
Armor has no effect.
the tower rises for two hours, and so on. The
– Two plates are pressed: a faint rumble is heard
number two is the solution to several puzzles
from the ceiling and a stone staircase magically
in the tower, such as the copper plates on the
unfolds in the southwest corner of the room. The
bottom floor or the symbols used to solve the
staircase leads up to the next floor. Note that two
puzzles two floors up.
plates must be pressed at exactly the same time to
open the staircase.

CHAPTER 5 –

29
2. CELLAR ✦ Figureheads: In the northwest corner of the cellar
The cold water is dark and murky, but the outline of there are a dozen rotten figureheads leaning against
what used to be a cellar can be seen in the darkness. the wall. Their grinning faces force anyone swimming
The image of an eye is carved into the stone floor, staring near them to make a WIL roll. A player character who
back at you. fails automatically gets result #2 on the fear table (page
19) and thus gains the Scared condition.
✦ Underwater: The entire cellar is below sea level, so ✦ Barrels: In the southeast corner of the cellar there are
the player characters must swim to get around. Anyone twenty broken barrels stacked on top of each other. A
wishing to move through the cellar or investigate player character who examines the barrels and makes a
something must make a SWIMMING roll (not an SPOT HIDDEN roll finds a random treasure.
action) to find their way in the black water. In addition, ✦ Opening: The southwest corner of the cellar gapes
the characters must succeed with a CON roll each open toward the sea. Those who approach the opening
round to hold their breath underwater (page 19). can just about make out a shipwreck on the seabed, a
✦ Monster Eel: A three-­meter-­long monster eel has its short distance from the tower.
nest in the southwest corner of the cellar. It ambushes ✦ Shipwreck: The old wreck of a two-­masted ship rests on
(page 13) the player characters just after one of them a rock at the bottom of the sea. The wreck is in terrible
swims into the water. condition and there is a large opening through which the
✦ Eye: A large eye is carved into the floor. It is in the characters can swim. It takes two successful SWIMMING
same position and of the same size as the hand in the rolls to reach and enter the wreck. Those who approach can
statue gallery. The eye is a clue to the puzzle in the see the outline of its name on the hull: The Blue Medusa.
library, two floors up (#3). Two random treasures can be found inside.

2. CELLAR
To #1
Figure-
heads

Eye

Monster
eel Barrels

Shipwreck

CHAPTER 5 –

30
 MONSTER EEL

Ferocity: 2   Size: Large

Movement: 14   Armor: 3   HP: 28 3. LIBRARY To #4
Hidden door
MONSTER ATTACKS
D6 ATTACK

1 Threatening Lunge! The monster eel

Pedestals
swims quickly around its victim, bares its
sharp teeth, and lunges threateningly at Ghost
them. The victim must make a WIL roll to
resist fear. Ship image

2 Ramming! The beast rams a player

character with its massive body, dealing
D10 bludgeoning damage. Upon taking Hidden
damage, the victim also becomes Dazed. door

3 Tail Swipe! The eel swipes its long tail at To #1 Hidden

a player character within 4 meters. The door
attack inflicts 2D6 bludgeoning damage
and leaves the victim Dazed.
4 Furious Bite! The monster eel sinks its
fangs into a player character and deals
2D8 slashing damage.
5 Sweeping Attack! The monster eel
swirls around and strikes everyone Kamandur with the help of the scribe Arlidus. The soggy
within 6 meters with its heavy body, pages are difficult to decipher, but a successful LAN-
inflicting D8 bludgeoning damage. GUAGES roll reveals that the tome contains tributes to
the late Magdala and curses on the pirates who killed her.
6 Lethal Embrace! The beast quickly wraps
If the characters examine any other books, they quickly
itself around a player character. The
realize that all the books in the library are identical.
attack deals 2D4 bludgeoning damage
✦ Librarian’s Ghost: At a desk in the middle of the
and an additional 2D4 whenever it is the
library sits a robed figure bent over a piece of parch-
victim’s turn. The victim cannot move
ment, scratching at it with his quill. It is the ghost
or perform actions that require move-
of the librarian Arlidus who faithfully continues his
ment, except trying to break free, which
service after death, even more easily disturbed than
requires a STR roll. Others can help.
before. At the slightest sound, the ghost turns towards
its source with a loud shush.
The player characters must succeed with a
SNEAKING roll each round to do anything other than
3. LIBRARY standing still. On the first failure, the ghost erupts in
Tall bookcases stretching from floor to ceiling, forming a anger and startles the characters, and everyone in sight
small maze. The sagging shelves are crammed tight with suffers a fear attack. On the second failure, the ghost
leather-­bound volumes, and the room smells of paper and attacks. If all player characters are silent and inactive
mold. You hear a faint scratching sound coming from the on their turn, the ghost immediately stops attacking
center of the room. and returns to his undead work, scribbling away as if
nothing has happened.
✦ The Book: Player characters who take a look at any ✦ Ship Image: The image of a ship is carved into the
book can see that it is titled The Life and Untimely stone floor in the center of the room. It is a clue to the
Death of Magdala and was written by someone called puzzle in the laboratory two floors up (location #5).

CHAPTER 5 –

31
 LIBRARIAN’S GHOST ✦ Pedestals: In front of one of the bookcases are three
wooden pedestals, one meter high. On each one rests
a book with a symbol engraved on the cover. The book
The scribe and librarian Arlidus served Kamandur to the left has a sword on it, the middle one has a cross,
in life and perished as the tower sank into the and the one to the right an eye. If the characters open
deep. So full of magical power was Kamandur’s a book, there is a loud “click” followed by the sound of
tower that Arlidus turned into a ghost, and he has a door creaking open. The book with the sword opens
continued his work ever since. the northern door (see below) and the book with the
cross opens the southern one – which unfortunately
Ferocity: 2   Size: Normal causes the librarian’s ghost to immediately attack
Movement: 12   Armor: —   HP: 30 (unless already defeated). The book to the right (the
one with the eye) opens the eastern door, which does
Immunity: Immune to all damage except magic not alert the ghost.
and fire. ✦ Hidden Doors: There are three hidden doors, each
MONSTER ATTACKS leading to a secret room. These can be found by a player
T6 ATTACK character who carefully searches the library and makes
a SPOT HIDDEN roll or happens to look in exactly the
1 Toppling Bookcase! With a crash, a right place. The hidden doors are most easily opened
bookcase topples over on a player char- using the pedestals, but can also be pried open by rolling
acter, dealing 2D8 bludgeoning damage SLEIGHT OF HAND with a bane. There is one random
and knocking the character down. The treasure in each of the spaces behind the northern and
victim is trapped and cannot move or southern doors. Behind the eastern one is a staircase
perform actions that require movement, leading up to the treasure chamber (#4).
except trying to break free, which
requires a STR roll. Others can help.
2 Hand of the Dead! The ghost plunges 4. TREASURE CHAMBER
its translucent hand into the chest of Ten wooden chests are lined up in a fan-­shape inside the
an unfortunate player character and hall, five on each side. Along the walls are five suits of plate
squeezes the victim’s heart. The char- armor, armed with tridents. Through the gaps in the armor,
acter takes 2D10 damage and becomes you glimpse the shapes of grinning skeletons. A worn
Scared. Armor has no effect. mural can be seen on the north wall.
3 Tome Whack! An old book flies off a book-
✦ Skeleton Guards: Inside the ancient suits of armor,
shelf and whacks the loudest player char-
stained green by water and seaweed, are five skeletons
acter with its cover. The victim takes 2D6
that come to life and attack if anyone touches them or
bludgeoning damage and becomes Angry.
any of the chests.
Armor has no effect, except helmets.
✦ Chests: These are of different lengths and, with a little
4 Gaze of the Dead! The ghost towers over imagination, resemble two hands whose “thumbs” are
a player character, staring into their soul the chests closest to the north wall. Three of the ten
with dead eyes. The victim’s life flashes chests contain treasures, the rest are traps.
before their eyes, flooding their mind with The key to finding the right chests is the hands
grotesque visions of dead friends and of the statues in the statue gallery two floors down
foes. The victim becomes Scared, suffers (#1). The statue of Kamandur stands on the west side,
a fear attack (page 18), and must make holding up his right index finger – this means that on
a WIL roll with a bane. the west side of the treasure chamber, the second chest
5 Crushing Throw! The ghost picks up a from the north is the right one. The statue of Magdala
player character with invisible power is standing on the east side and holding up her left
and hurls them straight into the stone middle and ring fingers. So on the eastern side, chests
ceiling, dealing 2D10 bludgeoning three and four contain treasure.
damage. Then it lets go and the victim Once two of the correct chests have been opened,
takes an additional D8 bludgeoning a rumbling sound is heard as a stone staircase unfolds
damage as they land prone. from the south wall of the room. If a player character
opens the wrong chest, a trapdoor opens in the floor
6 Book Storm! A whirlwind of moldy books
erupts from the bookshelves, hitting every
player character in the room over and over.
Everyone takes 2D6 bludgeoning damage.
 4. TREASURE CHAMBER ALBERIC GLEAMHEART
Skeleton
To #3
Mural Skeleton
Mov.: 10 Damage Bonus AGL: +D4 HP: 14
Armor: — WP: 11
✖ Sun ✖
✔ symbol ✖ Skills: Awareness 12, Bartering 14, Bluffing 14,
Myths & Legends 12, Persuasion 14,
✖ ✔
Sneaking 12, Spot Hidden 12
✖ ✔
✖ ✖
Abilities: Unforgiving, Treasure Hunter

Chests Chests Weapon: Dagger (skill level 12, damage D8)

To #5
(hidden) Inventory: Rope (hemp), lantern, lamp oil,
flint & tinder, 10 silver
Skeleton Skeleton Skeleton

carefully opening the chest using some kind of long object,

they can trigger the trapdoor without falling down
next to it and the character falls down a passage leading themselves. They then hear a deep voice shouting “Hello
to the outer wall and plunges into the sea (see below). there! I could use some help down here!” It is the dwarf
Immediately after, the skeleton guards come to life and Alberic Gleamheart (page 33) who was exploring the
attack the remaining characters in the treasure chamber. tower and accidentally fell into a trapdoor.
✦ Sun Symbol: A symbol in the form of a sun is carved However, he managed to grab the edge of the shaft
into the stone floor in the center of the room. It is a and is now stuck. By throwing down a rope or climbing
clue to the sorcerer’s chamber two floors up (#6). down with a successful ACROBATICS roll, the char-
✦ Mural: A painted scene depicts two young people acters can help Alberic up. In gratitude, he gives them
holding hands on a beach. They seem to be surrounded one random treasure and then says he has had enough
by some kind of magical energy and are floating adventure and asks to wait in the adventurers’ rowboat.
slightly above the ground. They look happy. Note that Alberic is meant to serve as a replacement
✦ The Sea: Player characters who plunge into the sea character if one of the adventurers dies. In other words, a
must choose a condition and make a SWIMMING roll to player can take on his role if needed.
get back into the tower. Each attempt counts as an action.
Back inside, the character must dash once per floor – in
other words, it takes two rounds to get from the statue 5. LABORATORY
gallery (location #1) to the treasure chamber. The entire floor is framed by wooden shelves and work-
✦ The Adventurer: If the player characters defeat the benches littered with broken glass and what appears to be
skeletons, they hear a faint, muffled sound from under remnants of old experiments. In the center of the room is
one of the empty chests they have not touched. By a two-­meter-­high arched iron cage, and in the darkness
inside you see a figure watching you.

✦ Cage: The cage appears to have been part of a trap that

SKELETON GUARD was triggered and dropped into place to catch intruders.
The prisoner in the cage is Captain Betrix Farsail, former
companion of the dwarf Alberic (see room #4). She
Movement: 8 Damage Bonus: — HP: 8 desperately wants to be freed and not follow the tower
into the deep. Betrix tries to threaten, flatter, intimidate,
Armor: Plate (6) and bribe the characters into releasing her. Lifting the
Skills: Awareness 8, Evade 6 cage requires a STR roll with a bane (multiple player
characters can do it together). Betrix can serve as a
Weapon: Trident (skill level 12, damage D10) replacement character if one of the adventurers dies.
Otherwise, she will explore the tower on her own.

CHAPTER 5 –

33
 ✦ Magic Recipe: A player character who carefully exam-
5. LABORATORY ines the workbenches or makes a SPOT HIDDEN roll in
the room finds a parchment where someone has written
To #6 down parts of a magical formula. With a successful
(hidden) LANGUAGES roll, the character can tell that it is a
recipe for shrinking objects and creatures. A MYTHS
& LEGENDS or ELEMENTALISM roll reveals that the
Lindworm image shrinking magic can be broken by bringing the object
(hidden)
into contact with water.
Glass Ship in ✦ Glass Jars: On a shelf along the western wall is a
jars a bottle
mixture of broken glass and a few intact jars. The
shattered jars contain what looks like rotten organic
matter. The northernmost jar, however, is completely
intact and contains a black hairy spider. The spider is
actually a giant spider (page 35). If the jar is crushed
and the spider comes into contact with water (a splash
To #4
is enough), it grows massive and immediately attacks
the nearest threat.
✦ Ship in a Bottle: On a shelf on the eastern wall are
several broken glass jars and what appear to be the
✦ Lindworm Image: The image of a lindworm is carved remains of small model ships. In the center of the
into the stone floor in the center of the room. Surrounded shelf is an intact ship in a bottle. As soon as the ship is
by the iron cage, the image is not visible until the cage is removed from the shelf, a rumbling sound is heard and
lifted or Betrix reveals what it looks like. The lindworm is the staircase to the next floor unfolds.
a clue to the puzzle in the observatory (#7).
✦ Elixir: A bottle on one of the workbenches is com-
pletely intact and contains a clear red liquid. The THE EXPERIMENTS
bottle holds an elixir developed by Kamandur for his
shrinking magic (a mage can sense that the contents There are three potentially powerful artifacts
of the bottle are magical). Whoever drinks the elixir in the laboratory – a shrunken giant spider, a
immediately shrinks to a height of about 10 centime- shrunken pirate ship, and an elixir that shrinks
ters. A shrunken player character gets a boon on all whoever drinks it. Clever players can use these
SNEAKING rolls but can never inflict more than one
in a number of ways:
point of damage per attack. The enchantment ends if
the player character comes into contact with water, and
✦ The spider can be used against the figure-
it can also be broken by casting DISPEL. heads in the sorcerer’s chamber (#6). Do not
roll for the spider’s attacks – instead, the
spider and one of the figureheads will take
each other out, sparing the player characters
CAPTAIN BETRIX FARSAIL the trouble of dealing with them.
✦ The spider can be used to distract the lind-
worm in the observatory (#7) so the player
Mov.: 12 Dam. Bon. STR/AGL: +D4 HP: 12 characters can escape.
Armor: — WP: 16 ✦ The ship can be used to escape the tower at
the end of the adventure or to distract the
Skills: Acrobatics 12, Awareness 10, C
­ rafting 12, lindworm.
Evade 12, Languages 10, Seamanship 10, ✦ The elixir can be thrown into the lindworm’s
Sleight of Hand 12, Spot Hidden 10, mouth (requires a successful roll with a bane
Swimming 12 against any AGL-­based weapon skill). The
Abilities: Adaptive, Sea Legs beast immediately shrinks into a harmless
little snake that makes a cute squeak. But as
Weapon: Scimitar (skill level 12, damage 2D6) soon as it comes into contact with water, the
Inventory: Rope (hemp), grappling hook, enchantment is immediately broken and the
spyglass, 10 silver lindworm returns to normal size.
 The ship is amazingly detailed and must have been 6. SORCERER’S CHAMBER
made by a true master. It is in fact a real ship shrunk by Heavy dark drapes cover the windows, casting the entire
Kamandur. Nothing happens if the jar is broken, but if floor in shadow and gloom. Against the north wall stands
the miniature ship comes into contact with water, the a grand four-­poster bed whose closed curtains conceal
spell is immediately broken and the ship grows to its its interior. On the south wall is another mural. In the
true size. four corners of the room, you can make out the contours
of huge, terrifying figureheads in the form of beasts with
grinning jaws.

GIANT SPIDER ✦ Figureheads: These are magically charged by the

powers of Kamandur and come to life the moment
someone touches them, a drape, or the four-­poster bed.
Ferocity: 2   Size: Normal When this happens, all four immediately attack (see
page 36).
Movement: 24   Armor: —   HP: 36
✦ Drapes: Heavy drapes cover the four walls of the room
MONSTER ATTACKS
from floor to ceiling. They can be laboriously pulled
D6 ATTACK
aside using a rope in each corner (pulling back the
drapes on one side counts as an action for one player
1 Mandibles! The spider’s serrated mandi- character).
bles swish through the air like scimitars. Behind the drapes are large windows that send
The attack inflicts 2D8 slashing damage. light streaming into the room. For each drape opened,
2 Tearing Attack! The famished spider a figurehead freezes and becomes inanimate again.
lunges at the player characters, franti- When the fourth drape is pulled back, the staircase to
cally attacking with its multitude of hairy, the observatory (#7) unfolds from the ceiling.
barbed legs. All player characters within 2 ✦ Mural: A painted scene on the south wall depicts the
meters suffer D8 piercing damage each. same beach as the other two murals. Dark clouds frame
the image where the young man is kneeling by what
3 Mesmerizing Eyes! The monstrous
looks like the young woman’s corpse. The house is on fire.
arachnid stares at the player characters
In the background is a ship sailing away from the shore.
with a terrifying multitude of eyes. All
✦ Four-­poster bed has its curtains drawn to hide the
victims within 10 meters must make a
interior. In the bed lies the waxy corpse of a bearded
WIL roll to resist fear.
old man with his hands clasped over his chest. It is the
4 Poison Sting! The eight-legged horror corpse of the sorcerer Kamandur himself. One random
raises its rear end and attacks a player treasure can be found on the body.
character with a poisonous stinger that
shoots out of its repulsive body. The attack
inflicts D10 piercing damage, and a victim 6. SORCERER’S CHAMBER
who sustains at least 1 point of damage is
also injected with a paralyzing poison with
potency 16. The attack can be parried. Figure- Figure-
Four-
head poster head
5 Web Attack! The spider fixes its numer- bed
ous eyes on the player character with To
#5
the highest STR. The next moment it
spits sticky spider web at the victim,
who must make an EVADE roll (not an
action). On failure the victim is caught in
the web and unable to move. It takes a
successful STR roll with a bane (action)
to break free. Other can help. To #7 (hidden)
Figure- Figure-
6 Ramming Attack! With a great leap, the head head
giant spider launches its massive body Mural (hidden)
at a player character. The attack inflicts
2D6 bludgeoning damage and knocks the
victim down.
 7. OBSERVATORY
ENCHANTED FIGUREHEADS

These magical wooden figures, taken from

ships lured to their doom by Kamandur’s magic,
depict various beasts with gaping jaws and
ferocious eyes. They creak abnormally when Sarcophagus
they attack.

Ferocity: 1   Size: Normal Orvild

Mov.: 10   Armor: Hard wood (3)   HP: 24 Podium

Vulnerability: For every drape opened in the

bedchamber, one figurehead reverts to
inanimate matter. The figureheads also take To
#6
double damage from fire.
MONSTER ATTACKS Balcony
D6 ATTACK

1 Dreadful Roar! The figurehead lets out

a roar that shakes the room. All player
characters suffer a fear attack (page 7. OBSERVATORY
18). The top of the tower consists of a large
2 Creaking Bite! The wooden beast bites a glass dome, bathed in an unnatural green light.
player character, inflicting 2D8 slashing Outside the dome, the sea extends in all directions and a
damage. balcony runs around the tower. In the center of the room is
a stone podium on which two brightly luminous, emerald-­
3 Hardwood Headbutt! With an unnatural
like stones are resting. At the northern end of the floor is a
creak, the beast headbutts its victim and
black stone sarcophagus.
deals 2D6 bludgeoning damage. Armor
has no effect, except helmets, and the
✦ The Boy: A sobbing boy is sitting, head in hands, on
victim is knocked down upon taking
the floor behind the podium with the twin stones. It
damage.
is Orvild the cabin boy who lives on as a ghost, driven
4 Seawater Cascade! The figurehead by the grief of being lost and abandoned by his fellow
opens its jaws wide and spews a cas- crewmen and the ship he served on.
cade of dark seawater over all victims If the player characters speak kindly to him, or suc-
within a 10-meter cone. The victims are ceed with a PERSUASION roll, Orvild explains that he
knocked back D8 meters, take the same does not know where he is, how he got here, or where
amount of bludgeoning damage, and his ship, the Blue Medusa, has gone. If the characters
land prone. tell him where to find the wreck of the Blue Medusa,
5 Icy Wind! The beast rears its hideous Orvild is grateful but does not know how to get there.
head and blows a freezing wind through Would the characters mind helping him?
the entire room. All player characters If the characters lead the way, they will need a
must make a BUSHCRAFT roll not to get successful SWIMMING roll to get through the flooded
cold (page 19). gallery and cellar. If they take Orvild to the wreck, he
beams with joy and thanks the adventurers for helping
6 Toppling Throw! The beast grabs the him find his way home. Then he fades away forever.
nearest player character and uses it as ✦ Sarcophagus: A relief on the outside of the sarcoph-
a weapon, throwing the victim with all agus lid depicts a beautiful young woman in an ankle-­
its might into another character within length tunic. The player characters recognize her from
6 meters. Both take 2D6 bludgeoning the murals further down the tower. It takes a successful
damage and are knocked down. STR roll with a bane to remove the lid (multiple char-
acters can work together). If they remove the lid, they

CHAPTER 5 –

36
 THE SINKING TOWER KRAKUL’S REVENGE

If the player characters take the demon stone or The lindworm Krakul has waited a long time to
trigger the trap inside Magdala’s sarcophagus in get his stolen eye back. The tower’s magic pre-
the observatory (#7), or when the timer runs out vents him from entering, but Krakul uses cunning
and the two hours have passed, the tower begins to regain what was taken from him. If a player
to sink rapidly. One floor is immediately swal- character finds the stone and accepted the old
lowed by the sea, then another one at the begin- man’s offer in the opening scene, the hissing lind-
ning of each round (before the characters act). worm demands that they hand over the emerald.
If the statue gallery (#1) has already sunk Upon receiving the stone, Krakul lets out a
(because an hour has passed), the library (#3) loud sigh before the emerald fills his empty eye
sinks immediately, the treasure chamber (#4) at socket. The lindworm then roars with newfound
the beginning of the next round, the laboratory strength, gives the characters a grateful nod,
(#5) in the following round, the sorcerer’s cham- and dives into the dark sea.
ber (#6) in the next round, and at the beginning If the characters did not accept the old man’s
of the fourth round after the tower has begun offer, Krakul immediately attacks the adventur-
its rapid descent, the observatory (#7) finally ers. However, he is willing to spare their lives in
disappears beneath the waves. If Krakul has exchange for the emerald.
been summoned, he continues fighting until he
is killed or gets hold of the emerald.
Although the time tracking does not matter
once the tower begins to sink, it is important
notice a large shadow growing outside the tower. It
that these last rounds are played at a fast pace.
is the one-­eyed lindworm Krakul (page 38) who
This is the finale of the adventure!
has come to reclaim his lost eye – the emerald. See
the sidebar Krakul’s Revenge.
– If they take both stones, both of these things
happen at the same time!
see the remains of a skeletal hand fall to the floor, as if it ✦ Balcony: Around the top of the tower runs a balcony
was wedged between the lid and the coffin. It belonged overlooking miles of gray water. It is possible to jump
to an adventurer who was caught in the manacle trap into the sea from here, but it takes a successful SWIM-
long ago and in desperation cut off their own hand. MING roll to avoid taking D6 bludgeoning damage
✦ Manacle Trap: Touching the interior of the sarcophagus from the fall.
immediately triggers a magical trap that causes a heavy
iron manacle to close around the adventurer’s wrist.
The manacle is attached to the sarcophagus but can be
hacked off. It has armor rating 10 and breaks after taking
20 points of slashing or bludgeoning damage.
✦ Magdala’s Remains: In the sarcophagus lies
Magdala, resting in eternal sleep. Only her
bones remain, and her skull lies on its side
with an open jaw. The sarcophagus contains
one random treasure.
✦ The Twin Stones: The emeralds on the
podium look completely identical. There is an
image of a demon under the western stone, and
a lindworm under the eastern one.
– If the player characters remove the stone
from the demon image, some-
thing clicks and the tower
quickly starts to sink into the
waves (see the sidebar titled
The Sinking Tower).
– If they remove the
stone from the image
of the lindworm, they
feel the tower shake and
 KRAKUL
SCORING
The lindworm Krakul was once feared across The gaming group scores points based on what they find
the vast oceans. But now he is old and bitter. and accomplish during the adventure. See the list below.
Ever since the sorcerer Kamandur stole his
eye, Krakul has led a miserable existence, often Tiebreakers: If two or more groups are tied on exactly
brooding at the bottom of the sea with dreams the same score, the group whose characters have the
of revenge gnawing at his soul. highest total hit points (HP) remaining at the end of the
adventure wins. Replacement characters do not count.
Ferocity: 2   Size: Large
Movement: 4   Armor: 6   HP: 64 WHAT LOCATION POINTS

Drawn to the Emerald: If the lindworm sees Treasures found Anywhere 1 per
someone carrying the emerald or trying to treasure
take it, he will immediately attack them.
Floor discovered Anywhere 1 per floor
MONSTER ATTACKS
D6 ATTACK
Player character killed Anywhere −1 per
character
1 Hissing Roar! The lindworm lets out a
terrifying, hissing roar. Everyone within Solved the puzzle of Statue 1
10 meters suffers a fear attack. the copper plates on Gallery (#1)
the first attempt
2 Claw Attack! With its claws, the beast
rakes two opponents within 2 meters of Defeated the monster eel Cellar (#2) 1
each other. Each victim takes 2D8 slash- Found the wreck Cellar (#2) 1
ing damage.
Passed the ghost with- Library (#3) 2
3 Dorsal Spikes! The creature rolls over out combat
all opponents within 6 meters. The
Defeated the ghost Library (#3) 1
victims take 2D4 slashing damage from
the spikes on the monster’s back and are Solved the puzzle of Library (#3) 1
knocked down. the books on the first
attempt
4 Deadly Embrace! The beast wraps itself
around an opponent and tries to squeeze Defeated the skeletons Treasure 1
the life out of them. The attack inflicts Chamber (#4)
2D8 bludgeoning damage and the same
Solved the puzzle of Treasure 1
amount whenever it is the victim’s turn.
the treasure chests on Chamber (#4)
The victim cannot move or perform
the first attempt
actions that require movement, except
trying to break free, which requires a Saved Alberic Treasure 1
STR roll with a bane. Others can help. Gleamheart Chamber (#4)
5 Ravenous Bite! The lindworm opens its Saved Betrix Farsail Laboratory 1
mouth and lunges at a victim to take a (#5)
big bite. The attack deals 3D8 slashing
Defeated the Sorcerer’s 1 per
damage but can be parried.
figureheads Chamber (#6) figurehead
6 Devouring Attack! The beast swallows
Helped Orvild to the Observatory 2
an opponent whole, inflicting 2D6 blud-
wreck (#7)
geoning damage. The victim can keep
attacking the lindworm from within, Solved the puzzle of Observatory 1
where it has no armor rating. But for the twin stones on the (#7)
each round spent in the beast’s belly, the first attempt
victim takes D6 damage on their turn
Gave the emerald to Observatory 3
(armor has no effect). The victim gets out
Krakul (#7)
once the lindworm is dead.
Defeated Krakul Observatory 4
(#7)
PLAYER APPEARANCE
Tall and wiry. Long white beard and
KIN AGE
Human Old bushy eyebrows. Inquisitive eyes.
PROFESSION
Mage – Elementalist
WEAKNESS
Fainthearted. You always stay
at the back of the group. Archmaster AodhanNAME

STR CON AGL INT WIL CHA

8 11 9 16 18 14
EXHAUSTED SICKLY DAZED ANGRY SCARED DISHEARTENED

DAMAGE BON. STR — DAMAGE BON. AGL — MOVEMENT 8

ENCUMBRANCE LIMIT

ABILITIES & SPELLS SKILLS INVENTORY 4

Adaptive 5 Acrobatics (AGL) WEAPON SKILLS 1 Grimoire
Fireball 14 Awareness (INT) 4 Axes (STR) 2 Torch
Pillar 6 Bartering (CHA) 5 Bows (AGL) 3

Gust of Wind 14 Beast Lore (INT) 4 Brawling (STR) 4

Heat/Chill 6 Bluffing (CHA) 5 Crossbows (AGL) 5

Puff of Smoke 14 Bushcraft (INT) 4 Hammers (STR) 6

Ignite 4 Crafting (STR) 5 Knives (AGL) 7

10 Evade (AGL) 5 Slings (AGL) 8

14 Healing (INT) 4 Spears (STR) 9

5 Hunting & Fishing (AGL) 10 Staves (AGL) 10

14 Languages (INT) 4 Swords (STR) MEMENTO

14 Myt hs & Legends (INT) Worn diary full of
6 Performance (CHA) SECONDARY SKILLS your experiences and
12 Persuasion (CHA) 14 Elementalism (INT) discoveries.
5 Riding (AGL)
7 Seamanship (INT)
TINY ITEMS

GOLD
5 Sleight of Hand (AGL)
10 Sneaking (AGL)
SILVER 7 14 Spot Hidden (INT)
5 Swimming (AGL)
COPPER

ROUND REST STRETCH REST

R
ARMOR OR A HELMET
R
TIN
ARM

OR A WILLPOWER POINTS
TIN
ARM

18
G

BANE ON: BANE ON:

SNEAKING EVADE AWARENESS
ACROBATICS RANGED ATTACKS

DURA- HIT POINTS

WEAPON / SHIELD GRIP RANGE DAMAGE BILITY FEATURES

Staff 2h 2 D8 9 Bludgeoning 11
SUCCESSES FAILURES
DEATH ROLLS
 ARCHMASTER AODHAN
From an early age you have been fascinated with fire. Your sorcerous mother
brought you to a school of magicians after you accidentally burned down a barn
on the family farm. At school you learned the secrets of magic, but the thirst for
deeper knowledge made you restless. Now, after a few years of extensive travel,
you have joined a company of adventurers for an expedition to the Misty Vale.

ADAPTIVE
✦ Willpower Points: 3
When rolling for a skill, you can choose to
make the roll using another skill of your choice.
You must be able to justify how you use the
selected skill instead of the normal one. The GM has
the final word, but should be lenient.

MAGIC
✦ Willpower Points: Varies
As a wizard you can use magic. Read more about
magic on page 23 in the Quickstart booklet.
PLAYER APPEARANCE
Smooth and confident walk. Clear
KIN AGE
Elf Adult eyes that suspiciously scrutinize
PROFESSION
Hunter everyone. Eager and swift in
WEAKNESS
Bigoted. Nightkin such as orcs and thought and action.
goblins are evil and need to be fought.
O r l a M o o n s il v e r
NAME

STR CON AGL INT WIL CHA

13 15 17 13 10 9
EXHAUSTED SICKLY DAZED ANGRY SCARED DISHEARTENED

DAMAGE BON. STR D4 DAMAGE BON. AGL D6 MOVEMENT 14

ENCUMBRANCE LIMIT

ABILITIES & SPELLS SKILLS INVENTORY 7

Inner Peace 14 Acrobatics (AGL) WEAPON SKILLS 1 Quiver
Twin Shot 12 Awareness (INT) 6 Axes (STR) 2 Torch
5 Bartering (CHA) 14 Bows (AGL) 3 Rope

6 Beast Lore (INT) 6 Brawling (STR) 4

5 Bluffing (CHA) 7 Crossbows (AGL) 5

12 Bushcraft (INT) 6 Hammers (STR) 6

6 Crafting (STR) 14 Knives (AGL) 7

14 Evade (AGL) 7 Slings (AGL) 8

6 Healing (INT) 6 Spears (STR) 9

14 Hunting & Fishing (AGL) 7 Staves (AGL) 10

6 Languages (INT) 12 Swords (STR) MEMENTO

6 Myt hs & Legends (INT) Fang from the troll that
5 Performance (CHA) SECONDARY SKILLS slew your sister.
5 Persuasion (CHA)
7 Riding (AGL)
6 Seamanship (INT)
TINY ITEMS

GOLD
7 Sleight of Hand (AGL)
Flint & Tinder
14 Sneaking (AGL)
SILVER 4 6 Spot Hidden (INT)
14 Swimming (AGL)
COPPER

ROUND REST STRETCH REST

R
ARMOR OR A HELMET
R
TIN
ARM

OR A WILLPOWER POINTS
1 Leather
TIN
ARM

10
G

BANE ON: BANE ON:

SNEAKING EVADE AWARENESS
ACROBATICS RANGED ATTACKS

DURA- HIT POINTS

WEAPON / SHIELD GRIP RANGE DAMAGE BILITY FEATURES

Longbow 2h 100 D12 6 Piercing 15

Knife 1h 13 D8 3 Subtle, Piercing SUCCESSES FAILURES
DEATH ROLLS
 ORLA MOONSILVER
You grew up in the tropical forests of the south, always in search of adventure,
but also humbled by your family’s expectations of discipline and reflection.
After a troll attacked your village and killed many of your kinsmen, you
decided to find a new future for yourself. Still seeking your destiny, you have
concluded that journeying is your goal. Together with a group of fellow
adventurers you have traveled to the Misty Vale to see what it has to offer.

INNER PEACE
✦ Willpower Points: —
As an elf, you can meditate deeply during a stretch rest.
You heal an additional D6 HP and a D6 extra WP, and
can recover from an additional condition. You are com-
pletely unresponsive during your meditation and cannot
be awakened.

TWIN SHOT
✦ Willpower Points: 3
By activating this ability when attacking
with a bow, you shoot two arrows instead
of one. Roll just once to hit, with a bane.
Damage is rolled separately. The
arrows can be directed at the same
target or two different targets.
PLAYER APPEARANCE
Strong, sturdy, and stubborn.
KIN AGE
Mallard Adult Waddling walk. Quick to anger
PROFESSION
Knight when provoked, especially if someone
WEAKNESS
Foolhardy. You always go first insults your family or honor.
into danger. M a k a n d e r of H al f b a y
NAME You seldom smile.

STR CON AGL INT WIL CHA

16 16 10 12 14 13
EXHAUSTED SICKLY DAZED ANGRY SCARED DISHEARTENED

DAMAGE BON. STR D4 DAMAGE BON. AGL — MOVEMENT 8

ENCUMBRANCE LIMIT

ABILITIES & SPELLS SKILLS INVENTORY 8

Ill-tempered 10 Acrobatics (AGL) WEAPON SKILLS 1 Torch
Webbed Feet 5 Awareness (INT) 14 Axes (STR) 2

Guardian 6 Bartering (CHA) 5 Bows (AGL) 3

5 Beast Lore (INT) 14 Brawling (STR) 4

6 Bluffing (CHA) 10 Crossbows (AGL) 5

5 Bushcraft (INT) 14 Hammers (STR) 6

7 Crafting (STR) 5 Knives (AGL) 7

5 Evade (AGL) 5 Slings (AGL) 8

5 Healing (INT) 14 Spears (STR) 9

5 Hunting & Fishing (AGL) 5 Staves (AGL) 10

5 Languages (INT) 14 Swords (STR) MEMENTO

10 Myt hs & Legends (INT) A fine pipe made of black
12 Performance (CHA) SECONDARY SKILLS horn (a gift from your
12 Persuasion (CHA) father).
5 Riding (AGL)
5 Seamanship (INT)
TINY ITEMS

GOLD
5 Sleight of Hand (AGL)
Flint & Tinder
5 Sneaking (AGL)
SILVER 10 5 Spot Hidden (INT)
5 Swimming (AGL)
COPPER

ROUND REST STRETCH REST

R
ARMOR OR A HELMET
R
TIN
ARM

OR A WILLPOWER POINTS
6 Plate
TIN
ARM

14
G

BANE ON: BANE ON:

x SNEAKING x EVADE AWARENESS
x ACROBATICS RANGED ATTACKS

DURA- HIT POINTS

WEAPON / SHIELD GRIP RANGE DAMAGE BILITY FEATURES

Battleaxe 1h 2 2D8 9 Slashing 16

Short Sword 1h 2 D10 12 Slashing, Piercing SUCCESSES FAILURES
DEATH ROLLS
Small Shield 1h 2 D8 15 Bludgeoning
 MAKANDER OF HALFBAY
You are the youngest son of the Baron of Halfbay, who resides at his seat
of power many days’ travel to the east. Knowing that the title will pass to
your older (but lesser) brother, you searched your soul and decided to forge
your own path. You take great pride in your name and honor, and accept
missions that help the weak and punish the wicked. Now you have joined a
company of adventurers, drawn by rumors of treasure in the Misty Vale.

ILL-TEMPERED
✦ Willpower Points: 3
Mallards tend to have a choleric temper. You can acti-
vate this ability (no action) when making a skill roll and
get a boon to the roll. You also become Angry, if you’re
not already. This ability cannot be used for rolls against
INT or INT-based skills.

WEBBED FEET
✦ Willpower Points: —
As a mallard you also get a
boon to all SWIMMING
rolls. You always move at full
speed in or under water.

GUARDIAN
✦ Willpower Points: 2
You do not hesitate to take a hit to
protect your friends. If you and
another player character are both
within 2 meters of the same enemy
and the enemy tries to attack the
other character, you can activate this
ability to force the enemy to attack
you instead. Using this ability can be
done out of turn and it does not
count as an action.
PLAYER APPEARANCE
Innocent face with shrewd,
KIN AGE
Halfling Young constantly observing eyes. Light
PROFESSION
Thief and silent on your feet. You see
WEAKNESS
Reckless. You always take big risks opportunity in any situation.
without thought of the consequences.
K r i s a n n a t h e B o ld
NAME

STR CON AGL INT WIL CHA

8 13 18 14 15 10
EXHAUSTED SICKLY DAZED ANGRY SCARED DISHEARTENED

DAMAGE BON. STR — DAMAGE BON. AGL D6 MOVEMENT 12

ENCUMBRANCE LIMIT

ABILITIES & SPELLS SKILLS INVENTORY 4

Hard to Catch 14 Acrobatics (AGL) WEAPON SKILLS 1 Lockpicks
Backstabbing 12 Awareness (INT) 4 Axes (STR) 2 Torch
5 Bartering (CHA) 7 Bows (AGL) 3 Rope
6 Beast Lore (INT) 4 Brawling (STR) 4

10 Bluffing (CHA) 7 Crossbows (AGL) 5

6 Bushcraft (INT) 4 Hammers (STR) 6

4 Crafting (STR) 14 Knives (AGL) 7

14 Evade (AGL) 7 Slings (AGL) 8

6 Healing (INT) 4 Spears (STR) 9

7 Hunting & Fishing (AGL) 7 Staves (AGL) 10

6 Languages (INT) 4 Swords (STR) MEMENTO

6 Myt hs & Legends (INT) A treasure map you
5 Performance (CHA) SECONDARY SKILLS “found.”
5 Persuasion (CHA)
7 Riding (AGL)
6 Seamanship (INT)
TINY ITEMS

GOLD
14 Sleight of Hand (AGL)
Flint & Tinder
14 Sneaking (AGL)
SILVER 2 12 Spot Hidden (INT)
7 Swimming (AGL)
COPPER

ROUND REST STRETCH REST

R
ARMOR OR A HELMET
R
TIN
ARM

OR A WILLPOWER POINTS
1 Leather
TIN
ARM

15
G

BANE ON: BANE ON:

SNEAKING EVADE AWARENESS
ACROBATICS RANGED ATTACKS

DURA- HIT POINTS

WEAPON / SHIELD GRIP RANGE DAMAGE BILITY FEATURES

Dagger 1h 8 D8 9 Subtle, Piercing, Slashing 13

Knife 1h 8 D8 6 Subtle, Piercing SUCCESSES FAILURES
DEATH ROLLS
Knife 1h 8 D8 6 Subtle, Piercing
 KRISANNA THE BOLD
Growing up in a city in the west, you were always coming up with wild
ideas and daring your friends to take ever-greater risks in the alleys. You
became an adept pickpocket and later started burglarizing luxurious
mansions. You were caught and thrown in prison, but escaped shortly
thereafter. Now you keep clear of the city, always looking for new challenges
and experiences together with a party of adventurers. You are currently
on your way to the Misty Vale, which is said to offer plenty of both.

HARD TO CATCH
✦ Willpower Points: 3
You can activate this ability when dodging an attack,
getting a boon to the EVADE roll.

BACKSTABBING
✦ Willpower Points: 3
You can activate this ability when making
a melee attack against an enemy that is
also within 2 meters of another player
character. Your attack then counts as a
sneak attack, which means it cannot
be dodged or parried, you get a boon
to the roll, and the number of dice
rolled for the damage is increased
by one (i.e. 2D8 instead of D8).
This ability can only be used with
a subtle weapon. Activating
this ability does not count as
an action.
PLAYER APPEARANCE
Scarred, bulging muscles. You look
KIN AGE
Wolfkin Young loyally at friends, but menacingly
PROFESSION
Fighter at foes.
WEAKNESS
Gluttonous. You take every chance
you get to eat something tasty.
B a s t o n n Blo o dj a w
NAME

STR CON AGL INT WIL CHA

18 17 14 11 13 7
EXHAUSTED SICKLY DAZED ANGRY SCARED DISHEARTENED

DAMAGE BON. STR D6 DAMAGE BON. AGL D4 MOVEMENT 14

ENCUMBRANCE LIMIT

ABILITIES & SPELLS SKILLS INVENTORY 9

Hunting Instincts 12 Acrobatics (AGL) WEAPON SKILLS 1 Torch
Veteran 5 Awareness (INT) 14 Axes (STR) 2

4 Bartering (CHA) 6 Bows (AGL) 3

5 Beast Lore (INT) 14 Brawling (STR) 4

4 Bluffing (CHA) 6 Crossbows (AGL) 5

5 Bushcraft (INT) 14 Hammers (STR) 6

7 Crafting (STR) 6 Knives (AGL) 7

12 Evade (AGL) 6 Slings (AGL) 8

5 Healing (INT) 14 Spears (STR) 9

6 Hunting & Fishing (AGL) 6 Staves (AGL) 10

5 Languages (INT) 14 Swords (STR) MEMENTO

5 Myt hs & Legends (INT) Blue bottle of perfume.
4 Performance (CHA) SECONDARY SKILLS
4 Persuasion (CHA)
6 Riding (AGL)
5 Seamanship (INT)
TINY ITEMS

GOLD
6 Sleight of Hand (AGL)
Flint & Tinder
12 Sneaking (AGL)
SILVER 2 5 Spot Hidden (INT)
6 Swimming (AGL)
COPPER

ROUND REST STRETCH REST

R
ARMOR OR A HELMET
R
TIN
ARM

OR A WILLPOWER POINTS
2 Studded Leather
TIN
ARM

13
G

BANE ON: BANE ON:

x SNEAKING
ACROBATICS
EVADE AWARENESS
RANGED ATTACKS

DURA- HIT POINTS

WEAPON / SHIELD GRIP RANGE DAMAGE BILITY FEATURES

Long Spear 2h 4 2D8 9 Long, Piercing 17

Short Spear 1h 36 D10 9 Piercing SUCCESSES FAILURES
DEATH ROLLS
 BASTONN BLOODJAW
You have come from the northern wastelands in search of work, joy,
and the finer things in life. Tired of your people’s tribal feuds, you
dreamed of something bigger and traveled south. There you worked as
a mercenary, gladiator, caravan escort, and guardsman, before banding
together with a company of adventurers. You are now on your way to the
Misty Vale, enticed by rumors of demons, monsters, and mighty foes.

HUNTING INSTINCTS
✦ Willpower Points: 3
You can use this ability to
designate a creature in
sight, or a creature you
can catch the scent of,
as your prey. This counts
as an action in combat. You
can follow the scent of your prey
for a full day, and you can spend
1 ­further WP (not an action) to gain a
boon for an attack against your prey.

VETERAN
✦ Willpower Points: 1
Activating this ability at the start of a
combat round allows you to retain your
initiative card from the previous round
instead of drawing a new one. Doing so
does not count as an action.
PLAYER APPEARANCE
Brisk and impatient, rarely
KIN AGE
Dwarf Young standing still. Calculating eyes that
PROFESSION
Merchant seem to weigh the pros and cons
WEAKNESS
Vain. You’ll help anyone who gives of any situation. Always well-
you praise or compliments. dressed and well-groomed.
A lb e r i c G l e a m h ea rt
NAME

STR CON AGL INT WIL CHA

10 14 13 14 11 17
EXHAUSTED SICKLY DAZED ANGRY SCARED DISHEARTENED

DAMAGE BON. STR — DAMAGE BON. AGL D4 MOVEMENT 10

ENCUMBRANCE LIMIT

ABILITIES & SPELLS SKILLS INVENTORY 5

Unforgiving 6 Acrobatics (AGL) WEAPON SKILLS 1 Rope (hemp)
Treasure Hunter 12 Awareness (INT) 5 Axes (STR) 2 Lantern
14 Bartering (CHA) 6 Bows (AGL) 3 Lamp oil

6 Beast Lore (INT) 5 Brawling (STR) 4

14 Bluffing (CHA) 6 Crossbows (AGL) 5

6 Bushcraft (INT) 5 Hammers (STR) 6

5 Crafting (STR) 12 Knives (AGL) 7

6 Evade (AGL) 6 Slings (AGL) 8

6 Healing (INT) 5 Spears (STR) 9

6 Hunting & Fishing (AGL) 6 Staves (AGL) 10

6 Languages (INT) 5 Swords (STR) MEMENTO

12 Myt hs & Legends (INT) A small gold amulet with
7 Performance (CHA) SECONDARY SKILLS the family crest
14 Persuasion (CHA)
6 Riding (AGL)
6 Seamanship (INT)
TINY ITEMS

GOLD
6 Sleight of Hand (AGL)
Flint & Tinder
12 Sneaking (AGL)
SILVER 10 12 Spot Hidden (INT)
6 Swimming (AGL)
COPPER

ROUND REST STRETCH REST

R
ARMOR OR A HELMET
R
TIN
ARM

OR A WILLPOWER POINTS
TIN
ARM

11
G

BANE ON: BANE ON:

SNEAKING EVADE AWARENESS
ACROBATICS RANGED ATTACKS

DURA- HIT POINTS

WEAPON / SHIELD GRIP RANGE DAMAGE BILITY FEATURES

Dagger 1h 8 D8 9 Subtle, Piercing, Slashing 14

SUCCESSES FAILURES
DEATH ROLLS
 ALBERIC GLEAMHEART
Since childhood, your father has said that you and your siblings have a calling
in life. You were all given start-up capital to devote yourself to business, each
in your own niche. You chose antiques and artifacts. You buy and sell them,
but the best ones you bring home to your father. Since he is never satisfied,
you are forced to embark on increasingly dangerous quests with each trip.

UNFORGIVING
✦ Willpower Points: 3
You can activate this ability when attacking someone
who harmed you in the past (at least 1 point of
damage) and get a boon to the roll. It does not
matter when the damage was inflicted. It may be
wise to write down the names of everyone who
harms you, so you do not forget them.

TREASURE HUNTER
✦ Willpower Points: 3
At a crossroads of some kind, you can
activate this ability to learn the direction
of the greatest treasures.
PLAYER APPEARANCE
Sunburnt with a stern face and
KIN AGE
Human Adult wary eyes. Dressed in practical
PROFESSION
Mariner and durable clothing, adorned with
WEAKNESS
Overbearing. You always tell mementos from previous voyages.
­others what to do. Captain Betrix Farsail
NAME

STR CON AGL INT WIL CHA

14 12 15 12 16 11
EXHAUSTED SICKLY DAZED ANGRY SCARED DISHEARTENED

DAMAGE BON. STR D4 DAMAGE BON. AGL D4 MOVEMENT 12

ENCUMBRANCE LIMIT

ABILITIES & SPELLS SKILLS INVENTORY 7

Adaptive 12 Acrobatics (AGL) WEAPON SKILLS 1 Rope (hemp)
Sea Legs 10 Awareness (INT) 6 Axes (STR) 2 Grappling hook
5 Bartering (CHA) 6 Bows (AGL) 3 Spyglass

5 Beast Lore (INT) 6 Brawling (STR) 4

5 Bluffing (CHA) 6 Crossbows (AGL) 5

5 Bushcraft (INT) 6 Hammers (STR) 6

12 Crafting (STR) 6 Knives (AGL) 7

12 Evade (AGL) 6 Slings (AGL) 8

5 Healing (INT) 6 Spears (STR) 9

6 Hunting & Fishing (AGL) 6 Staves (AGL) 10

10 Languages (INT) 12 Swords (STR) MEMENTO

5 Myt hs & Legends (INT) A drawing in a waterproof
5 Performance (CHA) SECONDARY SKILLS case, depicting the perfect
5 Persuasion (CHA) ship. One day it will be yours.
6 Riding (AGL)
10 Seamanship (INT)
TINY ITEMS

GOLD
12 Sleight of Hand (AGL)
6 Sneaking (AGL)
SILVER 10 10 Spot Hidden (INT)
12 Swimming (AGL)
COPPER

ROUND REST STRETCH REST

R
ARMOR OR A HELMET
R
TIN
ARM

OR A WILLPOWER POINTS
TIN
ARM

16
G

BANE ON: BANE ON:

SNEAKING EVADE AWARENESS
ACROBATICS RANGED ATTACKS

DURA- HIT POINTS

WEAPON / SHIELD GRIP RANGE DAMAGE BILITY FEATURES

Scimitar 1h 2 2D6 12 Slashing 12

SUCCESSES FAILURES
DEATH ROLLS
CAPTAIN BETRIX FARSAIL
You have captained a magnificent caravel, survived a shipwreck, and crawled
through the jungles of the south in search of revenge, glory, and riches. Now
you live as an adventurer, trying to find enough gold to buy a new ship
and set sail for new discoveries and adventures beyond the horizon.

ADAPTIVE
✦ Willpower Points: 3
When rolling for a skill, you can choose
to make the roll using another skill of your
choice. You must be able to justify how you
use the selected skill instead of the normal one.
The GM has the final word, but should be lenient.

SEA LEGS
✦ Willpower Points: 1
You can activate this ability (not an action) when per-
forming an action in water, even if only waist deep. You
are then safe from all negative effects of being in water
for one round, including the risk of drowning.
PLAYER MAPS
PLAYER MAPS
PLAYER MAPS
PLAYER MAPS
The Sinking Tower is an official tournament adventure for the
Dragonbane RPG. The adventure offers difficult challenges for even
the bravest and most skilled adventurers. The players will need to
work together to solve puzzles, win battles, and find valuable treasure
– all in just two hours!
Dragonbane is a game full of magic, mystery, and adventure, designed
for fast play with very little prep time and adventures that are a
breeze to run. This new Quickstart includes condensed rules, a
complete adventure, and seven pre-generated characters. All you
need to play is a few dice – and your imagination!

The complete Dragonbane core boxed set includes

full game rules, custom dice and cards, standees,
maps, rules for solo play, and a complete
campaign with no less than eleven thrilling
adventures. Learn more about Dragonbane at:

dragonbane-rpg.com

ISBN 978-91-89765-54-2
FLFDGB014

Dragonbane is a registered
trademark by Fria Ligan AB.
©2024 Fria Ligan AB 9 789189 765542