<INSERT ART #; HOW TO PLAY; 1/2H>

Game Rules
In Shadow of the Weird Wizard, you and your friends
come together to tell stories in a world of high
adventure. In these stories, you explore the setting,
fight strange monsters, solve mysteries, uncover
secrets, and interact with others to gain aid,
information, and access, all while portraying the
imaginary person you create using the rules in this
book. As you play through adventures, your
character, called a protagonist, becomes more
experienced and thus more powerful and capable.
In time, your protagonists become the most
powerful people in the Known World.
All of this play takes place under the guidance of
the Sage, a role sometimes known as the game
master. You or one of your friends gets to be in
control of the story, presenting challenges and
deciding what happens in response to the decisions
the other players make. More information on being
the Sage comes later in this book.
Whether you’re the Sage or a player roleplaying a
protagonist, you all make use of the same set of
rules, which are presented in this chapter. As a
group, you refer to the rules to help you decide what
happens in the game as a result of a certain activity
performed or happenstance that occurs in the story.
It’s crucial to remember that the rules serve to
facilitate game play, but they should never dictate
what happens in the game. The Sage can change a
rule or ignore a rule if it makes the story better. The
Sage has the final say and any disagreements should
be saved for after the game ends.
This chapter contains rules for just about
everything. You don’t need to know everything in
this chapter, right away. You should feel free to skip
around, looking at the information you need or that
interests you and come back later when you need to
know how something works. Be sure, though, the
take a close look at the Game Play Basics section,
since those rules are the foundation on which
everything else stands.

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Game Play Basics Strength
Strength represents physical might, athletic ability,
This section explains the simplest concepts behind durability, and fitness. Use Strength to resist effects
Shadow of the Weird Wizard. that would force you to move or that would restrain
you, as well as when you would perform activities
Dice that relate to athletic feats such as climbing,
swimming, attacking with most melee weapons,
The game uses a twenty-sided die, a d20, and six-
kicking down doors, or overpowering other
sided dice, d6s. In all cases, the higher the number
creatures. You also use Strength to withstand pain,
rolled, the better the result.
injury, poison, venom, and infection.
Halving and Doubling Agility
Sometimes the game instructs you to halve a Agility represents poise and dexterity, balance, aim,
number or double it. Simply divide the number by 2 speed, and reflexes. You use Agility when you
when halving or multiply it by 2 when doubling. If maintain your balance, either because someone
halving a number would result in a fraction, round shoves you or you are moving across challenging
down to the nearest whole number. terrain, when you would perform an activity that
requires manual dexterity, such as when you pick a
Acting in the Game lock, disarm a trap, or perform sleight of hand,
chase, and flee.
You and each other player control one or more
characters and the Sage controls everything else.
Having control means you decide what your Intellect
character does, says, thinks, reacts, and more. Some Intellect describes intelligence, wit, memory,
effects take control away from the Sage or a player, knowledge, and the ability to use logic to solve
but such effects are rare. complex problems. You use Intellect when you
Restrictions on what your character can do in the would thwart an effort to deceive you, solve complex
game exist. You might imagine your character doing problems, or deceive or outwit another creature. You
all kinds of things, but if those activities lay outside also use Intellect for using some forms of magic.
what’s possible for the character, they don’t happen.
Generally, your character can do anything you can Will
do, plus, perhaps, a bit more. You can walk around, Will describes courage, willpower, resolve, and
eat, talk, buy and sell things, look around, listen, and mental fortitude. You use Will to resist efforts to
do other routine things without needing any special erode your confidence, manipulate your emotions,
rules to tell you that you can. As your character or terrify you. You also use Will to fight off some
develops, you find the options available to you grow mental effects and to use some forms of magic.
and you can cast spells, attack with deadly weapons,
and perform stunts and other activities that would Attribute Rolls
be almost impossible in real life. You make an attribute roll when the Sage calls for
When you describe something you want your one or when the rules instruct you to do so. The roll
character to do in the game, the activity happens or determines if an activity you attempted succeeds or
it doesn’t. If it’s reasonable, it probably happens. If fails. You resolve an attribute roll by following these
it’s unreasonable, it doesn’t. Often, the Sage will steps.
decide the activity could happen, in which case the
Sage might call for an attribute roll. • Roll a d20.
• Add any modifiers.
Attributes • Compare the total to the target number,
All protagonists—characters under the players’ getting a success if you equal or beat the
control—and most other creatures have four target number and a failure if you don’t.
attributes and Defense to describe their general
capabilities. The attributes include Strength, Agility, Modifiers
Intellect, and Will. A modifier affects the roll of the d20 by adding a
For each attribute, one has a score and a modifier. number to it or subtracting a number from it. For
The score is a number from 1 to 20, while the attribute rolls, you always apply the modifier from
modifier is a number equal to the score minus 10. If the attribute you’re using.
you have a 12 Strength, you have a +2 modifier. If you
have a 9 Agility, you have a –1 modifier.

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Boons and Banes find that the activity you attempted is, for now at
A task might be more difficult because of an least, beyond your capabilities to accomplish.
affliction you suffer or easier because you're getting
aid from people or circumstances. Boons and banes Fritz Swings a Sword
represent the influence of other factors that might Fritz, a soldier played by Dustin, faces a bandit in combat.
apply when determining an activity’s outcome. Dustin decides Fritz swings his sword against his foe. Fritz has a
Boons help you succeed. For each boon that 12 Strength. Dustin rolls a d20 and gets a 14. He adds his
would apply, you roll a boon die, which is a d6. You modifier, which is +2, giving him a total of 16. The bandit has a
Defense of 12, so Fritz hits the bandit and deals damage to it.
then add the highest number rolled on any one of
the d6s to the result of the d20 roll.
Banes increase the chance of a failure. For each Phoebe Picks a Lock
Phoebe, a criminal played by Elise, comes to a locked door. She
bane that would apply, you roll a bane die, which is decides she will use her lockpicks to open it. The Sage decides
a d6. You then subtract the highest number rolled this is a hard activity and imposes 1 bane on the roll. Phoebe has
on any one of the d6s from the result of the d20 roll. an 11 Agility. She rolls a d20 and gets a 12 on the die. She adds
Boons and banes neutralize each other, die for her Agility modifier, which is a +1, and then subtracts whatever
die. If you have 2 boons and 1 bane on the activity she rolls on the bane die, which happens to be a 3, bringing her
you're attempting, you would make the roll with 1 total down to 10. Since no one is resisting Phoebe, she needs a
10 or higher, which she gets and so she succeeds in unlocking
boon. If you have 1 boon and 3 banes, you would
the door.
make the roll with 2 banes.
Boons granted and banes imposed are counted <INSERT ART #; FRITZ SWINGS A
separately only when they come from different SWORD; 1/4>
sources. If one of your talents grants you 1 boon and
a different talent grants you 1 boon, you make the
roll with 2 boons. If, however, you are weakened
after being hit by an arrow smeared with a toxic
substance and then become weakened again after
being bitten by a venomous beast while still
weakened from the earlier effect, you would make
your roll with only 1 bane from being weakened,
since the banes come from the same source. See
Afflictions for more information about how these
states work.

Target Number
The target number is the number you must equal or
beat with the sum of the d20 and all the modifiers
that apply in order for the activity to be a success.
The target number is 10 if no one is resisting your
roll. If someone resists your roll, the target number
is the score of the Defense or attribute of the
creature or object resisting you.

Making Rolls
The rules often refer to you or others making attribute or luck
rolls. When you see this instruction, whomever controls the
actor makes the roll. Obviously, creatures aren’t rolling the dice.
The rules use this language as a simple shorthand method for
determining who rolls the dice and when.

Success and Failure

If you get a success, the rules or the Sage tell you
what happens as a result. Similarly, if you fail, there
might also be a result. If you succeed on a roll to
attack a foe, your attack deals damage. If you
succeed on a roll to cast a spell on an enemy, you
might deal damage, apply an affliction, or
something else might happen. Similarly, if you fail a
roll, you might take damage, gain an affliction, or

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Luck Rolls traits, talents, magical effects, and equipment can
Not every situation can be resolved using an also raise or lower a creature's or object’s Defense.
attribute. Sometimes, it falls to pure chance to
determine what happens and what doesn’t. Do you Health
escape the worst of the fireball that detonates in your Health describes the overall durability and
midst? When you listen at a door, do you do so at resilience of a creature or object. Its Health score
exactly the right time to catch the speaker saying represents the maximum amount of damage the
something important? Can you survive one more creature or object can take before it dies or is
round even as you inch closer to death? These and destroyed.
other situations are resolved by making a luck roll. A harmful effect can cause you to lose Health,
Just like attribute rolls, you resolve a luck roll by which lowers your Health score by the indicated
rolling a d20, but, outside boons and banes, you amount. Since your damage total cannot exceed
don’t add any modifiers to the roll. A luck roll’s your Health, you ignore any damage in excess of
target number is always 10. your new Health score.
(Luck Ends): When an effect includes (luck ends), If you have a bonus to Health from an effect and
you roll luck when you finish your turn during the then would lose Health, you reduce your Health as
next round. On a success, you end the effect. On a normal. However, when the effect granting you a
failure, the effect continues and you can try again at bonus to Health ends, you reduce your Health score
the end of your next turn. Typically, (luck ends) by the amount of the bonus.
applies to ongoing, harmful effects such as having An effect might let you regain Health you have
caught fire or being magically restrained by a spell, lost. Simply add the amount regained to your
but it might allow you to regain resources you have Health score, up to your maximum.
expended as well. Say, for example, you have a Health 20, which is
your normal maximum, gained from your ancestry
Jeff Takes a Dart in the Face and path increases. You currently have a Health of
Jeff, a magician played by Bobby, walks down a passageway in a 16, after losing Health to venom. If you regain 6
tomb he and his friends are exploring in hopes of finding
Health, your Health score returns to 20 and the
treasure. Unfortunately, the Sage tells Bobby that Jeff stepped
on a pressure plate, which sends a dart flying at his face. The
excess amount of Health regained is lost.
Sage calls for a luck roll to see if Jeff had already moved out of You normally regain lost Health during
the dart’s path. Bobby rolls a d20. He’s looking for a 10 or downtime. See Chapter X for details.
higher, but he rolls a 4. Jeff gets hit with the dart and must also
contend with the poison smeared on its tip! Health Bonuses and Penalties
An effect might grant a temporary bonus or penalty
Traits and Talents to your Health score. Bonuses and penalties to
Health are cumulative and remain until their
The game delivers capabilities beyond the norm by
way of traits and talents. durations expire.
A trait is a capability granted by the nature of
your being. Having wings, for example, would grant Damage
you the ability to fly. For as long as you remain in Most harmful effects cause you to take damage
your form, you retain all of your traits. while some beneficial effects heal damage. When
A talent is something you learn how to do and you take damage, you add the amount of damage to
you retain the talent regardless of the form you have your damage total. When you heal damage, you
unless the form specifically disallows you from subtract the amount of damage from your damage
performing certain activities that the talent would total.
modify or otherwise affect.
Sources of Damage
Defense Most times, the source of damage has little effect on game
play. Taking damage from lightning has the same effect on you
All creatures and objects have a Defense score as taking damage from an arrow fired from a bow. Some
ranging from 0 to 25 that describes how difficult it is creatures have special traits that cause them to take less
to harm the creature or object with a weapon attack. damage or no damage from certain sources. Generally, the
source of the damage is obvious, but if not, it falls to the Sage
Typically, a creature's or object's Defense score to decide.
equals its Agility score. A number of factors,
however, can affect the score. The most common
improvement comes from wearing armor, but some
Damage Total
Your damage total starts at 0 and it cannot exceed
your current Health score. If you would take

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damage in excess of your Health score, you lose an
amount of Health equal to the amount by which the
damage first exceeded your Health score and then Benford’s Bad Day
reduce your damage total to equal your current Bendord, an acolyte played by Andrew, is having a bad day.
Health score. Benford has 14 Health, but his damage total just reached 14,
which caused poor Benford to become incapacitated. At the
end of the round (the upkeep), Andrew rolls luck for Benford
Gilda Takes Damage and gets a 7. Since Benford is level 1, he loses 2 Health for failing
Gilda, a gambler played by Chris, has 12 Health and 0 damage. A the luck roll. This drops his Health to 12 and his damage total to
barbarian whacks her with his weapon, causing her to take 6 12.
damage. Gilda’s damage total increases to 6 and her Health
No one could get to Benford before the end of the next
score stays the same. round, so Andrew rolls luck again and this time gets an 11, which
is a success. Benford heals 1 damage, so his Health is 12 and his
Gilda Becomes Incapacitated! damage total is now 11. Since his damage total is less than his
Unfortunately, another barbarian strikes her with his weapon Health, Benford is no longer incapacitated.
causing her to take 8 damage. Adding 8 to her damage total
brings it to 14, which is more than her Health score. Chris Damaging Creatures
subtracts the excess damage, 2 points, from Gilda’s Health and
Creatures take damage just as protagonists do, but
reduces her damage total to her new Health score so that Gilda
has 10 Health and 10 damage. She’s now incapacitated and in when their damage total reaches their Health, they
danger of dying if she takes another hard hit. usually die or are destroyed unless the Sage decides
that the creature heals 1 damage after a few minutes.
Injured You can also attempt to knock out a creature
You are injured if your damage total equals or without killing it provided you use appropriate
exceeds half your Health score. Typically, you suffer weapons or spells. Using blunted weapons instead
no effects from being injured, but certain talents, of edged or piercing weapons can result in knocking
spells, and other effects used against you might a creature unconscious, if desired.
interact with this state. For damaging objects, see page $@.

Incapacitated Harm
When your damage total reaches your Health score, The game uses harm as a shorthand for any effect that would
deal damage, cause you to lose Health, bestow an affliction, or
you become incapacitated. While you’re subject to any other harmful effect.
incapacitated, you are unconscious. If you take any
damage while incapacitated, you lose Health equal
to the damage you took and then reduce your Afflictions
damage total so that it equals your new Health Afflictions are traits gained as a result of, usually,
score. harmful effects. You either have an affliction or not.
During the upkeep phase, roll luck. On a success, If you have an affliction and you would gain that
you heal 1 damage. On a failure, you lose Health affliction again, you suffer the affliction’s effects just
equal to 1 + your level. You die if your Health score once, though both afflictions must be removed to
drops to 0. rid yourself of their effects. Sometimes an affliction
<INSERT ART #; BENFORD’S BAD DAY; comes with an additional effect that persists for as
1/4> long as the affliction persists. Once you remove the
affliction, you also remove any additional effects it
creates unless the affliction says otherwise.

Cursed
You make luck rolls with 1 bane.

[Attribute] Impaired
You make rolls using the specified attribute with 1
bane and you grant 1 boon on rolls against the
specified attribute.

Weakened
You make attribute rolls with 1 bane, and you grant 1
boon on rolls made against your Defense or any of
your attributes.

5
Immobilized Dismemberment
You cannot move by normal, nonmagical means. The sudden loss of a limb makes certain activities
You cannot walk, crawl, or run, for example. and forms of movement difficult, if not impossible.
Using prosthetics, such as those described in
Dazed Chapter @: Equipment, can mitigate the effects of
You cannot use reactions, and you grant 1 boon on dismemberment. The effects of limb loss ought to
rolls made against your Defense. be obvious, such that the loss of a leg makes it
difficult to stand up and the loss of a hand or arm
prevents the use of that limb for holding large
Stunned weapons.
You cannot use actions or reactions, and you grant 2
boons on rolls made against your Defense.
Fear
Foul demons from the Void, bloodthirsty fiends,
Unconscious undead, spirits, as well as horrifying places and
You cannot move, use actions or reactions, or receive situations all cause fear. Whenever you encounter
input from your senses. You make all attribute rolls something that causes fear, you must succeed on a
with 3 banes, and you grant 3 boons on rolls made Will roll or become frightened. You make the roll
against your Defense or any of your attributes. with 1 bane if you see two or more fearsome things.
While frightened, you make attribute and luck
Other Common Dangers rolls with 1 bane, grant 1 boon on rolls made against
In addition to afflictions, you might face any of the you, and you must succeed on a Will roll during
following other perils and effects. each upkeep or take 1d6 damage. The effect ends
during any upkeep in which you can no longer see
the source of your fear and you are at least two
Aging zones away from it. You can also end the effect by
Natural aging has no effect on your capabilities; you successfully performing the overcome activity.
can play a character of any age you like. Sudden,
rapid aging, however, causes you to become
weakened. The affliction persists until you return to Heat Exposure
your normal age or by using a downtime activity to Places of extreme heat can sap strength and vitality
become adjusted to your new, advanced age. from those in it. At the end of each hour that you
Immortal creatures such as faeries, fiends, and spend exposed to heat, you must succeed on a
spirits ignore the effects of aging. Strength roll or lose Health equal to half your level
(minimum 1). If the heat drops your Health to 5 or
lower, you fall prone and become weakened until
Cold Exposure your Health rises above 5. While weakened in this
Cold temperatures can kill when people lack way, you cannot stand up and can move only by
adequate protection. At the end of each hour that crawling.
you spend in extreme cold, you must succeed on a
Strength roll or lose Health equal to half your level
(minimum 1). If the cold drops your Health to 5 or
Mikal Goes Hungry
Alice plays a level 2 human adventurer named Mikal with 18
lower, you fall prone and become weakened until Health. In the adventure, Mikal was ambushed and robbed of
your Health rises above 5. While weakened in this his water and provisions. Left on his own to travel through a
way, you cannot stand up and can move only by barren landscape, he can’t find food or water, so at the end of
crawling. In addition, the Sage might deem frostbite the first day, Mikal’s Health drops to 16. At the end of the next
claims unprotected extremities—ears, nose, lips, day, Mikal’s Health drops to 12, dropping 2 from hunger and 2
fingers, and toes. from thirst.

Death Hunger and Thirst

You die when your Health score drops to 0. Unless Most living beings need food and water. If they go
the cause of death destroys your body, you fall prone without, they suffer hunger and thirst until they
and become an object with 20 Health. A tiny expire. Normally, provisions and waterskins can
creature becomes an object with 4 Health, while a keep these effects at bay, but if you run out of water
huge creature becomes an object with 100 Health. If or someone makes off with your food, you might be
your body was made of organic material, it in trouble.
gradually rots away, losing 1d6 Health every day Each day you go without drinking, you lose
until nothing remains. Health equal to your level (minimum 1). Every two
days you go without eating, you lose Health equal to

6
half your level (minimum 1). If your Health drops to Sleep
5 or lower, you fall prone and become weakened You are unconscious when you sleep. If a noise
until your Health score increases above 5. While sounds in your zone, roll luck. You automatically
weakened in this way, you cannot stand up and can succeed if the noise is equivalent to at least a shout.
move only by crawling. On a success, you waken and are no longer
unconscious. You automatically waken from sleep if
Infection you take any damage or lose Health.
Infection results from exposure to a virulent disease, You need sleep to refresh yourself. Unless your
parasites, a poison, or something else. Exposure ancestry says otherwise, you need at least six hours
might result from drinking contaminated water, of sleep every day. If you go a day without sleep, you
eating spoiled food, or being in proximity to become weakened until you do sleep. Every day you
someone suffering from a disease. If you’ve been go without sleep thereafter, you take damage equal
exposed to infection, note the exposure on your to your level (minimum 1).
character sheet. At end of the adventure or
downtime period, roll Strength. On a success, you Suffocation
shake off the effects of infection. On a failure, you You are subject to suffocation if you cannot breathe.
become infected and lose 2d6 Health. While subject to suffocation, you are weakened,
You are weakened for as long as you are infected. cannot talk, or perform activities that require
In addition, at the end of each period of downtime speech, such as casting spells. In addition, during
or adventure, you must succeed on a Strength roll or each upkeep you cannot breathe, take damage equal
lose 2d6 Health. If your Health drops to 10 or lower, to 1 + your level.
you fall prone and cannot stand up. You can move
only by crawling. If your Health drops to 5 or lower, <INSERT ART #; POSSESSION; 1/4>
you also become unconscious. If you succeed on
three Strength rolls, you overcome the infection.
Some forms of infection have additional or even
nastier effects as noted in their descriptions.

Possession
Some creatures can take possession of other
creatures and objects as noted in their descriptions.
A creature possessing an object perceives from
the object’s space and uses the object’s rules in place
of its own, except it retains its own Intellect and
Will. The object gains the animated object trait, if it
doesn’t have it already, and might have a natural
weapon depending on its construction.
A creature possessing another creature perceives
from the host’s space and uses the host’s rules in
place of its own, except for its Intellect and Will,
which it retains, and any spells it has learned.
Unless the source of the possession says otherwise, a
host remains aware of everything that happens to it
while possessed.

Sense Deprived
Some effects might cause you to lose access to your
senses. If you’re deafened, you can’t hear. If you’re
blinded, you can’t see. Lacking the sense makes it
impossible for you to perform activities entirely
dependent on the sense and might impose 1 or more
banes on rolls at the Sage’s discretion. Blindness, in
particular, makes it more difficult to strike foes. For
more information, see Combat.

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Transformation <INSERT ART #; RESTING; 1/2V>
Some effects can transform your body so that you
become someone or something else. Unless noted
otherwise, the following rules apply when you
transform.
Attributes: You use the Strength and Agility of
the new form, while retaining your Intellect and
Will.
Defense and Health: You use the Defense and
Health scores of the new form. You ignore any losses
to Health from your old form, but your damage total
remains unchanged.
Size: If the new form has the huge trait and you
did not, destroy any clothing you wore when you
transformed. If you were bound by ropes or
manacles, you shed them.
If the new form has the tiny trait and you did not,
all of your clothing falls to the around you.
Possessions: Anything you were holding in your
hands or that was strapped to your body falls to the
ground in your space.
Speech: If the new form would normally be
capable of speech, you can speak. If not, you cannot.

Stacking Effects
You can be affected by an effect from a particular
source just once. The effect persists until it ends. If
you would be affected by an effect again from the
same source, the original effect ends and the new
instance of the effect begins. For example, if
someone casts a spell on you to increase your
Strength for 1 hour, and, 30 minutes later, someone
else casts the same spell on you, the first instance of
the spell ends and new one begins, resetting the
duration to 1 hour.

Resting
You can rest if you are in a comfortable zone and
you perform no strenuous activities, which includes
as anything that requires the use of an action or
reaction. You can be moved while resting, such as in
the back of a wagon or in a travois pulled by a
companion. If you perform a strenuous activity
during a rest, the time spent resting is wasted and
you must start over from the beginning.
Each full hour you spend resting, you heal
damage equal to 1 + your level. Some other
resources might be regained from resting for a
particular period of time, such as 8 hours.
If a character rests when others in the group do
not, the other characters can perform other
activities such as cooking, exploring neighboring
zone, running errands in a community, using
talents, hunting, fishing, foraging, reading, and the
like.

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Time
Environments have features determined by
prevailing terrain, climate and weather, and hazards
Time passes at whatever rate the Sage deems one might encounter in them. Such features might
appropriate. A scene involving roleplaying could make travel more difficult, subject you to heat, cold,
play out at more or less the same rate as it does in and inclement weather, as well as fantastical
reality. A combat scene might move faster or slower, features created by the environment’s magical or
while the Sage might summarize a month of travel otherworldly nature. The Sage has rules for
in a few minutes of description. The rules often environment features.
reference durations measured in rounds, minutes,
and longer, so some ideas about how long such Travel
increments take in the game can be helpful. Travel occurs when you journey from one place to
another. You could travel from one place in an
Rounds environment to another in the same environment or
to a place more distant. Most times, the Sage
Combat tracks time in rounds, each being a period
of about 10 seconds. describes what happens before moving onto the
Effects with 1-round durations last until the same next adventure, but
point in which they were produced during the next There might be occasions when travel functions as
round. For example, say you take the initiative and part of the adventure, such as when you need to
produce an effect that lasts for one round, the effect reach a destination in a hurry, are being pursued by
persists until just before the enemies take their enemies, or, maybe, you strike out in a direction to
turns during the next round. Similarly, say you take see what’s out there. The following rules are
a turn after the enemies take their turns and designed to handle those circumstances.
produce an effect that lasts one round, then the
effect persists until after the enemies take their Destination
turns during the next round. The first step in traveling is deciding where you
want to go. Choose a destination. Sometimes a
Minutes journey’s destination doesn’t reveal itself right away;
you could just pick a direction and go until you find
Some effects last one minute. Typically, a minute something interesting or until you turn back the
covers enough time for a combat to begin and end. way you came. But, it’s usually a good idea to have a
If you cast a spell that lasts one minute, you can just sense of where you want to go before setting out.
assume it lasts until the combat ends or something A destination must be a place you know, shown
ends the effect of course. on a map, known to a guide, or that can be seen. For
example, you could travel toward a mountain you
Hours see in the distance, use a map to get to the spot
marked X, follow a guide through the Dark and
More powerful and important effects last one hour
Dreadful Forest until you come out the other side,
or longer. Generally, you use hours when resting,
or head back to the village you call home.
since you benefit from resting for each hour you
rest. If a rest does not interrupt game play, an hour
lasts long enough for you to play through about Preparation
three scenes, whether those scenes involve fighting, Travel can be dangerous and so the more
exploring, or interacting with other characters. The preparations you make, the better off you will be.
Sage might allow an effect to extend longer than You need food, water, and might consider tents and
three scenes or reduce the number of scenes if a bedrolls. You might also purchase steeds and a
substantial amount of time passes between them. wagon, hire a guide, find a map, and so on.
Provisions reduce or eliminate the need to spend

Environments time hunting and foraging, while steeds can speed

up the rate of travel, and wagons can carry
The world contains many different environments. additional supplies.
Each environment represents a specific region
unified by common features. Forests, hills, Milestones
mountains, cities and towns, lakes, and oceans all Most times, milestones stand between the starting
act as environments. Environments can be any size, point and the destination and travel requires
from an entire ocean or to a keep and surrounding reaching each milestone. Once you know the
town on the borderlands. destination, work with the Sage identify the
milestones between and arrange them in a

9
sequential list. When you reach a milestone, you milestone score, you cross off the milestone and any
cross it off the list. excess progress applies to the next milestone.

To the Tomb of the Mold King DICE FOR PROGRESS

Condition Dice
After discovering a map showing the way to a place called the
Cautious 2d6
Tomb of the Mold King, Dani and her friends decide to travel
Normal 3d6
there. The group starts their journey in Edgewood, a large town
Hurried 4d6
where they have spent the last few months. Looking at a map,
Steeds +1d6
they see their journey takes them through the farmland around
Paths +1d6/2
the town, across the Plains of Pendarm, and through the
Roads +1d6
Spotted Wood until they reach a nameless village marked on
Flying +1d6 for each point of flier trait of slowest flier
the map. From there, the group has to travel over the Broken
Boat 4d6
Hills and then down into the Fetid Wash, a vast marshland in
which the Tomb supposedly stands.
The Sage assembles a list of milestones as follows: Complications
You might run into one or more complications as
1. Farmland around Edgewood you travel. The Sage checks each die rolled for
2. Plains of Pendarm progress and if the number rolled is less than or
3. Spotted Wood equal to the environment’s threat, you suffer a
4. Nameless Village
5. Broken Hills
complication. The Sage determines the
6. Fetid Wash complications you face.
7. Tomb of the Mold King
Camping
Travel Days At the end of each travel day, you can make camp,
A journey unfolds over one or more travel days, during which time you and your fellows rest and
during which time you walk, ride, or fly toward the recuperate for as long as you wish.
milestones and, ultimately, your destination. At the
start of each day, you and your friends make a few Forced Marching
decisions. Use the following procedure to determine If you travel by any means other than by boat or
what happens during the travel day. flying, you can choose to force march. When you
force march, you push on through the night and
Choose your Pace starts another travel day, as described above. At the
Choose a pace: cautious, normal, or hurried. The end of this extra travel day, each traveler must
pace determines how many dice you roll to succeed on a Strength roll or lose Health equal to
determine progress. their level (minimum 1).

Perform Activities
Each member of the group chooses one of the
following activities. The activities chosen help
mitigate or overcome complications.
Lead: One character must be designated as the
leader for the day and all others follow.
Travel: The character focuses on walking, riding,
piloting, or flying, being watchful for hazards and
taking regular breaks to maintain energy levels.
Scout: The character ranges ahead to look for
trouble.
Forage: The character keeps an eye out for
berries, roots, water, and other nourishment,
harvesting along the way.
Map: The character keeps notes about the
landscape and helps the leader find their way.

Determine Progress
For each day you travel, you roll dice and add them
to the progress you have made so far. The number of
dice you roll depends on your pace and other
factors. When the total progress equals the

10
Zones Range and Distance
Distance can be expressed in real world terms of
Environments contain two or more zones. Each measurement or in abstract terms. Real world units
zone represents a specific place inside the of measurement help for describing things, but the
environment. Zones might describe a patch of field fluidity of the action make hard measurements
or a hilltop rising from a range of hills. They can impractical. Instead, when something is close
also represent locations inside buildings such as a enough for you to touch it, you can reach it or it is
regent’s throne room or the antechamber of a within your reach. When something’s out of your
haunted tomb. They make up spaces inside of reach, it’s sufficient to say that it’s somewhere in
vehicles and, sometimes, other creatures. A ship’s your zone. If it’s further away, you describe distance
hold might be a single zone, while the gullet of a as a number of zones. The bandit, for example,
deep worm contains several zones. stands in a thicket two zones away from your or the
Since zones represents places to explore, door is in your zone or you can reach the fallen
backdrops for roleplaying, and battlefields in which sword.
the characters fight, zones come in different shapes
and sizes. And while it’s rarely necessary to know a
zone’s exact dimensions, a typical zone can fit inside
Exploring Zones
a cube approximately 30 feet wide, 30 feet high, and The Sage reveals pertinent information about zones
30 feet long. Obviously, indoor zones can fit in terms you encounter. If you want more information about
of length and width but most have lower ceilings. In the zone, you need to explore it. This means you
outdoor environments, the zone extends up to the need to look around, listen, sniff the air, touch
30-foot limit into the air and then another zone things, and so on. The more you examine your
above it begins, extending 30 feet until it reaches the surroundings, the more information the Sage
next higher zone, and so on. reveals until there is either nothing more of interest
to be revealed or you stop exploring.

Adjacency and Borders <INSERT ART #; EXPLORATION; 1/4>

Adjacent zones share a common border with each
other. A border can be open, closed, or obstructed.
An open border allows free passage from the zone
into the adjacent zone. Open doors, gates, tunnels
and passages, or the absence of any interfering
obstacles make borders open.
A closed border indicates that it is not normally
possible to move across it into whatever happens to
be on the other side. A closed border could be a
natural stone wall, a brick wall, a tangle of trees, a
barrier made of magical force. There might be ways
to move across the closed border using magic or
tools, but unless some effort is made to pierce the
border, passage across it is not possible. For
example, a cave with a single entrance has walls
made from stone. Those walls count as closed
borders, while the entrance is an open border.
Finally, an obstructed border offers access to the
adjacent zone, but crossing the border requires
effort beyond simple movement. An obstructed
border might require an additional move, a
successful roll, or something else. Examples of
obstructed borders include partial walls, cliffs that
must be scaled, or a deep chasm that must be
leaped. Obstructed borders might count as being
open for targeting purposes depending on the
nature of the obstruction. A chasm would count as
being open, while a cliff wall would not.

11
Perception Obscurement
Perception describes the general use of your senses Fog, snow, heavy rain, smoke, gas, dust, and similar
to gain information. All creatures tend to have environmental effects provide obscurement, which
similar capabilities when it comes to perceiving reduces the intensity of light in the zone by one step.
their surroundings, though some might have keen When you reduce light’s intensity, bright light
eyesight, hearing, or some other sense to give them becomes dim light, dim light becomes faint light,
an advantage. Otherwise, though, everyone has the and faint light becomes darkness. Multiple
same chance to derive information about their zone instances of obscurement have a cumulative effect,
and zones beyond using their senses. such that two instances obscurement reduce the
brightness by two steps instead of one.
Listening For example, a torch normally emits dim light,
which is enough to illuminate the zone around it.
Distance from the source of a sound determines
Fog rolls in and creates obscurement in the zone.
whether or not you can hear it. You can hear a noise
While the fog lasts, the torch emits faint light while
as loud as a whisper from a source you can reach.
in the affected zone. Then, a spell sends shadows
You can hear a noise as loud as normal conversation
spooling into the zone, creating another instance of
from a source within an adjacent zone, and a sound
obscurement to block all light.
as loud as a shout from up to four zones away.
Obstacles reduce the range of you hearing such Invisibility
that for each one intervening, reduce the range by 1 Anything that cannot be seen is invisible. Darkness
zone. For example, you can’t, typically, hear a renders creatures and objects in a zone invisible,
whisper through a closed door, though you could while some spells can make a creature or object
hear conversation if it occurs on the other side of a invisible for a time.
door in your zone. For you to hear a shout through a Rolls made against creatures that cannot see the
closed door, the source would have to be within 3 source are made with 3 boons. Rolls made against
zones instead of the normal 4. creatures or objects that cannot be seen, but whose
When listening, the Sage might call for a luck roll position is generally known by other factors, are
to see if you happen to listen at the right time to made with 3 banes.
hear something interesting or useful. Invisible targets might still make sound, retain
their normal substance, weight, and texture.
Seeing Invisible targets displace water and vapor those
You need light to see. Light can be bright, dim, or capable of movement leave signs of their passage or
faint. If you have no light, you are blinded unless not as normal.
you have some means to see.
Hidden
Bright light originating from a point inside a zone
Anything you lack awareness of counts as being
illuminates the zone and each zone adjacent to it.
hidden from you. A secret door in a zone, a silent
Dim light illuminates only the zone in which it
foe hiding behind a column, or a pressure plate on
emanates.
the floor all count as being hidden. The state of
Faint light illuminates a 3-foot radius area
being hidden persists until the circumstances that
centered on the light source.
allow the thing to be hidden last. If you find the
Seeing Outdoors: A typical human in bright light
secret door or the pressure plate, they are no longer
can see out to a distance of about three miles,
hidden from you. If the enemy steps out from
though obstacles and atmospheric conditions can
behind the column or you move to a position where
reduce the range of this vision. At night, a full moon
you can see the enemy, the enemy stops being
allows sight out to half the normal range. Anything
hidden from you.
less than a full moon or a full moon with cloud
Once you have awareness of something, it cannot
cover reduces the range of vision to just the
normally be hidden from you unless the creature or
creature’s zone, as if that zone was dimly lit.
object moves to some place and you cannot or do
Seeing Light Sources: You can see a light source
not observe its movement. For example, a thief
from almost any distance provided you have an
might spring out of the darkness and attack you, but
unobstructed path to the light source. Also, you can
then sneak off to another pool of shadows and hide.
usually see the zone the light source illuminates.
You know the thief is somewhere nearby, but not
Special Senses: If a sense, such a night vision, lets
where, and thus the thief is hidden from you again.
you treat dim light as bright light, dim light, for you,
However, once you find the secret door, you
would illuminate its zone and each zone adjacent to
always know where to find that secret door provided
it.
the secret door doesn’t sprout legs and wander off.

12
 Typically, you cannot attack or otherwise target Sage reveals what you know. On a failure, you
creatures or objects hidden from you. cannot recall anything about the subject. You can,
For more information on hiding and finding, see however, try again if you perform the education
Hide and Find under the combat rules later in this downtime activity (see chapter @).
chapter.
Movement
Knowledge You can move by walking or running. Other modes
Knowledge encompasses what you know, what you of movement might be possible based on your
have learned, discovered, and can recall. Knowledge ancestry. When not in combat, you can move where
has four tiers: common, uncommon, rare, and you wish by whatever means are available to you. If
exotic. You are assumed to have common knowledge time or distance are important, you can walk about
about most topics and uncommon knowledge 30 feet per round or run 60 feet per round. This
related to your profession. means you can walk from one zone per round to
Common: Information universally known counts another or run from one zone to one within two
as common knowledge and includes such things zones of you.
that people need to know to get by, as well as Smaller and larger creatures might move a bit
recognizing ubiquitous symbols and icons for what slower and a bit faster, but the differences are
they are. Common knowledge lets you take care of modest enough to have no bearing on movement
yourself, find your way around the place where you rules.
live, and how to communicate with others. You can
recognize major religious symbols and understand Falls
the most basic elements of their doctrines, know A fall happens whenever you drop more than a
who’s in charge of your community, and attend to distance you can safely jump. When you land, you
the normal affairs related to keeping yourself alive. lose 1 Health for every foot you fell. You can roll
Uncommon: Knowledge that arises from basic luck, though and you lose half as much Health on a
training and education counts as uncommon success, or no Health if you roll a 20 or higher. If you
knowledge. If you are an artisan, the knowledge of roll a 0 or lower, you lose all your Health and die.
your tools and methods count as uncommon. If you fall onto a liquid surface, you ignore the
Uncommon knowledge related to religions might let first 30 feet when calculating how much Health you
you recall information about the tenets and beliefs lose from landing after the fall.
of the major religions as well as being able to
identify the symbols that belong to minor faiths. If <INSERT ART #; FALLS; 1/4>
you have uncommon knowledge about magic, you
can identify low-level spells and other magical
effects you see or study.
Rare: Expertise and specialization grant rare
knowledge. You might gain rare knowledge from
spending years studying and researching a
particular topic such as history, theology,
metaphysics, magic, alchemy, or some science. Rare
knowledge might arise from mastering your craft,
allowing you to produce wonders with your labors.
Exotic: Scant few have exotic knowledge for the
information this level of true mastery is often held
secret, known to just a handful of people in the
world. Often, exotic knowledge must be won,
discovered after undergoing difficult work, making
its acquisition a reward in its own right.

Knowledge Rolls
You either know something or you don’t, but, there
might be occasions when the certainty of your
knowledge is called into question given the subject
matter or some impairment. In these and similar
situations, the Sage might call for an Intellect roll,
imposing 1 or more banes based on the nature of the
information you hope to recall. On a success, the

13
Obstacles Riding
Obstacles might prevent you from walking or You can ride on any creature that is larger than you
running, which means you either have to move and is willing to bear you as a rider. The ridden
around them or try to overcome them by climbing creature becomes your mount. A trained steed
them, jumping over them, or swimming through moves as you direct it, while an independent mount
them. can move in whatever manner it wishes. In any
Climbing: You can climb about 15 feet per round event, you take full advantage of the mount’s
provided you climb a surface that offers you movement traits, if it has any.
handholds and footholds. Example surfaces include In combat, special rules apply. For more
ladder, walls studded with pitons, a knotted rope, or information, see Mounted Combat.
a steep staircase. For more difficult surfaces, you
might have to make a Strength roll with 1 or more Vehicles
banes as the Sage decides to see if you make A vehicle counts as small, mobile zones. Carts,
progress up, down, or across the surface. Climbing wagons, carriages, and boats have limited capacity
imposes 1 bane on rolls you make to perform for passengers and cargo. Other, larger vehicles
activities other than moving. might be large enough to encompass an entire zone
If you roll a 0 or lower on a roll made to climb, or multiple zones. You can move into or off of a
you slip and fall. If you are harmed while climbing, stationary vehicle and, once in, you can move
you must succeed on a Strength roll or fall. around inside it. If the vehicle is moving when you
Jumping: You can jump up 3 inches, jump across 3 attempt to enter or exit, the Sage might call for a
feet, or jump down and land safely 6 feet below. You Strength or Agility roll, with safe passage granted on
double this distance if you run before you jump. You a success or damage and a fall resulting from a
can jump greater distances with a successful failure.
Strength roll as the Sage decides. Driving and Piloting: A vehicle is either
Squeezing: You can move through a tight space controlled or uncontrolled. A controlled vehicle has
by squeezing. The space must be at least twice as someone in a position inside the vehicle where it
wide as the diameter of your head. While squeezing, can be driven or piloted. Controlling a vehicle
you move at half your normal speed and you cannot requires the use of an action and the vehicle moves
dodge. You might be able to squeeze through tighter as its driver or pilot directs it or the creatures
spaces with a successful Agility roll. responsible for drawing it. An uncontrolled vehicle
Swimming: You can swim in just about any is stationary or gradually becomes so eventually
liquid, though swimming in acid or toxic goo is when it encounters sufficient resistance to stop it.
never a good idea. You can swim about 40 feet per An uncontrolled cart might roll down a hill and
round. In rough conditions, you might have to roll come to a stop when it reaches the bottom or when
Strength with 1 bane or more. On a failure, you it slams into a wall.
make no progress and on a 0 or lower you sink Movement: A vehicle moves so long as it has
beneath the surface and face suffocation. something to move it, such as creatures to draw it,
winds to blow it, or fuel to power its motor. Once in
Flying motion, the vehicle might maintain its speed, slow
You can fly if you have the flier trait. Otherwise, you down, or speed up as decided by the creature or
can’t. For more information, see the flier trait and force controlling it.
flying in combat. Collisions: A collision occurs when a vehicle
would move into a creature or object. If the creature
Teleportation or object is smaller than the vehicle, the vehicle
Teleportation transports you, along with whatever slows down but continues moving. If the creature or
you are wearing and carrying, from one place to object is the same size or larger, the vehicle stops
another in an instant. When you appear in the new moving.
location, you do so in the same orientation and A collision deals damage to the vehicle, its
posture had when you left the previous position. So, occupants, and whatever it hit. The amount of
if you were prone, you remain prone after damage depends on a variety of factors that include,
teleportation. If an effect teleports multiple targets, but are not limited to, speed, weight, and size of the
each appear in the same positions they had relative vehicle. A collision deals 1d6 damage if moving
to each other before they moved. Finally, movement slowly, 2d6 if moving at a moderate speed, or 4d6 if
by teleportation does not trigger free attacks (see moving fast. The Sage can have the collision deal
page $#). extra damage in consideration of other factors such
as the vehicle’s composition, overall size, and what it
strikes. The vehicles occupants must roll luck,

14
taking half the damage on a failure, or no damage takes damage from a source that can harm it, reduce
on a success. The damage sources from being the object’s Health score by the amount of damage it
thrown about inside the vehicle. Other effects might has taken. An object reduced to 0 Health is
result as well—being thrown from the vehicle, destroyed, ruined and nonfunctional. Animated
falling prone inside or near it, or worse. objects, though, take damage as creatures do.
Objects might be vulnerable or immune to
Creatures certain sources of damage. A stone wall might be
scorched by fire, but take no real damage from it. A
During adventures, you are bound to encounter wooden wall, though, takes damage from the flames
other creatures, some of whom might be friendly and might catch fire. A glass window, being fragile,
and many who might be unfriendly or even hostile. takes double damage from heavy objects, whether
You might communicate with other creatures, either they’re made of wood, stone, or metal. A cloth object
to befriend them, get information from them, or takes no damage from a blunt weapon, but takes
drive them away, or you could fight them. double damage from an edged weapon.
Sometimes the choice of interaction is outside your In all cases, the Sage makes the final
hands. determination using common sense to determine
Guidelines for creatures and their rules can be the outcomes.
found in Chapter @: Bestiary. Breaking Objects: You can break an object
Creatures use most of the same rules as you do, without having to damage it, such as when you kick
down a door, put your fist through a pane of glass,
Objects or burst free from rope bonds. Breaking an object
Anything that’s not a creature counts as an object, requires a successful Strength roll. The material
whether it’s alive or not. This means rocks are from which the object is made might impose 1 or
objects and so are trees, swords, vines growing on a more banes or simply make the attempt impossible.
stone wall, and the molds staining the dungeon On a success, the object loses all its Health.
walls. Objects, unless they have the animated object Secured and Unsecured: A secured object
trait, take no actions and do not, usually, move. indicates it is held fast in some way, such as being
Objects capable of performing activities and moving bolted in place, tied down, or otherwise affixed to a
receive a set of rules using the format presented surface. An unsecured object has nothing to keep it
above for creatures. in place and can be picked up and moved.
Attributes: An object’s attributes reflect its Lifting, Shoving, and Dragging: You can lift,
capabilities. An object incapable of exerting force shove, or drag unsecured objects. As a general rule,
lacks a Strength score. An object incapable of a creature can lift a number of pounds equal to its
movement lacks an Agility score. Only rare objects Strength score times 10. If you have the huge trait,
have sentience and thus they lack Intellect and Will triple this weight. If you have the small trait, halve it.
scores. If an object has an attribute score, it can This said, rather than track specific weights of
perform activities related to it. Otherwise, the object thing, the game relies on common sense to
lacks the means to perform these activities. determine what can moved in these ways. You could
Defense: Unless the object has some means to push a wagon provided it has wheels, but if it
avoid harm, it has a Defense of 0. An object worn or doesn’t, it’s weight might mean you can’t budge it.
carried uses the Defense of whatever wears or Similarly, you might topple a statue, but you’re not
carries it. Vehicles with drivers or pilots grant the likely to be able to push a wall down without serious
objects they operate a Defense equal to half the help. If you attempt to lift, shove, or drag a heavy
driver or pilot’s Agility score. If an object can move object, the Sage call for a Strength roll to see if you
under its own volition, it has a Defense score equal can. The weight and bulk of the object might
to its Agility score. impose 1 or more banes, or just render the task
Health: An object has 20 Health. If it’s tiny, less impossible.
than half the size of a human or smaller, it has 10 Dropping Objects: When you drop an object
Health. If it’s huge, it has 80 Health or more. Objects made of some hard material, the object falls and it
might have traits to protect them from certain takes damage from landing and deals the same
damage sources, as described below. Also, objects damage to whatever it lands on. If an object would
might be divided into smaller parts whose fall on a creature, the creature can roll luck and, on
destruction does not, necessarily, indicate the a success, the creature moves out of the path of the
destruction of the entire object. Destroying a section falling object and takes no damage when it lands.
of wall, for example, does not topple the whole wall.
<INSERT ART #; OBJECTS; 1/4>
Objects that lack the animated object trait lose
Health instead of taking damage. When an object

15
Hazards find it when searching if there is some kind of
Zones might contain dangerous features called special camouflage that would prevent its detection
hazards. These features include obvious dangers by looking at it.
such as infestations of toxic mold, fire, caltrops Once found, a trap can usually be avoided. If not,
scattered on a floor, poison gas, and open pits. you can try to use tools to disarm it by making an
Intellect roll. You might have 1 or more banes for the
roll depending on the trap’s complexity.
Buried
You become buried when something covers you and
prevents you from moving, such as a cave-in or a
collapsing ceiling, but also when inhumed in the
Communication
You communicate with your fellow players and the
ground. If the falling debris creates a space large Sage, often out of the game, but also in the game
enough to contain you, you can freely move around
when you play your character. You can describe
in that space. Otherwise, you cannot move. what your character says if you prefer or you can
While buried, you cannot see anything outside of talk as your character, if you’re comfortable doing
the space in which you are trapped. Nothing from so. There’s no right way to roleplay your character.
outside your space can target any part of you that is Do what you feel is right for you.
covered in the debris. You can hear a shouting
creature in your zone, but hear nothing else outside
of the space in which you are trapped. You might be Disposition
subject to suffocation, at the Sage’s discretion. Creatures have dispositions toward other creatures,
You might be able to dig yourself free. Doing so being friendly, indifferent, or unfriendly. A creature
normally entails rolling Strength with 1 or more has good intentions for a creature to which it is
banes, with a success allowing you to make progress friendly, while an unfriendly creature does not and
toward escape. Depending on the degree of might be rude, hostile, or even aggressive.
coverage, you might escape after one success or Indifferent creatures lack strong feelings one way or
several successes. the other. Most people are indifferent to strangers,
friendly to their circle of friends and family, and
Fire unfriendly to those who seek them harm.
Fire deals 1d6 damage, once per round, to anything
that comes into contact with it. Flammable creatures Allies and Enemies
and objects might catch fire from exposure to fire The game uses allies and enemies to simplify
and, if so, take 1d6 damage during each upkeep until targeting in combat. Such terminology does not
the fire is extinguished. The creature can drop always match a creature’s disposition. You can be
prone and use an action to roll around to put out the unfriendly to an ally, for example. You might be
flames or another creature can use an action to friendly to an enemy that is being forced to fight you
smother or douse the flames. by a magical compulsion.
An ally includes anyone aiding you in a combat
Wind scene, while an enemy is anyone that opposes you
Wind describes any movement of air at a speed of 20 in a combat scene. Generally, when you attack a
miles per hour or faster. Each round the wind blows target, the target counts as your enemy, typically
through a zone, it extinguishes unprotected flames, until the combat ends. Creatures and animated
causes protected flames, such as those inside objects and the like not involved in the combat are
lanterns, to flicker and dance. Wind clears away neither allies nor enemies until they become
smoke, vapor, mist, and gas, and also kicks up dust, involved in the combat.
while scattering small, lightweight, and unsecured
objects. Wind imposes 3 banes on rolls made to
attack with ranged weapons. It also counts as an Languages
obstacle for the purpose of hearing. Communication between peoples requires having a
language shared in common. A great many
Traps languages exist in the New Land, with many more in
In addition to hazards, you might contend with the ruins of the Old Country and the Devastation.
traps. A trap is a hidden mechanical object designed Most civilizations use a particular language, either
to either alert someone or slow, hinder, or harm one that evolved naturally or that evolved from a
whatever triggers it. Finding a trap requires previous or neighboring civilization. Languages also
searching the zone that contains it. The Sage might include regional dialects, systems of codes, and
also require you to make a successful Intellect roll to other forms of communication. Far too many
languages exist in the known world to account for

16
them all. For a list of commonly used languages, see master. The language remains the primary tongue
below. of the faeries.
Common: The Common tongue originated with a Triton: The Triton language has no spoken form.
seafaring people and became an important tongue Instead, people versed in it make hand gestures that
for facilitating trade. It became the dominate match the signs of the written form. A complex
language in the Great Kingdom and it has spread to language with nearly 1,000 gestures and symbols,
the New Lands from the lips of the refugees pouring few outside of the tritons have been able to master
across the borderlands. it.
Old Tongue: The language of the Great Undertongue: The pictogrammatic language of
Kingdom, the Old Tongue traces its roots to a the ghouls sees little use outside of their
conquering people who swept into the continent subterranean communities. To those unfamiliar
from across the Endless Ocean to found the Great with the language, words and phrases all have an
Kingdom. It lost prominence with the rise of incomprehensible hissing sound. Ghouls often etch
Common, but remains widespread language in the pictograms into stone that can be read by feel.
ruins of that land.
High Archaic: Without the Church of the High Secret Languages
One, High Archaic would certainly have died out for Most secret languages belong to specialized
it is an ancient language rooted in the Holy Empire organizations and secret societies who prefer to
consumed by the Devastation long ago. The Church guard their communication. Other such languages
keeps the tongue alive in its liturgies. Outside of its have been guarded for being dangerous to learn,
role as a religious tongue, historians, mages, and either because speaking the words aloud can have
intellectuals study the language. Oddly, demons serious repercussions or because profane concepts
speak in High Archaic, if they bother to speak. can be communicated only in these tongues.
Native: People living in the New Lands have a Arcane: The principal language used for magic-
common tongue of their own, one known as Native. use, one often encounters it in magical tomes,
It is the tongue spoken by indigenous folk and it inscriptions, and other writings about magic. Magic-
competes with Common. users speak in Arcane when they cast spells. Arcane
Goblinese: A language foisted on the outcast qualifies as a secret language, despite the many
faeries by their master, the Goblin King, Goblinese people who know and use it, largely because the
uses the vocabulary, grammar, and scrip of Sylvan, knowledge of the language comes down from
but all jumbled up, with some words meaning teacher to student and the language belongs to no
entirely different things and script aways written in specific people or culture.
the passive tense.
Maridian: The musical tongue of the marids, the <INSERT ART #; COMMUNICATION; 1/4>
language belongs almost exclusive to this people.
That it shares no common vocabulary, grammar, or
alphabet reinforces this people’s alien nature.
Orcish: A dozen or more dialects of Orcish are
known, each particular to the tribe who uses them.
The language has an abrasive sound and the volume
at which it is spoken contributes to a word or
phrase’s meaning.
Runic: One of the oldest languages, it either
comes down to the present from early kingdoms of
the dwarfs, from the trolls, or some proto-society
that predates both. The language has a harsh sound
full of hard consonants and uses a blocky runic
script.
Sphinx: An ancient token spoken by the people of
the same name, its pictogrammatic writing appears
in old temples and other ruins. Few outside of the
sphinxes use this tongue.
Sylvan: The Sylvan tongue, sometimes called Fair
Speech or Elvish, originated with the faeries. Sylvan
has a musical sound and flowing script that lacks
punctuation, which makes it difficult for some to

17
 Druidic: An ancient society of thinkers, prophets, roll to see what happens. You typically roll Intellect
and oracles, the druids have manipulated the course against Intellect when you are trying to deceive,
of history since mankind first awakened. Druids use trick, or use logic to win over someone. You roll Will
their language for magic and to invoke favor from against Will when you use the force of your
the gods, but also to communicate the mysteries of personality to convince, gain trust, or threaten
their secret society. The druids consider the someone. The Sage might let you substitute
teaching of the language to outsiders to be a terrible Strength for Will if you are using brute force to back
betrayal and put to death any who reveals its secrets up your arguments or might have you roll against a
to an unauthorized student. different attribute when it makes sense. Boons and
Elemental: Knowledge of the Elemental tongue banes apply at the Sage’s discretion or from talents.
largely belongs to the alchemists who discovered it A successful roll usually means the target of your
after dealing with the elemental spirits from whom interaction behaves in the way you hoped. The
they sometimes learn secrets. Alchemists and others target trusts you, accepts your bribe, or gives you a
interested in the elemental magic guard this steep discount on an item or service. A failure
language as it’s believed to contain the secret names means you don’t get the outcome you desire. The
of things. target refuses to help you, doesn’t see you in a better
Finger-Talk: A sign language expressed by the light, or withholds information from you.
movements and positions of fingers, hands, and Sometimes an exceptional or a terrible result
arms, it was invented to help the mute might have additional effects. If you roll a 20 or
communicate, but others find it useful for higher when trying to intimidate a prisoner, the
communicating without drawing attention to character might reveal more information than you
themselves. were asking for. Or, if you roll a 0 or lower, your
Ranger Signs: Rangers, scouts, and other attempt to seduce the barman could make him
travelers through the wild devised a language of unfriendly.
signs and markings to communicate with other
travelers who come after them. Such signs indicate
danger, aid and comfort, different kinds of animals,
Contacts
and safe places to make camp. During your adventures and downtime periods you
Thieves’ Cant: The Thieves’ Guild developed this might make contacts of people, organizations, and
language as a means to speak freely about criminal institutions. A contact can provide assistance to you
activities without arousing suspicious. Effectively a in times of need. You could turn to a contact to loan
form of double-speak, speckled with lingo and you the coin you need to save a struggling business,
jargon, people who understand Common can to get you an audience with a local lord, or to
understand the words but not the meaning. Either provide you with room and board when you come
the phrase sounds like nonsense or it means to town. Once you make a contact, you retain it until
something other than what the speaker intends. you do something to break it such as by becoming
involved in a scandal, betraying a contact, or
exploiting the contact too much.
Pantomime The Sage might define the contact or solicit your
When you try to communicate with a creature help in building the contact’s identity.
incapable of understanding the language you use,
you might still be able to get the idea across. You
might use pantomime, drawings, or some other Contact Types and Benefits
method to communicate your ideas. Sometimes, Contacts have different functions and capabilities,
this might require the creature with whom you as shown below.
communicate to make an Intellect roll to get the gist Financial: A financial contact can give you a loan
of what you say, but simple concepts such as food, or help you pay off your debts.
water, danger, and can be readily communicable. Influence: An influence contact can make
introductions, open doors, and pressure people to
do what you want them to do.
Rolls in Social Situations Information: An information contact provides
If you try to convince someone to do something that you with information you need to complete an
they wouldn’t ordinarily do such as divulge a secret, activity.
give aid, betray a friend, accept a bribe, or Patron: A patron contact pays for you to have a
something else along those lines, the outcome of comfortable lifestyle.
your social interaction could become uncertain. As Professional: The contact has profession useful to
with any situation, when it’s not clear what happens you. This contact might share your profession, so
next, the rules or the Sage can call for an attribute you can work together to do something you

18
wouldn’t be able to do alone, or could belong to an
entirely different profession, thus opening up new
possibilities for yourself.
Combat
When you use violence to resolve conflict or
Resource: A resource contact provides you with a challenges, combat begins. Since the stakes are at
specific kind of resource. the highest, combat uses special rules to track time
Security: Security contact offers you protection and to make sure everyone has a chance to
from your enemies. participate. A combat lasts until one side defeats the
Other: The Sage might provide you with other other. The defeated side might succumb to their
kinds of contacts with specialized capabilities. injuries, surrender, or flee.

Nemeses
In addition to contacts, you might gain one or more Battlefield
nemeses, individuals who actively work against you. Combat takes place on a battlefield, which includes
A nemesis typically has a type of kinds normally all the zones in the scene leading up to the combat’s
associated with contacts, but uses its resources to start as well as other zones that might be revealed as
counter your contacts or make your tasks and the battle unfolds. The Sage determines starting
activities more difficult. The Sage has rules for using positions for all combatants based and notes any
nemeses in the game. pertinent features in the battlefield’s zones that
could play a part in determining the battle’s
<INSERT ART #; NEMESIS; 1/4> outcome.

Engagement
When two or more opponents can reach each other,
they count as being engaged or involved in an
engagement. Any creature that moves to reach an
engagement joins the engagement. A creature can
move out of an engagement, but risks provoking a
free attack.

Gregor Engages the Enemy

Greg’s character, Gregor, moves to engage the barbarian. The
two can now reach one another. They remain engaged until one
moves away or one becomes incapacitated. Later in the same
round, Christi’s character, Bogwon, moves into engagement
with these two and is considered engaged with Gregor and the
barbarian.

Rounds in Combat
Combat unfolds in rounds. Each round, everyone
involved in the combat takes a turn. Once each
combatant has taken a turn, the round ends and a
new one begins. The cycle continues until the
combat ends.

Turns
Each combatant takes a turn during the round. A
combatant can usually move and use an action to
perform an activity. You can move and then use an
action or use an action and then move. In addition,
you might act out of your turn by using a reaction to
do so. See Using Reactions, on a page $@@, for
more details.
Start of Turn and End of Turn: The start of your
turn occurs before you move and use an action,
while the end of your turn occurs after you move
and use an action. If multiple effects start or end

19
during the start or end of your turn, you choose the Walk
order in which they start or end. You walk to a spot in your zone or to a spot in an
adjacent zone. Typically, a walk lets you move from
Turn Order one side of a zone to another or, about 30 feet.
Combatants under the Sage’s control take their
turns first, acting in any order the Sage chooses. Run
Each combatant must complete its turn before You run to a spot in your zone or to a spot within
another can take its turn. two zones of you. Typically, a run lets you move
Once all combatants under the Sage’s control from one side of a zone to the far side of a zone
have taken their turns, the players can take their within two zones of you, or about 90 feet. If you run,
turns. The players decide the order in which they you make attribute rolls with 1 bane until the end of
act. If the players can’t decide who goes first, the your next turn, but you impose 1 bane on rolls made
Sage decides for them. to attack you for the same duration.
Taking the Initiative
If you’re aware of the enemies when a new round
Crawl
starts, you can choose to take the initiative and act If you are prone, you can crawl to a different spot in
before your enemies do. To take the initiative, you your zone. If you crawl again, you can crawl into an
must give up a move or an action. If you and other adjacent zone. You can typically crawl about half the
allies all take the initiative, you decide among length of a zone, which is about 15 feet.
yourself who goes first.
Sneak
The Upkeep When you sneak, you walk or crawl in a way that
The upkeep marks the end of one round and the makes little sound. You can sneak about halfway
beginning of the next, but it’s also when combatants across your current zone or a quarter this distance if
refresh their resources and when ongoing effects are you’re crawling. If you sneak again, you can sneak
resolved. The following events typically occur into an adjacent zone.
during the upkeep. Loud Surfaces: The surfaces across which you
would sneak might make noise (some surfaces also
count as noisy if you wear “loud” armor). Broken
• Any ongoing effects resolved during the
glass, gravel, twigs, leaves, and the like all make
upkeep are resolved in any order the Sage
noise when you step on them. If you attempt to
chooses.
sneak across such a surface, you must roll Agility.
• Each combatant replenishes resources that On a success, you reduce the sound of your
return during the upkeep. movement to a whisper.
• Effects that normally end during the
upkeep end.
Stand Up
You stand up from a prone position and can move to
Companions in Combat a different spot in your zone.
In combat, companions count as a player for the purposes of
when they take their turns. You can order a companion to take
the initiative or not, but regardless of at what point the Fly
companion takes a turn, it does so last, after all of the other If you have the flier trait, you can move by flying a
player characters have taken their turns. If there are multiple number of zones indicated by the trait. While flying,
companions, they take their turns in whatever order the players
choose.
you must use a move each round or you fall. When
Typically, companions can make use of the move options and you use a move, you can either fly in place or move
activities described here. The Sage might disallow certain of in a direction of your choice.
them though based on common sense. A steed isn’t likely to If you fall prone while flying, you immediately
scale a sheer surface, while mindless undead are unlikely to fall one zone and might fall further. If you don’t hit a
help, stabilize, or perform other complex activities. solid surface, you roll luck provided you are not
immobilized, stunned, or unconscious. On a
Moves success, you right yourself from prone and can
continue flying from there. On a failure, you fall
When you move on your turn, you can choose one
another zone. Repeat this process until you land,
of the following ways to move. Other options for
movement might be available to you from talents, and suffer the consequences of the fall, or succeed
spells, and other effects. on a luck roll.

20
Mount or Dismount <INSERT ART #; COMBAT; 1/2H>
You can move onto the back (or elsewhere) of a
friendly steed or off it. You can combine mount with
a run, but you move half as far as you normally can
before mounting.

Movement Complications
Several complications might restrict your
movement.

Being Moved
An effect that would move you moves you in the
direction and distance indicated until you
encounter an obstacle that would prevent you from
movement. If being moved would move you into
peril, such as over the edge of a cliff or into a fire,
you can roll luck and, on a successful roll, you fall
prone at the edge of the danger.
Being moved does not trigger free attack.

Challenging Terrain
Challenging terrain slows movement and might
include rubble, ice, grease, and other hazards. You
cannot run or retreat while on challenging terrain.
If you move onto an area of challenging terrain, you
stop moving. When you can move again, you can
move across or off the challenging terrain. In
addition, some forms of challenging terrain require
you to make an attribute roll and failure typically
indicates that you fall prone.

Squeezing in Combat
If you move into a tight place, you stop moving. You
can use a move to squeeze through the tight place or
leave it. While in a tight place, you make Agility rolls
with 1 bane.

Special Forms of Movement

You can also climb, jump, swim, ride a steed, or
drive a vehicle. Sometimes you’ll use these special
forms of movement as part of other movement. For
example, you might walk up a wall and start
climbing or leap over a hazard while running.

Use an Action
You use an action to perform one activity. An activity
could be making an attack, casting a spell, helping
an ally perform an activity, and so on. The most
common activities are presented here.

21
ATTACK Special If you’re hidden in a hiding place and move to a
Effect You use a weapon, a natural weapon, or an different one, you can remain hidden provided no one
unarmed strike against a target. See Making Attacks, is observing you when you move. If potential observers
below, for more information. are not looking your way when you move, you might
have to sneak from one hiding place to another.
CAST A SPELL
Effect You cast a spell you have learned, that you read
from an inscription, or from an object that contains the Hiding Examples
spell. For the spell to take effect, you must speak, Many talents, spells, and other effects depend on being hidden
gesture, and expend the casting. You then resolve the and interact with the rules for hiding, sneaking, and the like.
spell’s effects as explained in its description. Simply Here are some examples to help you put these rules into
practice.
follow the instructions. If you would target something
Example 1: Chris’s character, Boris, sneaks down a
other than yourself with a spell, refer to the targeting
passageway and comes to an open door. From the opening,
rules described under Attacking.
Boris hears several raised voices. The Sage rules that Boris is
For more information about casting spells from
hidden from the guards since Boris has a hiding place (the
inscriptions, see Casting Spells below.
corridor) and the voices’ owners are not aware of him (their
own conversation is louder than Boris’s sneaking footsteps).
DEFEND Example 2: Boris darts across the open door to move to a
Effect Until the start of your next turn, you impose 2 different hiding place, one that happens to be on the other side
banes on rolls made against you, but you make rolls of the door. Since Boris is moving from one hiding place to
against other creatures with 2 banes. If you become another and no one is observing him, he could reach the new
dazed, stunned, or unconscious, this effect ends. place without trouble. However, the Sage decides one of the
guards (a speaker) happens to be facing the open door, and so
DISARM calls for Chris to roll luck. Chris gets a success and the guard
Requirement You must be wielding a melee weapon. looks away just as Chris sneaks past the open door.
Target One creature in reach Example 3: Later, Boris’s companions get into a fight with
Roll Strength or Agility with 1 bane against Defense the guards. At the start of combat, Boris is hidden from the
Success The target drops one object it holds in its hands. enemies and so, when he takes his turn, he springs out of hiding
and attacks. The next round, the surviving guards are aware of
20+ If you have a hand free, you can snatch the object
Boris, so Boris cannot hide from them until he moves
out of the air.
somewhere that they cannot see him and then sneaks off so
Failure You grant the target 1 boon on rolls made against
that can no longer observe him.
you until the start of your next turn.

FIND HINDER
Target One creature in your zone
Target Your zone
Effect You impose 1 bane on the next attribute roll made
Effect You search the target zone for a hidden creature,
by the target before the start of your next turn.
object, or some other feature. If it’s there, you find it.

HELP INTERACT
Target One creature in reach
Target One creature in your zone
Effect You interact with the target—you pick something
Effect You grant the target 1 boon on the next attribute it
off the ground, kick in a locked door, light a torch, or
makes before the start of your next turn.
open a lock. The Sage determines if an attribute roll is
required.
HIDE
Requirement You must have a hiding place, which can be OVERCOME
any space where others cannot perceive you such as
Requirement You must be frightened, have an affliction
under a bed, inside a wardrobe, or behind a boulder.
other than the cursed affliction, or be suffering some
Effect You become hidden from creatures not observing
ongoing effect.
you. A creature that watches, hears, or is otherwise
Roll Attribute determined by the Sage. Guidance for
aware of you counts as observing you. A creature that
which attribute might apply follow.
has no idea you are present in a zone, even its own
zone, or suspects you might be but has no evidence
• Roll Strength to remove the immobilized affliction from
from its senses to confirm or deny this doesn’t count as
yourself or to fight against toxins coursing through your
observing you.
body.
Nothing from which you are hidden can target you
• Roll Agility to put out flames, wriggle free from
with attacks, spells, or other effects. You also count as
bindings, or regain your feet.
being invisible for the purpose of attacking a target
• Roll Intellect to see through illusions, to free your mind
from which you are hidden.
from delusions or false emotions, and anything else
If the hiding place can no longer hide your or you do
that could be overcome using logic and reason.
something to reveal your position such as by making a
• Roll Will to stop being frightened, to break another’s
loud noise or attacking, the effect ends in regard to
control over you, and overcome any other effect using
creatures who observe you.
sheer willpower.

22
 enemy into attacking you or issue a nasty threat to
Success You stop being frightened, remove the affliction, demoralize your foes or yank down a tapestry to cover
or end the effect. your opponents. It falls to the Sage to interpret how to
resolve these activities, but they involve, typically,
PREPARE making an attribute roll or enabling targets to make an
Effect You wait for the right moment to act. Choose one attribute or luck roll.
activity you would normally use an action to perform,
such as attack or defend and then describe what event
has to occur for you to undertake it. If the triggering Minor Activities
event occurs before you take your next turn, you use a Activities that use an action require significant effort
reaction to perform the activity. You make any roll and attention, which is why they take up most of
required by the triggered activity with 1 boon. your turn. Some activities you perform take a mere
fraction of the effort. Some examples include
RETREAT dropping something you hold in your hands,
Requirement You must be engaged with at least one drawing a weapon from a scabbard, opening an
enemy. unlocked door, and so on.
Effect You end engagement with all enemies and move a Generally, you can perform two minor activities
few feet away from them.
on your turn per round, or one if you take the
initiative. If you attempt to perform multiple minor
RUSH activities, the Sage might require you to use an
Effect You can move one additional time.
action to perform them all.
STABILIZE You can perform a minor activity at any point
Target One incapacitated creature in reach during your turn.
Effect The target heals 1 damage.

STEAL
Using Reactions
Requirement You must have one hand free
You can use a reaction once each round to perform
Target One object you can see carried by a creature in one of the following special activities. Each activity
reach and that is not carried in the creature’s hands includes a trigger, which describes the event that
Roll Agility against Agility; if you are hidden from the has to occur in order to use the reaction. In addition
target, you make the roll with 1 boon to the options presented below, you might use
Success You take the target object. talents and cast spells using reactions as noted in
their descriptions.
THROW Unless the trigger says otherwise, you resolve the
Requirement You must be holding something in one use of the reaction before any dice are rolled.
hand or both hands
Target One creature, object, or space in an adjacent or
closer zone DODGE
Effect You throw the object you are holding. If you are Trigger You would make an Agility roll to avoid an effect
throwing a weapon, resolve this activity as if you were or mitigate a harmful effect.
making a ranged attack. Effect You make the roll with 1 boon.
Roll Strength against Agility
Success The thrown object hits the target, with the effects DROP PRONE
determined by the object thrown. For acid, oil, and Trigger At any time.
similar objects, see their descriptions in Chapter @: Effect You fall to the surface below you. Until you stand
Equipment. up, you impose 1 bane on rolls made to attack you with
Failure The object misses and lands 1d6 feet away from ranged weapons and grant 1 boon on rolls made to
the target—behind it if you rolled an even number, or attack you using melee weapons.
in front of the target if you rolled an odd number.
WITHSTAND
USE AN ITEM Trigger You would make a Strength roll to avoid an effect
Effect You use an item that you wield such as a gadget, or mitigate a harmful effect.
trinket, or piece of gear. The item tells you what Effect You make the roll with 1 boon.
happens as a result. Some items can be used without
having to use an action—a use might count as a minor FREE ATTACK
activity, for example. Requirement You must be wielding as melee weapon.
Trigger An effect instructs you to make a free attack, an
DO SOMETHING ELSE enemy leaves your engagement without first retreating,
Effect The activities described above represent the most and enemy you have engaged makes a ranged attack or
common performed in combat, but they are not casts a spell.
exhaustive. You might, for example, attempt to taunt an Target The triggering enemy

23
Roll Strength against Defense Attacking with Two Weapons
Success The target takes 1d6 damage. Many weapons that you can wield in your off-hand
let you attack with them by spending one or more
Making Attacks Attack Dice.
You make an attack whenever you would physically
harm a creature or object. Normally, you use a Attack Maneuvers
weapon to attack, but you might also use a natural Attack maneuvers offer ways to produce effects
weapon if you have one, an unarmed attack, or an beyond damage. You might lunge at a foe out of
object you hold in your hands. An attack made in a your reach or strike the foe to send it sprawling.
round represents you best chance to land a telling Whenever you make an attack, you can choose to
blow against the target you choose. perform a maneuver by spending Attack Dice as
noted in the maneuver’s description. You can
Weapon Attacks perform just one maneuver per attack.
If you hold a weapon in your hand or hands, you
can attack with it. The weapon entries in Chapter @: DRIVING ATTACK
Equipment tell you how to resolve attacks using Effect Spend 1 Attack Die and make a melee attack or
unarmed attack. On a success, you move the target to a
weapons, but they all use the following format. different place in your zone and you can move with it to
stay engaged. A huge target is only affected by this trait
WEAPON MELEE OR RANGED if you also have the huge trait.
Property, Property
Requirement Any requirement for wielding the weapon. FAR ATTACK
If the weapon lacks a requirement, this entry is absent.
Effect Spend 1 Attack Die to increase the range of your
Special Any special rules related to using the weapon. If ranged weapon by two until the upkeep.
the weapon lacks any special rules, this entry is absent.
Target What you can target with your attack.
Roll The attribute you use for your roll and the target GUARDED ATTACK
number you roll against, such as Strength against Effect Spend 1 Attack Die and make a melee attack or an
Defense. unarmed attack. Until the start of your next turn, you
Success What happens when you succeed on the roll. impose 1 bane on rolls made by the target to attack you.
20+ If the total of your roll is 20 or higher and succeed, If you are wielding a shield, the number of banes
you attack might have an additional effect. If not, this increase to 2. This effect ends immediately if you
entry is absent. become dazed, stunned, or unconscious.
Failure What happens when you fail the roll. If nothing
happens, this entry is absent. HIT AND RUN ATTACK
Effect Spend 1 Attack Dice and make a melee attack,
Attack Dice ranged attack, or unarmed attack. After the attack, you
As you play the game, you gain additional Attack gain a move, which you must use immediately or it’s
Dice. You spend Attack Dice to improve attacks, lost.
either by making use of options available in the
weapon or from using attack maneuvers. You spend LUNGING ATTACK
Attack Dice in the following sequence for each Effect Spend 1 Attack Die and make a melee attack
attack you make. Once you spend Attack Dice, you against one target in your zone that’s outside your
cannot spend them again until after the upkeep. reach. The target does not become engaged with you.

1. To perform an attack maneuver. UNBALANCING ATTACK

2. To perform a special feature with the weapon. Effect Spend 1 Attack Die and make a melee or unarmed
3, To choose additional targets, as noted in the attack. On a success, the target must succeed on an
weapon’s description. Agility roll or fall prone. A huge target is immune to
this effect unless you have the huge trait.
4. To deal extra damage on a successful roll.

Echo Swings a Sword Natural Weapons

Justin plays Echo, a 2nd-level human fighter with 2 Attack Dice. Some ancestries grant natural weapons, such as
Justin takes his turn and uses an action to make a melee attack claws and teeth. A natural weapon is part of your
using his sword against the bandit he’s fighting. He succeeds on body and thus you count as being always armed.
the roll and he spends Attack Dice to deal 1d6 extra damage per The natural weapons granted by a talent include all
Attack Die spent for a total of 2d6 extra damage. the rules for using it.

24
Unarmed Attacks target, or until you become dazed, stunned, or
unconscious. In addition, apply one of the following
If you lack weapons, you can always attempt an effects to the target:
unarmed attack to punch, elbow, kick, or headbutt a
target. Common unarmed attacks follow. • The target takes damage equal to your Strength
modifier (minimum 1).
UNARMED STRIKE MELEE • The target becomes weakened until the end of your
Requirement You must have at least one hand free. next turn.
Special You can use a reaction and spend 1 Attack Die to
make an unarmed strike punch attack on your turn.
Target One creature or object in reach. Unarmed Attacks against Objects
Roll Strength against Defense Some objects might be immune to unarmed attacks at the
Success The target takes damage equal to your Strength Sage’s discretion. Shoving a secured column likely has no effect
modifier (minimum 1). and punching an iron wall is not going to do anything more than
hurt yourself. The Sage might disallow unarmed attacks against
objects and animated objects or impose 1 bane or more on rolls
SHOVE MELEE made against them. Furthermore, such attacks could have
Target One creature or unsecured object in reach harmful consequences for the attacker.
Roll Strength against Agility; you make the roll with 1
bane if the target is huge and you are not or if you are
tiny and the target is not; if you ran before you make a
Attack Modifiers
tackle, you make the roll with 1 boon. Attack modifiers reflect the various circumstances
Success You push the target out of reach. that make attacking harder or easier. The Sage
20+ The target falls prone. might also grant boons and impose banes
depending on other circumstances.
TACKLE MELEE
Requirement You must have both hands free. Surrounded Target
Target One creature or unsecured object When you attack a target engaged with two or more
Roll Strength against Strength; you make the roll with 1 enemies and that has no allies in its reach, you make
bane if the target is huge and you are not or if you are the roll against the target with 1 boon.
tiny and the target is not; if you ran before you make a
tackle, you make the roll with 1 boon.
Success You and the target fall prone. High Ground
Failure You fall prone. You make a roll to attack an enemy with a melee
weapon with 1 boon when you attack from above,
GRAB MELEE such as from the back of a steed or on a higher step
Requirement You must have a hand free. of a staircase.
Target One creature or object in reach.
Roll Strength against Agility; if you already have a target Poor Visual Conditions
immobilized, you succeed automatically. Falling rain and snow, smoke, and other
Success If you are huge or the target is not huge, the target atmospheric conditions impose 1 or more banes on
becomes immobilized until the end of your next turn. rolls made against targets you can see.
Otherwise, when the target moves, you can choose to
move with it or end the effect. The effect also ends if
you can no longer reach the target, or you become Invisible Targets
dazed, stunned, or unconscious. If you can’t see the target, but have a general idea
about the target’s location, you make the roll with 3
DRAG MELEE banes.
Target One creature or object you have grabbed (see
Grab). Covered Targets
Roll Strength against Strength; you make the roll with 1 A target positioned behind an obstacle imposes 1
bane against a huge target if you are not huge. bane on rolls made against its Defense and Agility,
Success You and the target move to any space within one and makes Agility rolls to avoid harmful effects with
zone. 1 boon.
If a target is fully behind an obstacle, you cannot
WRESTLE MELEE target it with an attack or an effect unless the effect
Target One creature you have grabbed (see Grab). says otherwise. Instead, attacks made against the
Roll Strength or Agility against the higher of Strength or target strike the obstacle. If the covering object is
Agility; you make the roll with 1 bane against a huge destroyed by damage, any excess damage applies to
target if you are not huge.
whatever is behind and in reach of it. For example,
Success The target becomes immobilized until the end of
your next turn or until you can no longer reach the you fire a crossbow at a curtain behind which you
rightly suspect hides an assassin. If the damage

25
from your attack punches through the curtain and Special If you attack, you can spend 1 Attack Dice and use
he excess damage then applies to the assassin. a reaction to attack with this weapon at any point
before the end of your turn.
Target One creature or object in reach
Friendly Fire Roll Strength against Defense
When you make a ranged attack against a target Success 1d6 damage plus 1d6 damage per 2 Attack Dice
engaged with one or more of your allies, you risk you spend.
striking an unintended target. For each ally engaged
with the target, you make the roll with 1 bane. If you Prone and Falls: If an effect would knock you
fail the roll and the total of your roll is 0 or lower, prone while you ride a mount, roll luck. On a
you strike an ally of the Sage’s choice instead. success, you fall of the mount and land prone in an
empty spaced designated by the effect or within
Called Sh0ts reach of your mount if no space has been
When you would strike a target, you can aim for a designated. On a failure, you and your mount fall
particular part of the target’s body. Doing so prone and you must succeed on an Agility roll or the
imposes 1 bane on your roll, but if you succeed, the mount falls on you, which causes you to take 2d6
target becomes impaired until you take your next damage and become immobilized by the mount’s
turn. The attribute impaired depends on the strike. body until it stands up or is moved off you. You can
If you aim for a vital organ, the target might become attempt to pull yourself or wriggle free with a
Strength impaired. If you aim for the head, the successful Strength or Agility roll made with 1 bane.
target could be Intellect impaired.

Improvised Weapons Casting Spells

If you’re holding an object made of some hard or You can cast any spell you have learned or in written
sharp material such as a frying pan or a broken form as an inscription once and then the spell is
bottle, you can attack with the object as if it were a lost. You replenish castings of spells you have
weapon, but you make the roll to attack with 1 bane learned when you finish an 8-hour rest.
and if the total of your roll is less than 0 or greater
than 19, the object breaks. A success with an attack NAME LEVEL #
made using an improvised weapon deals 1d6 This entry tells you the name by which the spell is
damage. commonly known and its level.

Special A description of special information related to the

Mounted Combat spell.
You can ride any creature that has the mount trait
and that is willing to bear you as a rider. If you The special entry describes any rules particular to
would ride a different creature, see the grab rules. In the spell.
combat, riding a mount uses the following special Extra Castings: Some spells grant you additional
rules. castings or, even, unlimited castings. For spells that
Defense: You use the lower of your Defense score have unlimited castings, you can cast them over and
and that of your mount. over, but, if an effect would have you expend a
Health: Add half the mount’s Health as a bonus to casting, you can expend a casting of this spell, but
your Health. If you become incapacitated while on you then cannot cast this spell again until you
the mount, you fall off the mount. When you stop normally regain expended castings.
being mounted, divided the damage total and Requirements Some spells have requirements for
Health loss between you and the mount. you to cast them. You must meet all the
Attributes: When you would make an attribute requirements in order to spend the casting. If not,
roll, you use the higher score between you and your this entry is absent.
mount. Similarly, when an enemy rolls against one Reactions Some spells let you use a reaction to
of your attribute scores, you use the higher of your cast them under specific conditions. If not, this
and your mount’s scores. entry is absent.
Mount Traits: You benefit from any traits the
mount possesses. Target What the spell can affect.
Mount Weapons: Creatures with the mount trait This line tells you what the spell targets, such as one
also grant you access to the mount’s weapons, which creature you can reach, one zone, or one space of
use the following rules regardless of the mount. certain dimensions in your zone. Unless the spell
says otherwise, you must be able to see a target and
MOUNT WEAPON MELEE be able to draw a line between yourself and it. In
other words, you need an unobstructed path

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between you and the target. Spells tend not to move effect and the target and then only if you are rolling
around corners and other obstacles unless the effect against a target’s Defense or Agility.
says otherwise
If the spell would affect only you, the range line is Success What happens on a success
absent. This line tells you what happens on a success. If the
# Creatures and/or Objects: The spell targets up spell does not require a roll, this line is absent.
to the listed number of creatures, objects, or For spells that deal damage, you roll the damage
creatures and objects. You can always choose fewer separately for each target. If the damage source
targets than the spell allows. Also, if a spell would becomes important, such as cold or fire or thunder,
target a creature and you are a creature, you can you can derive the source of the damage from the
target yourself with the spell. spell description.
A spell might specify allies or enemies, in which Nested Durations: Sometimes, an effect created
case the spell can affect only your allies or your by a success or failure lasts for a period of time.
enemies. You count as your own ally. Such durations follow the normal rules concerning
Spaces: The spell targets a space inside a zone. durations.
The spell effect always conforms to the available
space. For example, if you cast a spell that would 20+ What happens if the total of your roll is 20 or
affect a 20-foot-wide area in a 7-foot-wide corridor, higher
the area affected is just as wide as the corridor and Some spells have additional results when the total
no wider. of your roll is 20 or higher. If not, this line is absent.
Zones: The spell targets one or more zones. If the
target line instructs you to choose contiguous zones, Failure What happens on a failure
each target zone must share a border with at least Some spells have an effect, even on a failure. If not,
one other target zone. this line is absent.

Effect A description of what happens when you cast the Level-Based Improvements
spell. Level 1/2, 1, 2, and 3 have improved effects when you
The effect entry tells you what happens when you reach levels 3, 5, 7, and 9 respectively. These
cast it. improved effects might grant additional castings,
Effect Description The effect tells you what increase damage, range, or do something else. Once
happens when you successfully cast the spell and you reach the indicated level, you benefit from the
then proceeds to give you any additional improvement from that point forward.
instructions for resolving its effects.
The effect has a duration, which is how long the
spell lasts. A spell might last until the start or end of Combat Developments
your next turn, 1 minute, 1 hour, or longer. Many Although many combats take place in stable
spells are instantaneous, in that they end once you environments between you and your foes, situations
resolve their effects, while some spells might have might arise that can tip the scales in your favor or
permanent effects. Finally, many spells have against you.
durations expressed as (luck ends). See page $# for
details how this works. Zone Features
Rolls: Some spells allow targets to mitigate their Many zones include features with which you can
effects with a successful rolls as noted in their interact. Doors can be opened and closed, tables
descriptions. flipped to provide cover, and curtains can be pulled
down to briefly tangle up enemies. Using zone
Roll Attribute against Defense/Attribute features in creative ways can give you and your
Some spells require you to make an attribute roll to friends an edge against difficult opponents.
determine the spell’s effect. If so, the spell lists the
attribute you use for the roll and the attribute whose Hidden Features
score you roll against to succeed. If not, this line is
As mentioned previously, many zones have hidden
absent.
features that must be discovered by searching or
Sometimes, the roll line includes additional
stumbling across them. A hidden door could
information, such as granting 1 or more boons on
provide you with an escape route from an
the roll.
unwinnable fight, while stepping on a pressure plate
If a spell has multiple targets and calls for a roll,
might send a barrage of arrows through the room, a
you make the roll for each target separately.
pit to open under you, or an alarm to sound that
Cover: Cover applies when an obstacle partly
alerts other nearby foes. Hidden features that rely
blocks the path between the source of the spell

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on being triggered take effect immediately when nothing happens if more than half fail. During the
triggered and, if they have ongoing effects, they are chase, individual pursuers might split off to chase
resolved at the upkeep. creatures that have gone off in a different direction,
in which case the Sage treats these as separate
Changing Circumstances chases. Finally, the pursuers can also take other
A fiery blast might dispatch a band of goblins, but it actions—attacking, casting a spell, or something
could also set fire to everything in the room. else, but this usually means the creature falls
Booming thunder might cause an unstable ceiling behind.
to start falling in and shattering a wall with
tremendous force could cause it to crumble and Chase Complications
release the waters it held back. Sometimes your The chase takes the pursued and the pursuers
activities can have unexpected consequences that through zones, which might introduce
might aid you or make things worse. complications as the fleeing creatures might
scramble over rubble, leap over pits, or lead the
Reinforcements pursuers into dangerous places. Some challenges
might require an attribute or a luck roll to continue
The sounds of combat might draw reinforcements
to give chase at the Sage’s discretion.
or other enemies into the battle, causing more foes
to appear during the upkeep. The Sage places new
combatants on the revealed zone from the greatest
Extended Chases
concentration of combatants in the direction from If a chase goes on for one minute or longer,
which they come. participants must roll Strength during the upkeep.
On a failure, the participant becomes Strength
impaired until the chase ends.
Chases
You or your enemies might try to run away. Ending the Chase
Assuming no one follows, the fleeing party escapes. The chase ends when the lead drops to 0, in which
If one or more creatures take off after them, a chase case the pursuers catch up with the pursued, or the
begins between the pursued and their pursuers. pursuers lose track of the pursued, give up, or do
When a chase begins, the Sage decides how much something else.
of a lead the pursued have on the pursuers. The lead
is measured in rounds. If the pursued fled 2 rounds
before the pursuers follow, the lead becomes 2, for
example. The pursued, then, try to increase the
lead, while the pursuers work to lessen it. The
pursuers can abandon the chase at any time, at
which point the chase ends.
Like combat, the chase takes place over a series of
rounds. Unlike combat, the pursued take their turns
and then the pursuers take their turns. The upkeep
occurs and then a new round begins.

Pursued Turns
Every creature in the group being chased in the
group is assumed to be running. Each running
creature rolls Agility. If half or more succeed, the
lead increases by 1. If fewer than half succeed, the
lead is unchanged. A pursued creature can do
something else such as cast a spell or hide, but that
creature leaves the group of pursued. In addition,
creatures in this group might split up into smaller
groups or as individuals. Those not pursued get
away.

Pursuers Turn
Each group chasing the fleeing creature is also
assumed to be running and each rolls Agility. If half
or more succeed, the lead decreases by 1 and

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